Democracies that recognize birthright citizenship
Democracies where birthright citizenship is …
Note: Additional modes of acquiring citizenship by birth may apply to particular groups. Data is based on 106 countries classified as democracies and includes some fully self-governing territories whose sovereign status is disputed. Data is unavailable for four countries.
Source: Pew Research Center analysis of GLOBALCIT Citizenship Law Dataset, v3.0.
PEW RESEARCH CENTER
Democracies that recognize birthright citizenship
Democracies where birthright citizenship is …
| Country | Form of birthright citizenship, if any | Region |
|---|---|---|
| Albania | Not recognized | Europe |
| Andorra | Data unavailable | Europe |
| Antigua and Barbuda | Recognized | Americas |
| Argentina | Recognized | Americas |
| Armenia | Not recognized | Europe |
| Australia | Limited to those with parents who are legal residents | Asia-Pacific |
| Austria | Not recognized | Europe |
| Bahamas | Not recognized | Americas |
| Barbados | Recognized | Americas |
| Belgium | Limited to those with parents born in country | Europe |
| Belize | Recognized | Americas |
| Bhutan | Not recognized | Asia-Pacific |
| Bolivia | Recognized | Americas |
| Botswana | Not recognized | Africa |
| Brazil | Recognized | Americas |
| Bulgaria | Not recognized | Europe |
| Canada | Recognized | Americas |
| Cape Verde | Limited to those with parents who are legal residents | Africa |
| Chile | Limited to those with parents who are legal residents | Americas |
| Colombia | Limited to those with parents who are legal residents | Americas |
| Costa Rica | Recognized, but parents or individual must apply | Americas |
| Croatia | Not recognized | Europe |
| Cyprus | Not recognized | Europe |
| Czech Republic | Not recognized | Europe |
| Denmark | Not recognized | Europe |
| Dominica | Recognized | Americas |
| Dominican Republic | Limited to those with parents who are legal residents | Americas |
| East Timor | Limited to those with parents born in country | Asia-Pacific |
| Ecuador | Recognized | Americas |
| Estonia | Not recognized | Europe |
| Fiji | Not recognized | Asia-Pacific |
| Finland | Not recognized | Europe |
| France | Limited to those with parents born in country | Europe |
| Germany | Limited to those with parents who are legal residents | Europe |
| Ghana | Not recognized | Africa |
| Greece | Limited to those with parents born in country | Europe |
| Grenada | Recognized | Americas |
| Guyana | Recognized | Americas |
| Hungary | Not recognized | Europe |
| Iceland | Not recognized | Europe |
| India | Not recognized | Asia-Pacific |
| Ireland | Limited to those with parents who are legal residents | Europe |
| Israel | Limited to particular ethnic or religious groups | Middle East |
| Italy | Not recognized | Europe |
| Jamaica | Recognized | Americas |
| Japan | Not recognized | Asia-Pacific |
| Kiribati | Not recognized | Asia-Pacific |
| Kosovo | Limited to those with parents who are legal residents | Europe |
| Latvia | Not recognized | Europe |
| Lesotho | Recognized | Africa |
| Liberia | Limited to particular ethnic or religious groups | Africa |
| Liechtenstein | Not recognized | Europe |
| Lithuania | Not recognized | Europe |
| Luxembourg | Limited to those with parents born in country | Europe |
| Malawi | Not recognized | Africa |
| Malaysia | Limited to those with parents who are legal residents | Asia-Pacific |
| Malta | Limited to those with parents born in country | Europe |
| Marshall Islands | Not recognized | Asia-Pacific |
| Mauritius | Not recognized | Africa |
| Micronesia, Federated States | Not recognized | Asia-Pacific |
| Moldova | Recognized, but parents or individual must apply | Europe |
| Monaco | Data unavailable | Europe |
| Mongolia | Not recognized | Asia-Pacific |
| Montenegro | Not recognized | Europe |
| Namibia | Limited to those with parents that are legal residents | Africa |
| Nauru | Not recognized | Asia-Pacific |
| Nepal | Not recognized | Asia-Pacific |
| Netherlands | Limited to those with parents born in country | Europe |
| New Zealand | Limited to those with parents who are legal residents | Asia-Pacific |
| North Macedonia | Not recognized | Europe |
| Northern Cyprus | Data unavailable | Not recognized |
| Norway | Not recognized | Europe |
| Palau | Not recognized | Asia-Pacific |
| Panama | Recognized | Americas |
| Paraguay | Recognized, but parents or individual must apply | Americas |
| Peru | Recognized | Americas |
| Philippines | Not recognized | Asia-Pacific |
| Poland | Not recognized | Europe |
| Portugal | Limited to those with parents born in country | Europe |
| Romania | Not recognized | Europe |
| Samoa | Not recognized | Asia-Pacific |
| San Marino | Data unavailable | Europe |
| Sao Tome and Principe | Limited to those with parents who are legal residents | Africa |
| Senegal | Limited to those with parents born in country | Africa |
| Seychelles | Not recognized | Africa |
| Slovakia | Not recognized | Europe |
| Slovenia | Not recognized | Europe |
| Solomon Islands | Not recognized | Asia-Pacific |
| South Africa | Not recognized | Africa |
| South Korea | Not recognized | Asia-Pacific |
| Spain | Limited to those with parents born in country | Europe |
| Sri Lanka | Not recognized | Asia-Pacific |
| St. Kitts and Nevis | Recognized | Americas |
| St. Lucia | Recognized | Americas |
| St. Vincent and the Grenadines | Recognized | Americas |
| Suriname | Not recognized | Americas |
| Sweden | Not recognized | Europe |
| Switzerland | Not recognized | Europe |
| Taiwan | Not recognized | Asia-Pacific |
| Tonga | Not recognized | Asia-Pacific |
| Trinidad and Tobago | Recognized | Americas |
| Tuvalu | Recognized | Asia-Pacific |
| United Kingdom | Limited to those with parents who are legal residents | Europe |
| United States | Recognized | Americas |
| Uruguay | Recognized | Americas |
| Vanuatu | Not recognized | Asia-Pacific |
Note: Additional modes of acquiring citizenship by birth may apply to particular groups. Data is based on 106 countries classified as democracies and includes some fully self-governing territories whose sovereign status is disputed. Data is unavailable for four countries.
Source: Pew Research Center analysis of GLOBALCIT Citizenship Law Dataset, v3.0.
PEW RESEARCH CENTER
