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All Scout/Guide Associations in Every Country

This page lists every country in the world, with key information about each country's Scouting program(s).

Apparently, only five of the world's 197 countries do not have Scouting: Andorra, Cuba, North Korea, Laos, and Vatican City. A sixth country, China (People's Republic), has very limited Scouting in the former colonies of Hong Kong and Macau, and in a few scattered groups for ages 15 and older (younger ages being required to join the Young Pioneers of China). Approximately 1 out of every 143 people on earth is involved in Scouting.

This information comes from many sources, and is as up-to-date as I can find. I have found several hundred Scout/Guide associations, and undoubtedly there are more that I have not yet found. Note that I try to list all national Scout organizations, but not single units or local/regional associations, most of which tend to go in and out of existence frequently. Please e-mail me with any corrections or additions. Thanks!

Scouting Terminology—These terms are used in different ways by different Scouting organizations, so for clarity I will try to use them consistently as follows:

Common Scouting terms that may be confusing if your country doesn't use them:


Quick Link to Countries:


International Organizations (for more information about international Scouting organizations, see our International Scouting page)—While some national Scout associations are independent of any international body, national associations representing about 88% of all Scouts are members of WOSM or WAGGGS, another roughly 12% in WFIS, and smaller numbers in the remaining organizations:

The Largest International Organizations

Organizations Representing "Traditional/Independent" Programs

Predominantly European Organizations

Other

National Associations are listed by country as follows:

Country

Name of Association (total membership if known)
International Affiliation / Word for 'Scout' / Scout Motto

1. Afghanistan

Afghanistan National Scout Organization
WOSM (12 475)

2. Albania

Girl Scouts of Albania
WAGGGS (552)

3. Algeria

Scouts Musulmans Algériens (Algerian Muslim Scouts)
WOSM (61 860) / 'Scout' is Kashaf or el-Kechaf in Arabic, Askuti in Berber, Scout in French / Kun Musta'idan ('Be Prepared' in Arabic) / Sois Prêt ('Be Prepared' in French)

4. Andorra

no Scouting (Scouting is not outlawed, just not successfully organized)

5. Angola

Associação de Escuteros de Angola (Angola Scout Association)
WOSM (28 011) / Explorador / Sempre Alerta ('Always Alert' in Portuguese)

Exploradores Independentes e Tradicionais (AEIT)
FISIT / Explorador

6. Antigua and Barbuda

[branch of UK Scouting (The Scout Association)]
WOSM / Scout / Be Prepared

Girl Guides Association of Antigua and Barbuda
WAGGGS (437) / Guide / Be Prepared

7. Argentina

Scouts de Argentina
WOSM (77 040) / Scout / Siempre Listo ('Always Ready' in Spanish)

Asociación Guías Argentinas
WAGGGS (5322) / Guía / Siempre Lista ('Always Ready' in Spanish)

BPSA - Argentina
WFIS / Scout / Siempre Listo ('Always Ready' in Spanish)

Scouts Navales de Argentina
WFIS / Scout

Organização ORUS Argentina
ORUS

Asociación Nacional Civil Argentina de Scout Independientes (ANCASI)
NON / Scout / Siempre Listo ('Always Ready' in Spanish)

Coordinación de Asociaciones Diocesanas de Scouts Católicos (CADISCA)
NON (observer status with FSE) / (Scout)
[federation of several small Catholic Scout associations, including Asociaciones Diocesanas de Scouts Católicos (ADiSCa)]

Guías Argentinas Católicas
NON / Caravana (Guía) / Siempre Lista ('Always Ready' in Spanish)

8. Armenia

Hayastani Azgayin Scautakan Sharjum Kazmakerputiun (HASK) (National Scout Movement of Armenia)
WOSM (1921) / Scaut / Mish Badrast ('Always Ready' in Armenian)

National Union of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts of Armenia (NUGGGS)
WAGGGS (1148)

Shirak Scouts of Armenia
WOIS

9. Australia

Scouts Australia
WOSM (65 833) / Scout / Be Prepared

Girl Guides Australia
WAGGGS (23 798) / Guide

Scouts of Australia
OWS / Scout

National Organization of Russian Scouts (NORS) [emigré group]
NON / Skaut / Bud Gotov ('Be Ready' in Russian)

Zwiazek Harcerstwa Polskiego (ZHP; Polish Scout Organization) [emigré group with 4 independent branches, not connected with ZHP/Poland]
NON / Harcerz / Czuwaj ('Watch' in Polish)

10. Austria

Pfadfinder und Pfadfinderinnen Österreichs (PPO)
WOSM+WAGGGS: (WOSM, 27 210 + WAGGGS, 8203) / Späher/Guide / Allzeit Bereit ('Always Ready' in German)

