The following is an independently-determined list of best-selling singles by country. Depends on the measurement, record sales of songs are taken by estimations or certifications. The singles listed here were cited by various media, such as digital journalism, newspapers, magazines, and books.
Note that tables are incomplete due to a lack of available published data from a number of territories, unlike the United Kingdom and the United States with recognized national measurement firms and certifying bodies such as Official Charts Company/British Phonographic Industry (BPI) and Nielsen SoundScan/Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) respectively. Therefore, it is not an exhaustive list, so no rankings are given in certain cases.
Argentina YearArtistTitleSalesOrigin1964Leonardo Favio"Fuiste Mia Un Verano"1,500,000Claimed sales for "Fuiste Mia un Verano" (song):
(450,000 by 1978) Claimed sales1979ABBA"Chiquitita"700,000Claimed sales"Quemame Los Ojos"600,000Claimed sales1973Formula V"Eva Maria"450,000Claimed sales1978Daniel Magal"Cara De Gitana"400,000Claimed sales1971"La Chica de la Boutique"400,000Claimed sales1958Billy Cafaro"Pity, Pity"300,000Claimed sales1961Antonio Prieto"La Novia"300,000Claimed sales1967Los Gatos"La balsa"250,000Claimed sales1977Laurent Voulzy"Rockollection"200,000Claimed sales1985Isabel Pantoja"Marinero de Luces"200,000Claimed sales1980Lucrecia"Papucho Mio"180,000Claimed sales1969La Joven Guardia"El extraño del pelo largo"150,000Claimed sales1966"Siempre te Recordare"140,000Claimed sales1979Barbra Streisand & Donna Summer"No More Tears (Enough Is Enough)"125,000Claimed sales1973"No son palabritas"125,000Claimed sales1978Los Campeones"Vamos, Vamos Argentina"120,000Claimed sales1958Dione Restrepo"Delito"100,000Claimed salesMatt Monro"Alguien Cantó" 100,000Claimed sales1977Bonnie Tyler"It's a Heartache"100,000Claimed sales
Notes The best-selling single in Argentina is also the best-selling record, attributed to either Leonardo Favio's "Fuiste Mia Un Verano" (1968) or (1950) for estimations as high as 1.5 and 5 million sold in the country respectively, by various national publications.Claimed sales for "El rancho'e la Cambicha" (song):
Australia
Austria YearArtistTitleSalesOrigin1997Elton John"Candle in the Wind 1997"300,000Certification2019Tones and I"Dance Monkey"210,000Certification1999Anton & DJ Ötzi"Anton aus Tirol"150,000Certification2021Ed Sheeran"Bad Habits"150,000Certification2020Glass Animals"Heat Waves"150,000Certification2019Apache 207"Roller"120,000Certification2019Billie Eilish"Bad Guy"120,000Certification2013Helene Fischer"Atemlos durch die Nacht"120,000Certification
Belgium
Brazil
Cameroon YearArtistSingleSalesOriginEkambi Brillant"Jonguèlè la Ndolo"20,000Claimed sales
Canada
Chile YearArtistTitleSalesOrigin1963"Me recordarás"100,000Claimed sales1963Luis Dimas"Caprichito"100,000Claimed sales1962"El rock del Mundial"80,000Claimed sales1979ABBA"Chiquitita"75,000Claimed sales1993Carlos Vives"La gota fría"25,000Platinum certification2001Chocolate"Mayonesa"21,000Claimed sales
China
Colombia YearArtistTitleSalesOrigin1979Darío Gómez"Ángel Perdido"600,000Claimed sales1993Los del Río"Macarena"500,000Claimed sales1989Kaoma"Lambada"500,000Claimed sales1994Margarita Rosa de Francisco"Gaviota"500,000Claimed sales1983Calixto Ochoa"El Africano"250,000Claimed sales1981José Luis Perales"¿Y cómo es él?"200,000Claimed sales1994Diomedes Díaz"Yo soy Mundial"150,000Claimed sales
Cuba YearArtistTitleSalesOrigin1928Trio Matamoros"Él que siembra su maíz"64,000Claimed sales1956Elvis Presley"Don't Be Cruel"50,000Claimed sales1956Bill Haley & His Comets"See You Later, Alligator"12,000Claimed sales
Notes According to some estimates, "Miénteme" (1954) by Olga Guillot sold one million copies in Cuba, although figures lack of verified data.
