There are 54 member countries of the Commonwealth. A ‘Realm’ is a Commonwealth country which has The Queen as Sovereign, while ‘monarchy’ indicates a Commonwealth country which has its own monarch as Head of State.
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.
| 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 1970 | (rejoined in 1997 after 10 year lapse) 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 |
| Rwanda | 2009 Republic |
| 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 | Realm |
| Uganda | 1962 Republic |
| Vanuatu | 1980 Republic |
| Zambia | 1964 Republic |
There is huge variety across the Commonwealth. The largest member 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.
