Countries of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI)

In December 2023, the number of countries that have joined the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) by signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with China is 151*. However, due to uncertainties on MoU**, it can be said that

146 to 151 countries including China are members of the BRI

according to www.yidaiyilu.gov.cn, 150 countries had signed MoUs, including Palestine, which is not an independent country under the United Nations.

The countries (excluding Palestine) of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) are spread across all continents:

  • 44 countries are in Sub-Saharan Africa
  • 34 BRI countries are in Europe & Central Asia
  • 25 BRI countries are in East Asia & Pacific (including China)
  • 22 BRI countries are in Latin America & Caribbean
  • 19 BRI countries in Middle East & North Africa
  • 6 countries are in South East Asia

This also includes

  • 17 countries of the European Union (EU), and
  • 8 countries of the G20.
Map of countries of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) - by December 2023, 145 to 149 countries had signed Memorandums of Understanding (MoU) with China to cooperate under the BRI framework
Countries of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) – by December 2023, 145 to 149 countries had signed Memorandums of Understanding (MoU) with China to cooperate under the BRI framework

The trade and investment relationship of each BRI country with China is highly specific. More information about some 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. Countries without a date of MoU 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).

CountryCountry CodeRegionIncome GroupLikely date of MoULikely date of exit
AfghanistanAFGSouth AsiaLow incomeMay 1, 2023
AlbaniaALBEurope & Central AsiaUpper middle incomeMay 1, 2017
AlgeriaDZAMiddle East & North AfricaUpper middle incomeJuly 10, 2018
AngolaAGOSub-Saharan AfricaLower middle incomeSeptember 1, 2018
Antigua and BarbudaATGLatin America & CaribbeanHigh incomeJune 1, 2018
ArgentinaARGLatin America & CaribbeanHigh incomeFebruary 6, 2022
ArmeniaARMEurope & Central AsiaUpper middle incomeDecember 1, 2015
AustriaAUTEurope & Central AsiaHigh income
AzerbaijanAZEEurope & Central AsiaUpper middle incomeDecember 1, 2015
BahrainBHRMiddle East & North AfricaHigh incomeJuly 1, 2018
BangladeshBGDSouth AsiaLower middle incomeMarch 1, 2019
BarbadosBRBLatin America & CaribbeanHigh incomeFebruary 1, 2019
BelarusBLREurope & Central AsiaUpper middle incomeDecember 1, 2013
BeninBENSub-Saharan AfricaLow incomeSeptember 1, 2018
BoliviaBOLLatin America & CaribbeanLower middle incomeJune 1, 2018
Bosnia and HerzegovinaBIHEurope & Central AsiaUpper middle incomeMay 1, 2017
BotswanaBWASub-Saharan AfricaUpper middle incomeJanuary 7, 2021
Brunei DarussalamBRNEast Asia & PacificHigh incomeNovember 1, 2018
BulgariaBGREurope & Central AsiaUpper middle incomeNovember 1, 2015
BurundiBDISub-Saharan AfricaLow incomeSeptember 1, 2018
Cabo VerdeCPVSub-Saharan AfricaLower middle incomeSeptember 1, 2018
CambodiaKHMEast Asia & PacificLower middle incomeDecember 1, 2013
CameroonCMRSub-Saharan AfricaLower middle incomeAugust 1, 2015
Central African RepublicCAFSub-Saharan AfricaLow incomeNovember 1, 2021
ChadTCDSub-Saharan AfricaLow incomeSeptember 1, 2018
ChileCHLLatin America & CaribbeanHigh incomeNovember 6, 2018
China, P.R. CHNEast Asia & PacificUpper middle incomeDecember 1, 2013
ComorosCOMSub-Saharan AfricaLow incomeDecember 1, 2015
Congo, Dem. Rep.CODSub-Saharan AfricaLow incomeJanuary 6, 2021
Congo, Rep.COGSub-Saharan AfricaLower middle income
Cook IslandsCOKEast Asia & PacificUpper middle incomeNovember 1, 2018
Costa RicaCRILatin America & CaribbeanUpper middle incomeSeptember 1, 2018
Côte d'IvoireCIVSub-Saharan AfricaLower middle incomeMay 23, 2017
CroatiaHRVEurope & Central AsiaHigh incomeMay 1, 2017
CubaCUBLatin America & CaribbeanUpper middle incomeJune 20, 2019
CyprusCYPEurope & Central AsiaHigh incomeApril 1, 2019
Czech RepublicCZEEurope & Central AsiaHigh incomeNovember 1, 2015
