The member states of the African Union are the 55 sovereign states that have ratified or acceded to the Constitutive Act of the African Union to become member states to the African Union (AU). The AU was the successor to the Organisation of African Unity (OAU), and AU membership was open to all OAU member states.

From an original membership of 36 states when the OAU was established on 25 May 1963, there have been nineteen successive enlargements—the largest occurring on 18 July 1975 when four states joined. Morocco is the newest member state, having joined on 31 January 2017. Morocco was a founding member of the OAU but withdrew in 1984 following the organization's acceptance of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic as a member state, which claims the sovereignty of the disputed territory of Western Sahara with Morocco.

The AU spans the entirety of the African continent, with the exception of the Spanish North Africa semi-enclaves of Ceuta, Melilla, and Vélez de la Gomera. Island states are also members of the AU, but not the offshore islands that belong to the transcontinental countries of France, Italy, Portugal, Spain, United Kingdom and Yemen. The 55 member states are grouped into five regions.

The African Union is composed of fifty-two republics and three monarchies. The total population of the AU is in excess of 1.5 billion.

Current members

State Accession Population Area (km2) Capital Language(s) Notes 1963-05-25 Algiers 1979-02-11 Luanda Portuguese 1963-05-25 Porto-Novo French Known as Dahomey until 1975. 1966-10-31 Gaborone 1963-05-25 Ouagadougou French Known as Upper Volta until 1984. Suspended in September 2015 after a brief military coup. Suspended again in January 2022 after another military coup. 1963-05-25 Gitega 1963-05-25 Yaoundé 1975-07-18 Praia Portuguese 1963-05-25 Bangui Suspended from March 2013 to April 2016 during the Central African Republic Civil War 1963-05-25 N'Djamena 1975-07-18 Moroni 1963-05-25 Kinshasa French Known as Zaire from 1971 to 1997. 1963-05-25 Brazzaville French 1977-06-27 Djibouti 1963-05-25 Cairo Arabic Suspended from July 2013 until June 2014following the 2013 Egyptian coup d'état 1968-10-12 Malabo 1993-05-24 Asmara 1968-09-24 Lobamba (royal and legislative)Mbabane (administrative) Known as Swaziland from 1968 to 2018. 1963-05-25 Addis Ababa Afar Amharic Oromo Somali Tigrinya 1963-05-25 Libreville French Suspended from 31 August 2023 to 30 April 2025 following a military coup. 1965-10-01 Banjul English 1963-05-25 Accra English 1963-05-25 Conakry French Suspended from December 2008 after the 2008 Guinean coup d'état. Suspended again from September 2021 to January 2026 after another coup. 1973-11-19 Bissau Portuguese Suspended from April 2012 until June 2014 following the 2012 Guinea-Bissau coup d'état. Suspended again on 29 November 2025 following another coup d'état. 1963-05-25 Yamoussoukro French Suspended after the 2010–2011 Ivorian crisis. 1963-12-13 Nairobi 1966-10-31 Maseru 1963-05-25 Monrovia English 1963-05-25 Tripoli Arabic 1963-05-25 Antananarivo Suspended from December 2001 – 10 July 2003 and from 20 March 2009 – 27 January 2014 after a political crisis. Suspended again in 2025 due to a military coup. 1964-07-13 Lilongwe 1963-05-25 Bamako Suspended from 23 March 2012 until October 2013 after a military coup. Suspended again from 19 August to 8 October 2020 due to a military coup. Currently suspended since 1 June 2021 after another coup. 1963-05-25 Nouakchott Arabic Suspended 4 August 2005 after a military coup. Presidential elections were held in March 2007. Suspended 6 August 2008 after a military coup. 1968-08-01 Port Louis 1963-05-25 Rabat Originally joined the AU's predecessor, the OAU, in 1963. However, withdrew in 12 November 1984 when a majority of member states supported the admission of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic, as an OAU member.BBC News (8 July 2001) – "OAU considers Morocco readmission". Retrieved 9 July 2006.Arabic News (9 July 2002) – "South African paper says Morocco should be one of the AU and NEPAD leaders" . Retrieved 9 July 2006 AU membership approved on 31 January 2017. 1975-07-18 Maputo Portuguese 1990-06-01 Windhoek English 1963-05-25 Niamey French Suspended from 19 February 2010 until 16 March 2011 after a military coup and until the subsequent transition to a civilian administration. Suspended again on 22 August 2023 following another military coup. 1963-05-25 Abuja English 1963-05-25 Kigali 1982-02-22 612,000 266,000 El Aaiun (de jure claimed)Tifariti (de facto temporary) 1975-07-18 Portuguese 1963-05-25 Dakar French 1976-06-29 Victoria 1963-05-25 Freetown English 1963-05-25 Mogadishu 1994-06-06 Pretoria (executive)Bloemfontein (judicial)Cape Town (legislative) 2011-08-15 Juba English 1963-05-25 Khartoum Suspended 6 June 2019 due to violence committed by the military following a coup d'état as part of the 2018–19 Sudanese protests. Suspension was lifted three months later on 6 September 2019."African Union lifts suspension of Sudan", Al Jazeera, 7 September 2019. Suspended again on 25 October 2021 following another coup d'état. 1963-05-25 Dodoma (Zanzibar: Arabic) Formed by a merger on 26 April 1964 of Tanganyika and Zanzibar, which had both become members on 25 May 1963. 1963-05-25 Lomé French Suspended 25 February 2005 after concerns over unconstitutional presidential appointment. Presidential elections were held 4 May 2005. 1963-05-25 Tunis Arabic 1963-05-25 Kampala 1964-12-16 Lusaka English 1980-06-01 Harare

Former members Former African Union State Years of membership Population Area (km2) Capital Language(s) Notes Tanganyika1963–1964 Dar es Salaam SwahiliEnglish Tanganyika and Zanzibar merged on 26 April 1964 toform the United Republic of Tanganyika and Zanzibar, which was renamed Tanzania on 1 November 1964 Zanzibar Zanzibar City

Accession

South Africa joined on 6 June 1994 after the end of the apartheid and the April 1994 general election.

South Sudan, which seceded from Sudan on 9 July 2011, joined the AU on 27 July 2011."African Union Welcomes South Sudan as the 54th Member State of the Union" , African Union, 2011-07-27. Retrieved on 29 July 2011.

The AU's most recent member state is Morocco, having joined on 31 January 2017. Morocco withdrew from the OAU in 1984 following the organization's acceptance of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic as a member state. Morocco rules over most of the territory, but sovereignty is disputed.

See also List of African Union member states by political system

References