Total | Amphibians | Birds | Fish | Mammals | Reptiles | Vascular Plants
Total number of plant species, by country
Note, this dataset was collected between 2017-2020 from several academic sources. For some countries, the estimates are significantly lower than the World Conservation Monitoring Centre's 2004 aggregation (WCMC), which in some cases included multiple synonyms for a given species. The top table is considered more accurate, but the WCMC is also included as the second table..
The data agree that Brazil has the most plant species of any country, but after that, the rankings differ. But even with that caveat, the lists of the top 5 countries in terms of plant biodiversity share four names: Brazil, China, Colombia, and Mexico. Of the top 10 for the number of plant species, the lists share 7 countries.
| Country / region | Vascular plants | |
|---|---|---|
| Brazil | 34,387 | |
| China | 31,362 | |
| Colombia | 24,025 | |
| Mexico | 23,385 | |
| South Africa | 21,250 | |
| Peru | 19,812 | |
| Australia | 19,324 | |
| Indonesia | 19,232 | |
| Ecuador | 18,466 | |
| Myanmar | 16,000 | |
| United States (USA) | 15,500 | |
| Venezuela | 15,381 | |
| India | 15,000 | |
| Bolivia | 14,729 | |
| Malaysia | 14,060 | |
| Russian Federation | 12,500 | |
| Madagascar | 11,832 | |
| Costa Rica | 11,000 | |
| Papua New Guinea | 10,973 | |
| Panama | 10,462 | |
| Argentina | 10,221 | |
| Philippines | 10,107 | |
| Tanzania | 10,100 | |
| Turkey | 10,001 | |
| Congo, D.R. | 8,860 | |
| Guatemala | 8,763 | |
| Vietnam | 8,500 | |
| Iran | 7,500 | |
| Honduras | 7,188 | |
| Guyana | 7,112 | |
| Cameroon | 6,883 | |
| Kenya | 6,765 | |
| Ethiopia | 6,700 | |
| Thailand | 6,600 | |
| Nepal | 6,200 | |
| Laos | 6,000 | |
| Kazakhstan | 6,000 | |
| Cambodia | 6,000 | |
| Pakistan | 6,000 | |
| Spain | 5,800 | |
| Nicaragua | 5,796 | |
| El Salvador | 5,772 | |
| Japan | 5,600 | |
| Bhutan | 5,600 | |
| Italy | 5,590 | |
| Greece | 5,500 | |
| French Guiana | 5,406 | |
| Paraguay | 5,296 | |
| Gabon | 5,236 | |
| Chile | 5,155 | |
| Ukraine | 5,100 | |
| Afghanistan | 5,000 | |
| Suriname | 4,984 | |
| Uganda | 4,932 | |
| France | 4,700 | |
| Sri Lanka | 4,537 | 297 |
| Tajikistan | 4,513 | |
| Azerbaijan | 4,500 | |
| Taiwan | 4,442 | |
| Uzbekistan | 4,344 | |
| Belize | 4,192 | |
| Georgia | 4,100 | |
| Mozambique | 4,095 | |
| Canada | 3,893 | |
| Kyrgyzstan | 3,800 | |
| Bulgaria | 3,750 | |
| Cote d'lvoire | 3,689 | |
| New Caledonia | 3,645 | |
| South Korea | 3,632 | |
| Armenia | 3,600 | |
| Romania | 3,515 | |
| Nigeria | 3,378 | |
| Malawi | 3,340 | |
| Zambia | 3,309 | |
| Morocco | 3,100 | |
| Equatorial Guinea | 3,049 | |
| Ghana | 2,971 | |
| Uruguay | 2,911 | |
| Turkmenistan | 2,900 | |
| Mongolia | 2,850 | |
| Zimbabwe | 2,807 | |
| Portugal | 2,800 | |
| Burundi | 2,788 | |
| Germany | 2,660 | |
| Switzerland | 2,590 | |
| Austria | 2,580 | |
| Central African Republic | 2,560 | |
| Montenegro | 2,550 | |
| Guinea | 2,533 | |
| Benin | 2,460 | |
| Albania | 2,450 | |
| Congo | 2,403 | |
| Liberia | 2,403 | |
| New Zealand | 2,400 | |
| Israel | 2,380 | |
| Poland | 2,300 | |
| Trinidad and Tobago | 2,274 | |
| Angola | 2,262 | |
| Egypt | 2,250 | |
| Hungary | 2,250 | |
| Czech Republic | 2,100 | |
| Tunisia | 2,100 | |
| Rwanda | 1,883 | |
| Sierra Leone | 1,883 | |
| Latvia | 1,648 | |
| Denmark | 1,583 | |
| Estonia | 1,538 | |
| Lithuania | 1,498 | |
| Senegal | 1,342 | |
| Belgium | 1,340 | |
| Finland | 1,300 | |
| Somalia | 1,267 | |
| Botswana | 920 | |
| Mali | 903 | |
| Burkina Faso | 879 | |
| Guinea-Bissau | 841 | |
| São Tomé and Príncipe | 806 | |
| Greenland | 575 |
WCMC 2004 data
This dataset, while more complete, should be considered less reliable.