Scouts of Europa
WFIS

Katholische Pfadfinderschaft Europas - Österreich
FSE / Pfadfinder

Europa Scouts Österreich
NON

Österreichischer Pfadfinderbund
NON

11. Azerbaijan

Azerbaycan Skautlar Assosiasiyasi
WOSM (1796) + WAGGGS (1748) / Skaut / Daima Hazir ('Always Prepared' in Azeri)

12. The Bahamas

The Scout Association of the Bahamas
WOSM (1134) / Scout / Be Prepared

The Bahamas Girl Guides Association
WAGGGS (1773) / Guide

13. Bahrain

Boy Scouts of Bahrain
WOSM (2286) / Kashaf / Kun Musta'idan ('Be Prepared' in Arabic)

The Girl Guides Association of Bahrain
WAGGGS (2250) / (Guide)

14. Bangladesh

Bangladesh Scouts
WOSM (2 070 376) / (Scout) / Sebar Jannza Sada Prastut Thakte Jathasadhya Chesta Kara ('Do your best to be prepared for service' in Bengali)

Bangladesh Girl Guides Association
WAGGGS (440 318) / Guide

Independent Scouts of Bangladesh
WFIS / (Scout)

Bangladesh Open Scouts Group
ORUS / (Scout)

15. Barbados

Barbados Boy Scouts Association
WOSM (2169) / Scout / Be Prepared

The Girl Guide Association of Barbados
WAGGGS (2738) / Guide

16. Belarus

Belarusian Republic Scout Association
WOSM (1182) / (Scout) / Napagatove ('Ready' in Belarusian)

Association of Belarussian Guides (ABG)
WAGGGS (910) / (Guide)

Katalickija Skautki i Skauty FSE - Belarus
FSE

17. Belgium

De Gidsen- en Scoutsbeweging in België (Flemish) / Le Guidisme et Scoutisme en Belgique (French) (GSB) (The Guides and Scout Movement of Belgium)
WOSM+WAGGGS umbrella federation: WOSM (109 606) + WAGGGS (76 215) / Steeds Bereid ('Always Ready' in Flemish) / Toujours Prêt ('Always Ready' in French)

Federatie voor Open Scoutisme (FOS Open Scouting)
WOSM+WAGGGS sub-association (open/Flemish-speaking) / Jongverkenner/Jonggids

Scouts et Guides Pluralistes de Belgique (SGP; Les Scouts Pluralistes)
WOSM+WAGGGS sub-association (open/French-speaking) / Scout/Guide

Scouts en Gidsen Vlaanderen (SGV)
WOSM+WAGGGS sub-association (Flemish-speaking) / Jongverkenner/Jonggids

Les Scouts (Fédération des Scouts Baden-Powell de Belgique)
WOSM sub-association (Catholic/French-speaking) / Eclaireur

Guides Catholiques de Belgique ("Les Guides", GCB)
WAGGGS sub-association (Catholic/French-speaking) / Guide

Onafhankelijke Scouts en Gidsen (umbrella group for 3 local Scout groups
WFIS / Scout/Gids

Guides et Scouts d'Europe - Belgique
FSE / Eclaireur/Eclaireuse [French] / Verkenner/Gids [Flemish]

Europe et Scoutisme
CES

18. Belize

The Scout Association of Belize
WOSM (402) / Scout / Be Prepared

Girl Guides Association of Belize
WAGGGS (475) / Guide

Belize Explorers Association
WFIS

19. Benin

Scoutisme Béninois
WOSM (7776) / Eclaireur / Sois Prêt ('Be Prepared' in French)

Association des Guides du Bénin
WAGGGS (3990) / Guide

20. Bhutan

Bhutan Scout Tshogpa
WOSM (61 300) / Scout / Dra drig Bay ('Be Prepared' in Dzongkha)

21. Bolivia

Asociación de Scouts de Bolivia
WOSM (6118) / Explorador / Siempre Listo ('Always Ready' in Spanish)

Asociación de Guías Scouts de Bolivia
WAGGGS (310) / "Intermedia" (Guía) / Siempre Lista ('Always Ready' in Spanish)

Asociación Boliviana de Scouts Independientes de Baden-Powell
WFIS / (Scout)

22. Bosnia and Herzegovina

Savjet izvidackih organizacija u Bosni i Hercegovini (The Council of Scout Associations in Bosnia and Herzegovina)
WOSM umbrella federation (2493) / Izvidac / Budi Spreman ('Be Ready' in Bosnian)

Savez Izvidaca Federacije Bosne i Hercegovine
WOSM sub-association

Savez Izvidjaca Republike Srpske
WOSM sub-association

Scouts of the Brcko District
WOSM sub-association

23. Botswana

The Botswana Scouts Association
WOSM (19 242) / Scout / Nna oi Pokoulse ('Be Prepared' in Tswana)

