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The Commonwealth
The Queen during a visit to Ghana in 1961

The Queen in Ghana in 1961
© Camera Press

MEMBERS OF THE COMMONWEALTH

There are 53 member countries of the Commonwealth. These are listed below, with the years in which they joined the Commonwealth.

Also listed is their constitutional status. ‘Realm’ indicates a Commonwealth country which retained a monarchical constitution, recognising The Queen as Sovereign, while ‘monarchy’ indicates an indigenous monarchical constitution. 

Nauru is a Special Member which does not attend meetings of Commonwealth Heads of Government.

Since membership of the Commonwealth is entirely voluntary, any member can withdraw at any time.

The Republic of Ireland did so in 1949, as did Zimbabwe in 2003.

Fact file

The largest member of the Commonwealth is Canada, at nearly 10 million square kilometres.

The most populous Commonwealth country is India, with nearly 1.1 billion people.

The smallest member is Nauru, with only 13,000 inhabitants.

The Commonwealth also includes the world’s driest and most sparsely populated country: Namibia.

Country Date Status
Antigua and Barbuda 1981 Realm
Australia 1931 Realm
The Bahamas 1973 Realm
Bangladesh 1972 Republic
Barbados 1966 Realm
Belize 1981 Realm
Botswana 1966 Republic
Brunei 1984 Monarchy
Cameroon 1995 Republic
Canada 1931 Realm
Cyprus 1961 Republic
Dominica 1978 Republic
Fiji Islands 1997  Republic
The Gambia 1965 Republic
Ghana 1957 Republic
Grenada 1974 Realm
Guyana 1966 Republic
India 1947 Republic
Jamaica 1962 Realm
Kenya 1963 Republic
Kiribati 1979 Republic
Lesotho 1966 Monarchy
Malawi 1964 Republic
Malaysia 1957 Monarchy
The Maldives 1982 Republic
Malta 1964 Republic
Mauritius 1968 Republic
Mozambique 1995 Republic
Namibia 1990 Republic
Nauru 1968 Republic
New Zealand 1931 Realm
Nigeria 1960 Republic
Pakistan 1947 Republic
Papua New Guinea 1975 Realm
St. Christopher and Nevis 1983 Realm
St. Lucia 1979 Realm
St. Vincent and the Grenadines   1979 Realm
Samoa 1970 Republic
Seychelles 1976 Republic
Sierra Leone 1961 Republic
Singapore 1965 Republic
Solomon Islands 1978 Realm
South Africa 1931
(withdrew in 1961,    
rejoined in 1994)
Republic
Sri Lanka 1948 Republic
Swaziland 1968 Monarchy
Tanzania 1961 Republic
Tonga 1970 Monarchy
Trinidad and Tobago 1962 Republic
Tuvalu 1978 Realm
United Kingdom Monarchy
Uganda 1962 Republic
Vanuatu 1980 Republic
Zambia 1964 Republic

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