| Country / region | Vascular plants | Threatened higher plant species (2018) |
|---|---|---|
| Brazil | 56,215 | 558 |
| Colombia | 51,220 | 268 |
| China | 32,200 | 593 |
| Indonesia | 29,375 | 458 |
| Mexico | 26,071 | 484 |
| South Africa | 23,420 | 153 |
| Venezuela | 21,073 | 86 |
| United States (USA) | 19,473 | 510 |
| Ecuador | 19,362 | 1,859 |
| India | 18,664 | 396 |
| Bolivia | 17,367 | 106 |
| Peru | 17,144 | 328 |
| Australia | 15,638 | 108 |
| Malaysia | 15,500 | 727 |
| Costa Rica | 12,119 | 143 |
| Thailand | 11,625 | 159 |
| Papua New Guinea | 11,544 | 179 |
| Russian Federation | 11,400 | 56 |
| Congo, The Democratic Republic of the | 11,007 | 46 |
| Vietnam | 10,500 | 231 |
| Tanzania, United Republic of | 10,008 | 644 |
| Panama | 9,915 | 212 |
| Madagascar | 9,505 | 1,111 |
| Argentina | 9,372 | 70 |
| Philippines | 8,931 | 254 |
| Guatemala | 8,681 | 120 |
| Turkey | 8,650 | 113 |
| Laos | 8,286 | 56 |
| Cameroon | 8,260 | 555 |
| Iran | 8,000 | 7 |
| Paraguay | 7,851 | 20 |
| Nicaragua | 7,590 | 50 |
| Myanmar | 7,000 | 61 |
| Nepal | 6,973 | 18 |
| Gabon | 6,651 | 173 |
| Ethiopia | 6,603 | 64 |
| Cuba | 6,522 | 179 |
| Kenya | 6,506 | 243 |
| Uganda | 6,500 | 64 |
| Guyana | 6,409 | 30 |
| Congo | 6,000 | 148 |
| Kazakhstan | 6,000 | 14 |
| British Indian Ocean Territory | 6,000 | |
| Mozambique | 5,692 | 145 |
| Honduras | 5,680 | 134 |
| Dominican Republic | 5,657 | 47 |
| French Guiana | 5,625 | |
| Italy | 5,599 | 102 |
| Japan | 5,565 | 50 |
| Bhutan | 5,468 | 43 |
| Chile | 5,284 | 73 |
| Haiti | 5,242 | 93 |
| Angola | 5,185 | 34 |
| Ukraine | 5,100 | 22 |
| Spain | 5,050 | 247 |
| Portugal | 5,050 | 101 |
| Suriname | 5,018 | 27 |
| Cambodia | 5,000 | 37 |
| Bangladesh | 5,000 | 23 |
| Tajikistan | 5,000 | 12 |
| Greece | 4,992 | 72 |
| Pakistan | 4,950 | 12 |
| Uzbekistan | 4,800 | 16 |
| Zambia | 4,747 | 23 |
| Nigeria | 4,715 | 205 |
| France | 4,630 | 47 |
| Kyrgyzstan | 4,500 | 13 |
| Zimbabwe | 4,440 | 52 |
| Georgia | 4,350 | 63 |
| Azerbaijan | 4,300 | 44 |
| Croatia | 4,288 | 8 |
| Serbia | 4,082 | 6 |
| Malawi | 3,765 | 34 |
| Ghana | 3,725 | 119 |
| Morocco | 3,675 | 52 |
| Cote d'lvoire | 3,660 | 118 |
| Cayman Islands | 3,602 | 22 |
| Sri Lanka | 3,314 | 297 |
| Jamaica | 3,308 | 215 |
| Canada | 3,270 | 18 |
| Equatorial Guinea | 3,250 | 98 |
| Solomon Islands | 3,172 | 16 |
| Sudan | 3,137 | 17 |
| Togo | 3,085 | 13 |
| Somalia | 3,028 | 49 |
| Guinea | 3,000 | 70 |
| El Salvador | 2,911 | 33 |
| Belize | 2,894 | 46 |
| Benin | 2,500 | 20 |
| New Zealand | 2,382 | 21 |
| Rwanda | 2,288 | 41 |
| Singapore | 2,282 | 62 |
| Trinidad and Tobago | 2,259 | 50 |
| Liberia | 2,200 | 53 |
| Sierra Leone | 2,090 | 72 |
| Senegal | 2,086 | 14 |
| Mali | 1,741 | 12 |
| Guinea-Bissau | 1,000 | 6 |
| Gambia | 974 | 6 |
| Seychelles | 850 | 61 |
| Palau | 500 | 5 |
| Taiwan | ||
| New Caledonia | 350 | |
| Fiji | 78 | |
| Micronesia, Federated States of | 5 | |
| Tonga | 5 | |
| Maldives | 0 | |
| South Korea | 31 | |
| Mauritius | 91 | |
| Oman | 6 | |
| Hong Kong | 10 | |
| Guam | 5 | |
| Samoa | 2 | |
| Marshall Islands | 0 | |
| Reunion | ||
| Egypt | 8 | |
| French Polynesia | 48 | |
| Bahamas | 7 | |
| Saudi Arabia | 4 | |
| Vanuatu | 10 | |
| Puerto Rico | 64 | |
| Northern Mariana Islands | 6 | |
| Yemen | 163 | |
| American Samoa | 1 | |
| Uruguay | 22 | |
| Mauritania | 0 | |
| Cape Verde | ||
| Israel | 23 | |