Botswana Girl Guides Association
WAGGGS (10 310) / Guide / Be Prepared

24. Brazil

União dos Escoteiros do Brasil
WOSM (114 588) / Escoteiro/Escoteira / Sempre Alerta ('Always Alert' in Portuguese)

Federação de Bandeirantes do Brasil (Federation of Girl Guides of Brazil)
WAGGGS (6921) / Bandeirante/Guia

Grande Fraternidade Escoteira Impisa
WFIS / Escoteiro

Federação do Escoteiros Tradicionales/FET
WOIS / Escoteiro

Liga de Escoteiros do Brasil/LEB
ORUS / Escoteiro

Associação Escoteira Independente Pirai
CES / Escoteiro

Federação dos Escoteiros Tradicionais
NON / Escoteiro

25. Brunei

Persekutuan Pengakap Negara Brunei Darussalam
WOSM (1256) / Pengakap / Selalu Bersedia ('Be Prepared' in Malay)

Persatuan Pandu Puteri Brunei Darussalam (Girl Guides Association of Brunei Darussalam)
WAGGGS (1014) / (Guide)

26. Bulgaria

Organizatsia Na Bulgarskite Skauty (Organization of Bulgarian Scouts)
WOSM (510) / Skaut / Badi Gotov ('Be Prepared' in Bulgarian)

27. Burkina Faso

Association des Scouts du Burkina Faso
WOSM (7674) / Eclaireur / Prðt à Servir ('Ready to Serve' in French)

Association des Guides du Burkina Faso
WAGGGS (8706) / Guide

28. Burundi

Association des Scouts du Burundi
WOSM (71 420) / Eclaireur / Uwe Tayari ('Be Prepared' in Swahili) / Ube Maso ('Be Prepared' in Kirundi) / Sois Prêt ('Be Prepared' in French)

Association des Guides du Burundi
WAGGGS (12 350) / Guide

29. Cabo Verde

Associação dos Escuteiros de Cabo Verde
WOSM (347) / Escuteiro / Alerta ('Alert' in Portuguese)

30. Cambodia

National Association of Cambodian Scouts
WOSM (58 050) / (Scout) / Triam Kloun ('Be Prepared' in Khmer

Girl Guides Association of Cambodia
WAGGGS (5310) / (Guide)

31. Cameroon

Les Scouts du Cameroun
WOSM (16 872) / Eclaireur / Sois Prêt ('Be Prepared' in French)

Association des Guides du Cameroun
WAGGGS (6806) / Guide

Scouts Indépendents du Cameroun
FISIT / Scout

32. Canada

Scouts Canada
WOSM (86 012) / Scout / Be Prepared (English) / Sois Prêt (French)

Association des Scouts du Canada (ASC)
[ASC has much in common with Scouts de France; Canada is the sole exception to WOSM's one federation per country rule—they avoid having to create an umbrella federation by calling the ASC an "affiliated organization"]
WOSM "affiliated organization" / Éclaireur/Intrépide / Sois Prêt ('Be Prepared' in French)

Girl Guides of Canada/Guides du Canada
WAGGGS (97 149) / Pathfinder

BPSA Alberta
WFIS (Alberta) / Explorer

BPSA British Columbia
WFIS (British Columbia) / Explorer
[same as other BPSA/Canada associations]

BPSA New Brunswick
WFIS (New Brunswick) / Explorer
[same as other BPSA/Canada associations]

BPSA Ontario
WFIS (Ontario) / Explorer
[same as other BPSA/Canada associations]

Traditional Explorers Association Council of Ontario (TEAC)
[primarily Ontario with some in Manitoba, Nova Scotia, & Québec]
WFIS / Explorer / Stand Ready

ZHR Polish Scouts of Canada
WFIS

Association Evangélique du Scoutisme au Québec
FSE (Québec)

Federation of North-American Explorers
FSE (Ontario) / Eclaireur/Guide

Association des Aventuriers de Baden-Powell—Adventurers Association of Baden-Powell (AABP)
[2007 merger of former AEBP [Association des Eclaireurs Baden-Powell; 1973] & AQAB [Association Québécoise des Aventuriers de Brownsea; 1991]
NON (New Brunswick, Ontario, & Québec) (1500) / Eclaireur/Guide

Association de Scoutisme d'Actions (ASA)
NON (Québec) (300)

Ukraïnskii Plast (Ukrainian Scouting)
[apparently an emigré organization located in Canada]
NON

Zwiazek Harcerstwa Polskiego (ZHP; Polish Scout Organization)
[emigré group with 4 independent branches, not connected with ZHP/Poland]
NON / Harcerze / Czuwaj ('Watch' in Polish)

Continued

Last Revision to This Page: 15 October 2023
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