DjiboutiDJIMiddle East & North AfricaLower middle incomeSeptember 1, 2018
DominicaDMALatin America & CaribbeanUpper middle incomeJuly 13, 2018
Dominican RepublicDOMLatin America & CaribbeanUpper middle incomeDecember 1, 2019
EcuadorECULatin America & CaribbeanUpper middle incomeDecember 1, 2018
Egypt, Arab Rep.EGYMiddle East & North AfricaLower middle incomeJanuary 1, 2016
El SalvadorSLVLatin America & CaribbeanLower middle incomeNovember 1, 2018
Equatorial GuineaGNQSub-Saharan AfricaUpper middle incomeApril 1, 2019
EritreaERISub-Saharan AfricaLow incomeNovember 25, 2021
EstoniaESTEurope & Central AsiaHigh incomeNovember 1, 2017
EthiopiaETHSub-Saharan AfricaLow incomeSeptember 1, 2018
FijiFJIEast Asia & PacificUpper middle incomeNovember 1, 2018
GabonGABSub-Saharan AfricaUpper middle incomeSeptember 1, 2018
Gambia, TheGMBSub-Saharan AfricaLow incomeSeptember 1, 2018
GeorgiaGEOEurope & Central AsiaLower middle incomeDecember 1, 2016
GhanaGHASub-Saharan AfricaLower middle incomeSeptember 1, 2018
GreeceGRCEurope & Central AsiaHigh incomeAugust 1, 2018
GrenadaGRDLatin America & CaribbeanUpper middle incomeSeptember 1, 2018
GuineaGINSub-Saharan AfricaLow incomeSeptember 1, 2018
Guinea-BissauGNBSub-Saharan AfricaLow incomeNovember 24, 2021
GuyanaGUYLatin America & CaribbeanUpper middle incomeJuly 1, 2018
HondurasHNDLatin America & CaribbeanLower middle incomeOctober 18, 2023
HungaryHUNEurope & Central AsiaHigh incomeJune 1, 2015
IndonesiaIDNEast Asia & PacificLower middle incomeMarch 1, 2015
Iran, Islamic Rep.IRNMiddle East & North AfricaUpper middle incomeNovember 1, 2018
IraqIRQMiddle East & North AfricaUpper middle incomeDecember 1, 2015
ItalyITAEurope & Central AsiaHigh incomeMarch 1, 2019December 6, 2023
JamaicaJAMLatin America & CaribbeanUpper middle incomeApril 1, 2019
JordanJORMiddle EastUpper Middle IncomeDecember 2, 2023
KazakhstanKAZEurope & Central AsiaUpper middle incomeAugust 1, 2015
KenyaKENSub-Saharan AfricaLower middle incomeJune 1, 2017
KiribatiKIREast Asia & PacificLower middle incomeJanuary 1, 2020
Korea, Rep.KOREast Asia & PacificHigh incomeMay 1, 2018
KuwaitKWTMiddle East & North AfricaHigh incomeMay 1, 2018
Kyrgyz RepublicKGZEurope & Central AsiaLower middle incomeDecember 1, 2013
Lao PDRLAOEast Asia & PacificLower middle incomeSeptember 1, 2018
LatviaLVAEurope & Central AsiaHigh incomeNovember 1, 2016
LebanonLBNMiddle East & North AfricaUpper middle incomeSeptember 1, 2017
LesothoLSOSub-Saharan AfricaLower middle incomeJune 1, 2019
LiberiaLBRSub-Saharan AfricaLow incomeApril 1, 2019
LibyaLBYMiddle East & North AfricaUpper middle incomeJuly 1, 2018
LithuaniaLTUEurope & Central AsiaHigh incomeNovember 1, 2017
LuxembourgLUXEurope & Central AsiaHigh incomeMarch 1, 2019
MadagascarMDGSub-Saharan AfricaLow incomeMarch 1, 2017
MalawiMWISub-Saharan AfricaLow incomeMarch 24, 2022
MalaysiaMYSEast Asia & PacificUpper middle incomeMay 1, 2017
MaldivesMDVSouth AsiaUpper middle incomeAugust 1, 2017
MaliMLISub-Saharan AfricaLow incomeJuly 26, 2019
MaltaMLTMiddle East & North AfricaHigh incomeNovember 1, 2018
MauritaniaMRTSub-Saharan AfricaLower middle incomeSeptember 1, 2018
Micronesia, Fed. Sts.FSMEast Asia & PacificLower middle incomeNovember 1, 2018
MoldovaMDAEurope & Central AsiaLower middle incomeDecember 1, 2013
MongoliaMNGEast Asia & PacificLower middle incomeDecember 1, 2013
MontenegroMNEEurope & Central AsiaUpper middle incomeMay 1, 2017
MoroccoMARMiddle East & North AfricaLower middle incomeNovember 1, 2017
MozambiqueMOZSub-Saharan AfricaLow incomeSeptember 1, 2018
MyanmarMMREast Asia & PacificLower middle incomeAugust 1, 2016
NamibiaNAMSub-Saharan AfricaUpper middle incomeSeptember 1, 2018
NepalNPLSouth AsiaLow incomeMay 1, 2017
New ZealandNZLEast Asia & PacificHigh incomeMarch 1, 2017
NicaraguaNICLatin America & CaribbeanLower middle incomeJanuary 6, 2022
NigerNERSub-Saharan AfricaLow income
NigeriaNGASub-Saharan AfricaLower middle incomeSeptember 1, 2018
NiueNIUEast Asia & PacificLower middle incomeJuly 1, 2018
North MacedoniaMKDEurope & Central AsiaUpper middle incomeDecember 1, 2013
OmanOMNMiddle East & North AfricaHigh incomeMay 1, 2018