| Namibia | 27 | |
| Christmas Island | ||
| Aruba | 2 | |
| Cook Islands | ||
| Virgin Islands, U.S. | ||
| Comoros | 9 | |
| Jordan | 8 | |
| Kiribati | 0 | |
| Barbados | 3 | |
| Kuwait | 0 | |
| United Arab Emirates | 0 | |
| Bahrain | 0 | |
| Cocos (Keeling) Island | ||
| Qatar | 0 | |
| Antigua and Barbuda | 4 | |
| Dominica | 12 | |
| Brunei Darussalam | 127 | |
| Grenada | 3 | |
| Saint Lucia | ||
| Saint Vincent and the Grenadines | ||
| Virgin Islands, British | ||
| Algeria | 22 | |
| Bermuda | 8 | |
| Saint Kitts and Nevis | ||
| Martinique | ||
| Western Sahara | ||
| Guadeloupe | ||
| Anguilla | ||
| United Kingdom | 42 | |
| Albania | 4 | |
| Montserrat | ||
| Ireland | 3 | |
| Slovenia | 7 | |
| Syrian Arab Republic | 26 | |
| Djibouti | 3 | |
| Turks and Caicos Islands | 9 | |
| Tunisia | 9 | |
| Mayotte | ||
| Eritrea | 6 | |
| São Tomé and Príncipe | 49 | |
| Pitcairn | ||
| Bosnia and Herzegovina | 3 | |
| Gibraltar | ||
| Montenegro | 3 | |
| Lebanon | 24 | |
| Malta | 4 | |
| Iraq | 2 | |
| East Timor (Timor-Leste) | ||
| North Korea | 31 | |
| Norfolk Island | ||
| Iceland | 0 | |
| Norway | 10 | |
| Monaco | 1 | |
| Libya | 7 | |
| Cyprus | 22 | |
| Greenland | 1 | |
| Sweden | 5 | |
| Germany | 36 | |
| Burundi | 89 | |
| Niue | ||
| Bulgaria | 9 | |
| Denmark | 1 | |
| Netherlands | 1 | |
| Romania | 7 | |
| Wallis and Futuna | 6 | |
| Antarctica | ||
| Central African Republic | 26 | |
| Tuvalu | 0 | |
| Belgium | 0 | |
| Saint Helena | ||
| Macau | 0 | |
| Poland | 11 | |
| Chad | 6 | |
| Faroe Islands | 0 | |
| Afghanistan | 5 | |
| Burkina Faso | 4 | |
| Tokelau | ||
| Latvia | 0 | |
| Niger | 4 | |
| Finland | 2 | |
| Lithuania | 1 | |
| Austria | 17 | |
| Slovakia | ||
| Falkland Island (Malvinas) | ||
| Switzerland | 4 | |
| Nauru | ||
| Botswana | 3 | |
| Hungary | 43 | |
| Mongolia | 0 | |
| Czech Republic | 26 | |
| Estonia | 0 | |
| Turkmenistan | 4 | |
| Moldova, Republic of | 2 | |
| South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands | ||
| Belarus | 1 | |
| Swaziland | ||
| North Macedonia | 4 | |
| Armenia | 74 | |
| Svalbard and Jan Mayen | ||
| Heard Islands and McDonald Islands | ||
| Luxemburg | 0 | |
| South Sudan | 17 | |
| Liechtenstein | 0 | |
| Saint Pierre and Miquelon | ||
| Bouvet Island | ||
| Lesotho | 4 | |
| Andorra | 0 | |
| Netherlands Antilles | ||
| San Marino | ||
| United States Minor Outlying Islands | ||
| French Southern Territories (France) | ||
| Holy See (Vatican City State) |
Source: Plant data is from the World Conservation Monitoring Centre of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP-WCMC), 2004. Species Data. Fish: Fishbase; Birds: Birdlife International; Amphibians: AmphibiaWeb; Mammals: IUCN; Reptiles: the Reptile Database.
Species counts: Total | Amphibians | Birds | Mammals | Reptiles | Vascular Plants
IUCN Red List (partial list of rainforest countries): Australia, Belize, Bhutan, Bolivia, Brazil, Côte D’ivoire, Cambodia, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Colombia, Congo Brazzaville, Congo Kinshasa, Costa Rica, Ecuador, French Guiana, Gabon, Guatemala, Guyana, Honduras, India, Indonesia, Laos, Liberia, Madagascar, Malaysia, Mexico, Myanmar (Burma), Nepal, Nicaragua, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Peru, Philippines, Solomon Islands, Sri Lanka, Suriname, Tanzania, Thailand, Uganda, Venezuela, and Vietnam.