The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) is an international alliance that consists of 10 member states and 2 observers from Eurasia. It was established on 26 April 1996 as the Shanghai Five. In addition to the 10 member states and 2 observers, the SCO currently has 14 dialogue partners and 4 guest attendance entries.
Member states Flag Country Capital Largest city Area(km2) Population(2024) Density(/km2) GDP per cap.(PPP) HDI Currency Official languages Leaders Accession ChinaPeople's Republic of China Beijing Shanghai(city proper) Chongqing(metropolitan area) 9,640,011 a1,374,820,000 139.6 Renminbi (Chinese yuan, ¥)(CNY) Standard Chinese written in simplified characterssee also languages of China Paramount Leader and Head of State: Xi Jinping Head of Government: Li Qiang 1996-04-26 KazakhstanRepublic of Kazakhstan Astana Almaty 2,724,900 d17,670,900 5.94 Kazakhstani tenge (₸) (KZT) Kazakh (National)Russian Head of State: Kassym Jomart Tokayev Head of Government: Ojlas Bektenov 1996-04-26 KyrgyzstanKyrgyz Republic Bishkek 199,900 f6,008,600 27.4 Kyrgyzstani som (som)(KGS) Kyrgyz (National)Russian Head of State and Government: Sadyr Japarov 1996-04-26 RussiaRussian Federation Moscow 17,075,400 b146,519,759 8.3 Russian rouble (₽) (RUB) Russian also see Languages of Russia Head of State: Vladimir Putin Head of Government: Mikhail Mishustin 1996-04-26 TajikistanRepublic of Tajikistan Dushanbe 143,100 e8,352,000 48.6 Tajikistani somoni (SM)(TJS) Tajik Persian Head of State: Emomali Rahmon Prime Minister: Kokhir Rasulzoda 1996-04-26 UzbekistanRepublic of Uzbekistan Tashkent 447,400 c31,022,500 61.4 Uzbekistani soum (soum)(UZS) Uzbek Head of State: Shavkat Mirziyoyev Head of Government: Abdulla Aripov 2001-06-15IndiaRepublic of India New Delhi Mumbai 3,287,2631,450,936,000 488Indian rupee (₹) (INR) Hindi (Devanagari script)&, English . Also see Languages of India Head of State: Droupadi Murmu Head of Government: Narendra Modi 2017-06-09 PakistanIslamic Republic of Pakistan IslamabadKarachi881,913 b 241,499,431 273.8 $6,715 0.540 Pakistani rupee (Rs)(PKR) Urdu (National)English Head of State: Asif Ali Zardari Head of Government: Shehbaz Sharif 2017-06-09IranIslamic Republic of IranTehran1,648,195c79,011,70048.0Iranian rial (Rl) (IRR)PersianSupreme Leader and Head of State:Ali Khamenei Head of Government: Masoud Pezeshkian2023-07-04 BelarusRepublic of Belarus Minsk 207,595 c9,498,700 45.8 Belarusian rubel (Rbl) (BYR) BelarusianRussian Head of State and Government: Alexander Lukashenko Prime Minister: Roman Golovchenko 2024-07-04
Military personnel The following list is sourced from the 2018 edition of "The Military Balance" published annually by the International Institute for Strategic Studies. CountryActive militaryReserve militaryParamilitaryTotalPer 1000 capita(total)Per 1000 capita(active) References Notes
Observer states
Flag Country Capital Area(km2) Population(2024) Density(/km2) GDP per cap.(PPP) Currency Official languages Leaders Status gained Mongolia Ulaanbaatar 1,564,115 3,475,540 2 $16,504 Mongolian tögrög (₮) (MNT) Mongolian Head of State: Ukhnaagiin KhürelsükhHead of Government: Luvsannamsrain Oyun-Erdene 2004-06-17 Afghanistan Kabul 652,857 41,128,771 48.08 $2,459 Afghan Afghani (؋) (AFN) PashtoDari De facto Supreme Leader and Head of State: Hibatullah AkhundzadaDe facto head of government: Hasan Akhund 2012
Dialogue partner entries Flag Country Capital Area(km2) Population(2016) Density(/km2) GDP per cap.(PPP) HDI Currency Official languages Leaders Status gained Sri LankaDemocratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte (Administrative)Colombo (Commercial) 65,610 c20,966,000 309.0 Sri Lankan rupee (Rs) (LKR) SinhaleseTamil Head of State and Government: Anura Kumara Dissanayake (Prime Minister: Harini Amarasuriya) 2009-06-16 TurkeyRepublic of Türkiye Ankara 783,562 c78,741,053 102.0 Turkish lira (₺) (TRY) Turkish Head of State and Government: Recep Tayyip Erdoğan 2012-06-07 ArmeniaRepublic of Armenia Yerevan 29,743 c2,998,600 102.0 Armenian dram (֏) (AMD) Armenian Head of State: Vahagn KhachaturyanHead of Government: Nikol Pashinyan 2015-07-10 Azerbaijan Republic of Azerbaijan Baku 86,600 c9,696,800 109.0 Azerbaijani manat (₼) (AZN) Azeri Head of State: Ilham AliyevHead of Government: Ali Asadov 2015-07-10 Cambodia Kingdom of Cambodia Phnom Penh 181,035 c15,626,444 84.0 Cambodian riel (CR) (KHR) Khmer Head of State: Norodom