PakistanPAKSouth AsiaLower middle incomeDecember 1, 2013
PanamaPANLatin America & CaribbeanHigh incomeJune 1, 2017
Papua New GuineaPNGEast Asia & PacificLower middle incomeJuly 1, 2016
PeruPERLatin America & CaribbeanUpper middle incomeMay 1, 2019
PhilippinesPHLEast Asia & PacificLower middle incomeNovember 1, 2017
PolandPOLEurope & Central AsiaHigh incomeNovember 1, 2015
PortugalPRTEurope & Central AsiaHigh incomeDecember 1, 2018
QatarQATMiddle East & North AfricaHigh incomeJanuary 1, 2019
RomaniaROUEurope & Central AsiaUpper middle incomeJune 1, 2015
Russian FederationRUSEurope & Central AsiaUpper middle income
RwandaRWASub-Saharan AfricaLow incomeJuly 1, 2018
SamoaWSMEast Asia & PacificUpper middle incomeOctober 1, 2018
Saudi ArabiaSAUMiddle East & North AfricaHigh incomeAugust 1, 2018
SenegalSENSub-Saharan AfricaLow incomeJuly 1, 2018
SerbiaSRBEurope & Central AsiaUpper middle incomeNovember 1, 2015
SeychellesSYCSub-Saharan AfricaHigh incomeSeptember 1, 2018
Sierra LeoneSLESub-Saharan AfricaLow incomeAugust 1, 2018
SingaporeSGPEast Asia & PacificHigh incomeApril 1, 2018
Slovak RepublicSVKEurope & Central AsiaHigh incomeNovember 1, 2015
SloveniaSVNEurope & Central AsiaHigh incomeNovember 1, 2017
Solomon IslandsSLBEast Asia & PacificLower middle incomeOctober 1, 2019
SomaliaSOMSub-Saharan AfricaLow incomeAugust 1, 2015
South AfricaZAFSub-Saharan AfricaUpper middle incomeDecember 1, 2015
South SudanSSDSub-Saharan AfricaLow incomeSeptember 1, 2018
Sri LankaLKASouth AsiaLower middle incomeApril 1, 2017
SudanSDNSub-Saharan AfricaLower middle incomeSeptember 1, 2018
SurinameSURLatin America & CaribbeanUpper middle incomeJuly 1, 2018
Syrian Arab RepublicSYRMiddle East & North AfricaLow incomeJanuary 6, 2022
TajikistanTJKEurope & Central AsiaLow incomeOctober 1, 2018
TanzaniaTZASub-Saharan AfricaLow incomeSeptember 1, 2018
ThailandTHAEast Asia & PacificUpper middle incomeDecember 1, 2014
Timor-LesteTLSEast Asia & PacificLower middle incomeApril 1, 2017
TogoTGOSub-Saharan AfricaLow incomeSeptember 1, 2018
TongaTONEast Asia & PacificUpper middle incomeMarch 1, 2018
Trinidad and TobagoTTOLatin America & CaribbeanHigh incomeMay 1, 2018
TunisiaTUNMiddle East & North AfricaLower middle incomeJuly 1, 2018
TurkeyTUREurope & Central AsiaUpper middle incomeNovember 1, 2015
TurkmenistanTKMEurope & Central AsiaUpper middle incomeJune 1, 2017
UgandaUGASub-Saharan AfricaLow incomeSeptember 1, 2018
UkraineUKREurope & Central AsiaLower middle incomeDecember 1, 2017
United Arab EmiratesAREMiddle East & North AfricaHigh incomeJuly 1, 2018
UruguayURYLatin America & CaribbeanHigh incomeFebruary 1, 2018
UzbekistanUZBEurope & Central AsiaLower middle incomeJune 1, 2015
VanuatuVUTEast Asia & PacificLower middle incomeNovember 1, 2018
Venezuela, RBVENLatin America & CaribbeanUpper middle incomeSeptember 1, 2018
VietnamVNMEast Asia & PacificLower middle incomeNovember 1, 2017
Yemen, Rep.YEMMiddle East & North AfricaLow incomeNovember 1, 2017
ZambiaZMBSub-Saharan AfricaLower middle incomeSeptember 1, 2018
ZimbabweZWESub-Saharan AfricaLow incomeSeptember 1, 2018
File:.xlsx icon.svg - Wikimedia Commons

>> you can download the full Excel (.xls) file of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) country list here and use with proper citation.

Recommended citation:

Nedopil, Christoph (2023): “Countries of the Belt and Road Initiative”; Shanghai, Green Finance & Development Center, FISF Fudan University, www.greenfdc.org

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 (info@greenfdc.org) if you have any questions or suggestions.

**For some countries that are listed as having signed an MoU for the BRI, the availability of independent information is limited and partly contradictory . For example, Austria, Niger and Russian Federation have not published a confirmation of signing a full MoU for bilateral cooperation under the BRI or even denied it. Some countries’ MoUs have potentially also expired due to their initial duration of 5 years. Some of these countries are listed as “unclear” in the following map of countries of the Belt and Road Initiative.