As of January 2021, the number of countries that have joined the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) by signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with China is 140*.
140 countries are part of the BRI*
according to www.yidaiyilu.gov.cn
The countries of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) are spread across all continents:
- 40 countries are in Sub-Saharan Africa
- 34 BRI countries are in Europe & Central Asia (including 18 countries of the European Union (EU) that are part of the BRI)
- 24 BRI countries are in East Asia & pacific
- 17 BRI countries in Middle East & North Africa
- 19 BRI countries are in Latin America & Caribbean
- 6 countries are in South East Asia
*For some countries that are listed as having signed an MoU for the BRI, the availability of independent information is contradictory. For example, the seven countries of Austria, Benin, Comoros, Congo D.R., Dominica, Niger and Russian Federation have not published a confirmation of signing a full MoU or even denied it. These countries are listed as “null” in the following map of countries of the Belt and Road Initiative.
The trade and investment relationship of each BRI country with China is highly specific. More information about each BRI country can be found in the “BRI countries” briefs provided on this website, or on request.
Table of countries of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI)
The following table provides an overview of the countries of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). The field income group is according to the World Bank categorization. The * denotes that we could not find independent information about the signature of a Memorandum of Understanding to become an official “country of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).
| Country | Region | IncomeGroup |
|---|---|---|
| Afghanistan | South Asia | Low income |
| Albania | Europe & Central Asia | Upper middle income |
| Algeria | Middle East & North Africa | Upper middle income |
| Angola | Sub-Saharan Africa | Lower middle income |
| Antigua and Barbuda | Latin America & Caribbean | High income |
| Armenia | Europe & Central Asia | Upper middle income |
| Austria* | Europe & Central Asia | High income |
| Azerbaijan | Europe & Central Asia | Upper middle income |
| Bahrain | Middle East & North Africa | High income |
| Bangladesh | South Asia | Lower middle income |
| Barbados | Latin America & Caribbean | High income |
| Belarus | Europe & Central Asia | Upper middle income |
| Benin* | Sub-Saharan Africa | Low income |
| Bolivia | Latin America & Caribbean | Lower middle income |
| Bosnia and Herzegovina | Europe & Central Asia | Upper middle income |
| Botswana | Sub-Saharan Africa | Upper middle income |
| Brunei Darussalam | East Asia & Pacific | High income |
| Bulgaria | Europe & Central Asia | Upper middle income |
| Burundi | Sub-Saharan Africa | Low income |
| Cabo Verde | Sub-Saharan Africa | Lower middle income |
| Cambodia | East Asia & Pacific | Lower middle income |
| Cameroon | Sub-Saharan Africa | Lower middle income |
| Chad | Sub-Saharan Africa | Low income |
| Chile | Latin America & Caribbean | High income |
| China | East Asia & Pacific | Upper middle income |
| Comoros* | Sub-Saharan Africa | Low income |
| Congo, Dem. Rep. | Sub-Saharan Africa | Low income |
| Congo, Rep.* | Sub-Saharan Africa | Lower middle income |
| Cook Islands | East Asia & Pacific | |
| Costa Rica | Latin America & Caribbean | Upper middle income |
| Côte d’Ivoire | Sub-Saharan Africa | Lower middle income |
| Croatia | Europe & Central Asia | High income |
| Cuba | Latin America & Caribbean | Upper middle income |
| Cyprus | Europe & Central Asia | High income |
| Czech Republic | Europe & Central Asia | High income |
| Djibouti | Middle East & North Africa | Lower middle income |
| Dominica* | Latin America & Caribbean | Low income |
| Dominican Republic | Latin America & Caribbean | Upper middle income |
| Ecuador | Latin America & Caribbean | Upper middle income |
| Egypt, Arab Rep. | Middle East & North Africa | Lower middle income |
| El Salvador | Latin America & Caribbean | Lower middle income |
| Equatorial Guinea | Sub-Saharan Africa | Upper middle income |
| Estonia | Europe & Central Asia | High income |
| Ethiopia | Sub-Saharan Africa | Low income |
| Fiji | East Asia & Pacific | Upper middle income |
| Gabon | Sub-Saharan Africa | Upper middle income |
| Gambia, The | Sub-Saharan Africa | Low income |
| Georgia | Europe & Central Asia | Lower middle income |
| Ghana | Sub-Saharan Africa | Lower middle income |
| Greece | Europe & Central Asia | High income |
| Grenada | Latin America & Caribbean | Upper middle income |
| Guinea | Sub-Saharan Africa | Low income |
| Guyana | Latin America & Caribbean | Upper middle income |
| Hungary | Europe & Central Asia | High income |
| Indonesia | East Asia & Pacific | Lower middle income |
| Iran, Islamic Rep. | Middle East & North Africa | Upper middle income |
