List of Countries With Federal Government

Nov 6, 2025, 15:09 IST

Countries with Federal Government: Federalism is a system where governmental power is divided between a national authority and regional governments to manage large, diverse countries and ensure regional autonomy. 

Countries with Federal Government
Countries with Federal Government

Countries With Federal Government: Federalism is a system of government in which power is divided between a national (central) government and several regional governments (such as states, provinces or regions). In such systems, both levels of government operate directly on their citizens and have their own areas of responsibility set by the constitution or fundamental law.

This structure is adopted to accommodate large territories, diverse populations, and varying local needs while maintaining national unity and coherence. There are roughly 24 countries in the world that can be classified as true federations, and these countries together represent about 40 to 45 % of the world’s population. 

Federal countries differ a lot in how much autonomy their regional governments have, how the central and regional powers are divided, and how their systems evolved historically. 

Check out: Top 10 Democratic Countries in the World 2025

Countries with Federal Government

Here is the list of all the countries that have federal governments:

No.

Country

1

United States of America

2

Canada

3

Mexico

4

Saint Kitts and Nevis

5

Argentina

6

Brazil

7

Venezuela

8

Germany

9

Austria

10

Belgium

11

Switzerland

12

Bosnia and Herzegovina

13

Russia

14

Nigeria

15

Ethiopia

16

South Africa

17

Comoros

18

India

19

Pakistan

20

Australia

21

Malaysia

22

United Arab Emirates (UAE)

23

Nepal

24

Federated States of Micronesia

Conclusion

Federal governments are relatively rare worldwide compared to unitary systems, but they serve important roles in large, diverse countries where regional autonomy is valuable. As noted by scholars, ‘federal systems divide power between two autonomous sets of governments, one national and the other sub-national.

Sneha Singh
Sneha Singh

Content Writer

    Sneha Singh is a US News Content Writer at Jagran Josh, covering major developments in international policies and global affairs. She holds a degree in Journalism and Mass Communication from Amity University, Lucknow Campus. With over six months of experience as a Sub Editor at News24 Digital, Sneha brings sharp news judgment, SEO expertise and a passion for impactful storytelling.

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