SihamoniHead of Government: Hun Manet 2015-07-10 Nepal Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal Kathmandu 147,181 c28,431,500 180.0 Nepalese rupee (Rs) (NPR) Nepali Head of State: Ram Chandra PoudelHead of Government: KP Sharma Oli 2015-07-10 Egypt Arab Republic of Egypt Cairo1,010,408 c94,798,827 103.56 Egyptian pound (LE)(EGP)ArabicHead of State: Abdel Fattah el-SisiHead of Government: Moustafa Madbouly2022-09-14 Qatar State of Qatar Doha11,581 c1,699,435 176 Qatari riyal (QAR)ArabicHead of State: Tamim bin HamadHead of Government: Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani2022-09-14 Saudi Arabia Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Riyadh2,149,690 c38,401,000 15 Saudi riyal (SR) (SAR)ArabicHead of State: SalmanHead of Government: Mohammed bin Salman2022-09-14 Kuwait State of KuwaitKuwait City 17,818 c4,294,621 200.2Kuwaiti dinarArabicHead of State: Mishal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-SabahHead of Government: Ahmad Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah2023-05-06 Maldives Republic of MaldivesMalé300c515,1221,102.5Maldivian rufiyaa (MVR)MaldivianHead of State and Government: Ibrahim Mohamed Solih2023-05-06 Myanmar Republic of the Union of MyanmarNaypyidaw261,227c57,526,449196.8Myanmar Kyat (K) (MMK)BurmeseHead of State: Myint Swe (acting)Head of Government: Min Aung Hlaing2023-05-06 United Arab EmiratesAbu Dhabi83,6004,106,427121UAE dirham (AED)ArabicHead of State: Mohamed bin Zayed Al NahyanHead of Government: Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum2023-05-06 Bahrain Kingdom of BahrainManama7801,504,3651,864Bahraini dinar (BHD)ArabicHead of State: Hamad bin Isa Al KhalifaHead of Government: Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa2023-07-15 LaosLao People's Democratic Republic Vientiane 236,800 7,749,595 26.7 Lao kip (LAK) Lao Supreme Leader and Head of State: Thongloun SisoulithHead of Government: Sonexay Siphandone 2026-07-10
Future participation The following countries have applied for a position in the organization: Flag Country Capital Area(km2) Population(2016) Density(/km2) GDP per cap.(PPP) HDI Currency Official languages Leaders Status applied for Year applied BangladeshPeople's Republic of Bangladesh Dhaka 148,460 c169,828,911 1,305 Bangladeshi taka (BDT) Bengali Head of State: Mohammed Shahabuddin Chief Adviser: Muhammad Yunus Observer 2012 SyriaSyrian Arab Republic Damascus 185,180 c22,933,531 118.3 Syrian pound (SYP) Arabic Head of State: Ahmed al-Sharaa (Prime Minister: Mohammad al-Bashar) Dialogue Partner 2015 IsraelState of Israel Jerusalem 20,770 c9,766,400 442 Israeli new shekel (ILS) Hebrew Head of State: Isaac Herzog Head of Government: Benjamin Netanyahu Dialogue Partner 2016 IraqRepublic of Iraq Baghdad 438,317 c43,500,000 82.7 Iraqi dinar (IQD) Arabic Head of State: Abdul Latif RashidHead of Government: Mohammed Shia' Al Sudani Dialogue Partner 2019 AlgeriaPeople's Democratic Republic of Algeria Algiers 2,381,741 c44,700,000 17.7 Algerian dinar (DZD) Arabic Head of State: Abdelmadjid TebbouneHead of Government: Aymen Benabderrahmane Observer 2023
In 2012, Ukraine expressed interest in obtaining observer status. However, since the deposition of President Viktor Yanukovych and increased tensions with Russia, no application has been submitted and there are no current plans to incorporate Ukraine into the organization.
In 2011, Vietnam expressed interest in obtaining observer or dialogue partner status. However, it is unknown whether or not, Vietnam has submitted an application. On April 17, 2026, it was reported that during a state visit to China by Vietnamese President Tô Lâm, Vietnam "expressed its readiness to maintain exchanges on the possibility of becoming a partner of the SCO."
Guest attendance entries Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) Turkmenistan United Nations
Inactive Flag Country Capital Area(km2) Population(2024) Density(/km2) GDP per cap.(PPP) HDI Currency Official languages Leaders Status gained Afghanistan Kabul 652,867 41,128,771 48.08 $2,459 Afghan afghani (Af) (AFN) PashtoDari De facto Supreme Leader: Hibatullah AkhundzadaDe facto head of government: Hasan Akhund 2012-06-07 (Observer)
Membership declined The United States applied for observer status in the SCO, but was rejected in 2005.
Notes
See also Member states of BRICS Member states of the Eurasian Economic Union
References
Bibliography