| Iraq | Middle East & North Africa | Upper middle income |
| Italy | Europe & Central Asia | High income |
| Jamaica | Latin America & Caribbean | Upper middle income |
| Kazakhstan | Europe & Central Asia | Upper middle income |
| Kenya | Sub-Saharan Africa | Lower middle income |
| Kiribati | East Asia & Pacific | Lower middle income |
| Korea, Rep. | East Asia & Pacific | High income |
| Kuwait | Middle East & North Africa | High income |
| Kyrgyz Republic | Europe & Central Asia | Lower middle income |
| Lao PDR | East Asia & Pacific | Lower middle income |
| Latvia | Europe & Central Asia | High income |
| Lebanon | Middle East & North Africa | Upper middle income |
| Lesotho | Sub-Saharan Africa | Lower middle income |
| Liberia | Sub-Saharan Africa | Low income |
| Libya | Middle East & North Africa | Upper middle income |
| Lithuania | Europe & Central Asia | High income |
| Luxembourg | Europe & Central Asia | High income |
| Madagascar | Sub-Saharan Africa | Low income |
| Malaysia | East Asia & Pacific | Upper middle income |
| Maldives | South Asia | Upper middle income |
| Mali | Sub-Saharan Africa | Low income |
| Malta | Middle East & North Africa | High income |
| Mauritania | Sub-Saharan Africa | Lower middle income |
| Micronesia, Fed. Sts. | East Asia & Pacific | Lower middle income |
| Moldova | Europe & Central Asia | Lower middle income |
| Mongolia | East Asia & Pacific | Lower middle income |
| Montenegro | Europe & Central Asia | Upper middle income |
| Morocco | Middle East & North Africa | Lower middle income |
| Mozambique | Sub-Saharan Africa | Low income |
| Myanmar | East Asia & Pacific | Lower middle income |
| Namibia | Sub-Saharan Africa | Upper middle income |
| Nepal | South Asia | Low income |
| New Zealand | East Asia & Pacific | High income |
| Niger* | Sub-Saharan Africa | Low income |
| Nigeria | Sub-Saharan Africa | Lower middle income |
| Niue | East Asia & Pacific | |
| North Macedonia | Europe & Central Asia | Upper middle income |
| Oman | Middle East & North Africa | High income |
| Pakistan | South Asia | Lower middle income |
| Panama | Latin America & Caribbean | High income |
| Papua New Guinea | East Asia & Pacific | Lower middle income |
| Peru | Latin America & Caribbean | Upper middle income |
| Philippines | East Asia & Pacific | Lower middle income |
| Poland | Europe & Central Asia | High income |
| Portugal | Europe & Central Asia | High income |
| Qatar | Middle East & North Africa | High income |
| Romania | Europe & Central Asia | Upper middle income |
| Russian Federation* | Europe & Central Asia | Upper middle income |
| Rwanda | Sub-Saharan Africa | Low income |
| Samoa | East Asia & Pacific | Upper middle income |
| Saudi Arabia | Middle East & North Africa | High income |
| Senegal | Sub-Saharan Africa | Low income |
| Serbia | Europe & Central Asia | Upper middle income |
| Seychelles | Sub-Saharan Africa | High income |
| Sierra Leone | Sub-Saharan Africa | Low income |
| Singapore | East Asia & Pacific | High income |
| Slovak Republic | Europe & Central Asia | High income |
| Slovenia | Europe & Central Asia | High income |
| Solomon Islands | East Asia & Pacific | Lower middle income |
| Somalia | Sub-Saharan Africa | Low income |
| South Africa | Sub-Saharan Africa | Upper middle income |
| South Sudan | Sub-Saharan Africa | Low income |
| Sri Lanka | South Asia | Lower middle income |
| Sudan | Sub-Saharan Africa | Lower middle income |
| Suriname | Latin America & Caribbean | Upper middle income |
| Tajikistan | Europe & Central Asia | Low income |
| Tanzania | Sub-Saharan Africa | Low income |
| Thailand | East Asia & Pacific | Upper middle income |
| Timor-Leste | East Asia & Pacific | Lower middle income |
| Togo | Sub-Saharan Africa | Low income |
| Tonga | East Asia & Pacific | Upper middle income |
| Trinidad and Tobago | Latin America & Caribbean | High income |
| Tunisia | Middle East & North Africa | Lower middle income |
| Turkey | Europe & Central Asia | Upper middle income |
| Uganda | Sub-Saharan Africa | Low income |
| Ukraine | Europe & Central Asia | Lower middle income |
| United Arab Emirates | Middle East & North Africa | High income |
| Uruguay | Latin America & Caribbean | High income |
| Uzbekistan | Europe & Central Asia | Lower middle income |
| Vanuatu | East Asia & Pacific | Lower middle income |
| Venezuela, RB | Latin America & Caribbean | Upper middle income |
| Vietnam | East Asia & Pacific | Lower middle income |
| Yemen, Rep. | Middle East & North Africa | Low income |
| Zambia | Sub-Saharan Africa | Lower middle income |
| Zimbabwe | Sub-Saharan Africa | Low income |
Update and contact
The data for the BRI countries and years of signature of the BRI MoU are based on a number of official, news and web sources. Please contact us ([email protected]) if you have any questions or suggestions.
Recommended citation:
Nedopil, Christoph (2021): “Countries of the Belt and Road Initiative”; Beijing, IIGF Green BRI Center, www.green-bri.org
