HOME—International Scouting—Scouting Organizations—All Scout/Guide Associations
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:
Name of Association (total membership if known)
International Affiliation / Word for 'Scout' / Scout Motto
Afghanistan National Scout Organization
WOSM (12 475)
Girl Scouts of Albania
WAGGGS (552)
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)
no Scouting (Scouting is not outlawed, just not successfully organized)
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
[branch of UK Scouting (The Scout Association)]
WOSM / Scout / Be Prepared
Girl Guides Association of Antigua and Barbuda
WAGGGS (437) / Guide / Be Prepared
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)
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
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)
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
Azerbaycan Skautlar Assosiasiyasi
WOSM (1796) + WAGGGS (1748) / Skaut / Daima Hazir ('Always Prepared' in Azeri)
The Scout Association of the Bahamas
WOSM (1134) / Scout / Be Prepared
The Bahamas Girl Guides Association
WAGGGS (1773) / Guide
Boy Scouts of Bahrain
WOSM (2286) / Kashaf / Kun Musta'idan ('Be Prepared' in Arabic)
The Girl Guides Association of Bahrain
WAGGGS (2250) / (Guide)
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)
Barbados Boy Scouts Association
WOSM (2169) / Scout / Be Prepared
The Girl Guide Association of Barbados
WAGGGS (2738) / Guide
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
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
The Scout Association of Belize
WOSM (402) / Scout / Be Prepared
Girl Guides Association of Belize
WAGGGS (475) / Guide
Belize Explorers Association
WFIS
Scoutisme Béninois
WOSM (7776) / Eclaireur / Sois Prêt ('Be Prepared' in French)
Association des Guides du Bénin
WAGGGS (3990) / Guide
Bhutan Scout Tshogpa
WOSM (61 300) / Scout / Dra drig Bay ('Be Prepared' in Dzongkha)
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)
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
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
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
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)
Organizatsia Na Bulgarskite Skauty (Organization of Bulgarian Scouts)
WOSM (510) / Skaut / Badi Gotov ('Be Prepared' in Bulgarian)
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
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
Associação dos Escuteiros de Cabo Verde
WOSM (347) / Escuteiro / Alerta ('Alert' in Portuguese)
National Association of Cambodian Scouts
WOSM (58 050) / (Scout) / Triam Kloun ('Be Prepared' in Khmer
Girl Guides Association of Cambodia
WAGGGS (5310) / (Guide)
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
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)
Last Revision to This Page: 15 October 2023
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