Today, November 16, 2025, occurs l’80th anniversary since the birth ofUNESCOthe United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization which, among other things, also deals with naming the “World Heritage Sites”, i.e. sites of exceptional importance from a cultural or naturalistic point of view that deserve to be protected.
To date, i UNESCO heritage sites in the world they are in total 1,248distributed between 170 Villages: of these, 972 are cultural, while 235 are landscape. Here is a map of the global distribution.
But which countries have the most UNESCO sites globally? Also for 2025 theItaly is confirmed at first placewith a total of 61 sites: just a few days ago, the Italian cuisine has been included in the list of potential intangible cultural heritage. Let’s see the ranking of the top 10 states by number of UNESCO sites and how to receive the nomination.
Which countries have the most UNESCO sites: the ranking
As can also be seen in the graph below, our country is first in the world for the number of UNESCO sites, which rose to 61 last July after the “domus de janas“Sardines have been included in the list. Immediately after us is China, which with its 9,597,000 km² of extension reaches 60 UNESCO heritage sites, among which the Great Wall of China.
Third place for Germany, which this summer reached 55 with the appointment of Neuschwanstein Castleand fourth for the France with 54 sites, like the Palace of Versailles.
In the middle of the table is placed Spain with 50 UNESCO heritage sites, followed byIndia with 43 sites like the Taj Mahaland from Mexico which has obtained the recognition of 35 places, among which the most famous is certainly the archaeological site of Chichen Itza.
The ranking closes with United Kingdomalways with 35 sitesthe Russiawith 32andIranthe only country in the Middle Eastwith 27 assets.
How does a place become a World Heritage Site
But, therefore, how does a place exist named a World Heritage Site by UNESCO? First of all, it is essential that the requesting states have signed the World Heritage Convention, of which today 194 nations are part. At this point, the process – which can last several years – is divided into 4 phases:
- The preliminary list, in which the State prepares a list of the places it intends to nominate as a UNESCO heritage site, specifying the category they belong to (cultural, natural or mixed).
- The nomination, during which the State must collect all the information requested by the World Heritage Centrean independent UNESCO body that supports in the preparation of applications.
- The Advisory Committee’s review: having reached this stage, the sites are examined by 3 intergovernmental committees made up of experts external to UNESCO, who provide a preliminary opinion on the quality of the site, its state of conservation, the benefits of inclusion in the UNESCO list and any shortcomings.
- The decision of World Heritage Committee, a committee made up of 21 members elected from among the states adhering to the convention, with a four-year mandate. After examining the evaluations, the committee makes the final decision: in case of a negative opinion, the request is sent back for further clarifications or improvements; if approved, guidelines are provided for the management and preservation of the site and assistance is established, which includes both funding and technical support from world-class experts.