Denmark YearArtistTitleSalesOrigin1960Grethe Sønck"Klaus Jorgen"80,000Claimed sales1970Mungo Jerry"In the Summertime"55,000Claimed sales1961Anita Lindblom"San't Ar Livet"50,000Claimed sales1960Otto Brandeburg"What Do you Want To Make Those Eyes At Me For"50,000Claimed sales1966Rocking Ghosts"Oh What a Kiss"50,000Claimed sales1967The Beatles"Hello, Goodbye"50,000Claimed sales1961The Four Jacks"Oh! Marie Jeg Vil Hjem"50,000Claimed sales1978Lone Kellermann"Luigi"35,000Claimed sales2006Basshunter"Boten Anna"27,000Claimed sales1970Danyel Gérard"Butterfly"26,000Claimed sales
+Highest certified singles in DenmarkYearArtistTitleCertificationsCertified sales2017Ed Sheeran"Shape of You"8× Platinum720,0002017Ed Sheeran"Perfect"7× Platinum630,0002017Luis Fonsi & Daddy Yankee ft. Justin Bieber"Despacito" remix7× Platinum630,0002015Lukas Graham"7 Years"7× Platinum630,0002021Tobias Rahim ft. Andreas Odbjerg"Stor Mand"7× Platinum630,0002014Ed Sheeran"Thinking Out Loud"6× Platinum540,0002015Justin Bieber"Love Yourself"6× Platinum540,0002018Lewis Capaldi"Someone You Loved"6× Platinum540,0001994Mariah Carey"All I Want for Christmas Is You"6× Platinum540,0002019The Weeknd"Blinding Lights"6× Platinum540,0001985Wham!"Last Christmas"6× Platinum540,0002016Drake feat. Wizkid & Kyla"One Dance"5× Platinum450,0002013John Legend"All Of Me"5× Platinum450,0002015Justin Bieber"What Do You Mean?"5× Platinum450,0002018Lady Gaga & Bradley Cooper"Shallow"5× Platinum450,0002016Phlake"Angel Zoo"5× Platinum450,0002019Tones and I"Dance Monkey"5× Platinum450,0002016Volbeat"For Evigt"5× Platinum450,000
Ecuador YearArtistTitleSalesOrigin1979Darwin"Yo esperaré, Tú cambiarás"350,000 - 150,000Claimed sales (and certification) in Ecuador for "Yo esperaré, Tú cambiarás"Claimed sales1979ABBA"Chiquitita"75,000Claimed sales1972Héctor Jaramillo"El pañuelo blanco" 30,000 Claimed sales
Notes "Fatalidad" (1956 release, 1944 original recording) by Julio Jaramillo is according to some national newspapers, the biggest Ecuatorian single, selling between 6,000 and 8,000 copies in its first-week alone.
Egypt YearArtistTitleSalesOrigin1964Umm Kulthum"Inta Omri"300,000Claimed sales1966Umm Kulthum"Al-Atlal"200,000Claimed sales
El Salvador YearArtistTitleSalesOrigin1979ABBA"Chiquitita"65,000Claimed sales
Finland
France
Germany
Ghana YearArtistTitleSalesOrigin1998Reggie Rockstone"Plan Ben? (What Plan?)"50,000Claimed sales
Greece YearArtistTitleSalesOrigin1966"O Tropos"150,000Claimed sales1988Christos Dantis"Belly Dance"100,000Claimed sales1969Dionysis Savvopoulos"Dirlada"60,000Claimed sales
India YearArtistTitleSalesOrigin2010Shakira"Waka Waka (This Time for Africa)"300,000Claimed sales
Indonesia YearArtistSingleSalesOrigin1990Timmy Thomas"(Dying Inside) To Hold You"30,000Claimed sales
Ireland YearArtistTitleSalesOrigin1977Gloria"One Day at a Time"120,000Claimed sales2021Olivia Rodrigo"Drivers License"111,000OCC report 20211985Paddy Reilly"The Fields of Athenry"100,000Claimed sales2017Dua Lipa"New Rules"100,000OCC report 20181995Bill Whelan"Riverdance"90,000Claimed sales2017Dua Lipa"IDGAF"84,500OCC report 20182022Harry Styles"As It Was"78,000OCC report 20221977Paul McCartney and Wings"Mull of Kintyre"65,000Claimed sales1978Boney M"Rivers of Babylon"54,000Claimed sales1979ABBA"Chiquitita"50,000Claimed sales1976ABBA"Dancing Queen"50,000Claimed sales1976ABBA"Fernando"50,000Claimed sales1975ABBA"Waterloo"50,000Claimed sales1972Dr. Hook & the Medicine Show"Sylvia's Mother"50,000Claimed sales
+Highest selling singles according to IRMA up to 2012RankingYearArtistTitle11997Elton John"Candle in the Wind 1997"21995Bill Whelan"Riverdance"32002Six"There's a Whole Lot of Loving"42010Matt Cardle"When We Collide"52000Mark McCabe"Maniac 2000"62006Eiffel 65"Blue (Da Ba Dee)"72002Enrique Iglesias"Hero"82006Mundy & Sharon Shannon"Galway Girl"92009Black Eyed Peas"I Gotta Feeling"102001Westlife"Uptown Girl"112002Eminem"Lose Yourself"122000Shaggy"It Wasn't Me"131998Celine Dion"My Heart Will Go On"142008Alexandra Burke"Hallelujah"151996Richie Kavanagh"Aon Focal Eile"162000Eminem"Stan"172004Band Aid 20"Do They Know It's Christmas?"182002Las Ketchup"Aserejé"191998Goo Goo Dolls"Iris"202001Shaggy"Angel"
Italy
Jamaica YearArtistTitleSalesOrigin1964Bob Marley and the Wailers"Simmer Down"70,000Claimed sales1960Higgs and Wilson"Oh Manny Oh"30,000Claimed sales1970Bob Marley and the Wailers"Mr. Brown"15,000Claimed sales
"Legalize It" is "one of Jamaica's top-selling singles".
Japan
Kenya YearArtistTitleSalesOrigin 1982George Mukabi"Sengula Nakupenda"100,000Claimed sales
Lebanon YearArtistTitleSalesOrigin1960Bob Azzam"Ya Mustafa"40,000Claimed sales1958Dalida"Histoire d'un amour"23,000Claimed sales1959Dalida"Luna Caprese"17,000Claimed sales1959Domenico Modugno"Piove (Ciao, ciao bambina)"12,000Claimed sales1957Paul Anka"Diana"8,000Claimed sales1958Domenico Modugno"Volare"7,000Claimed sales1966Nicole Croisille & Pierre Barouh"Un homme et une femme"5,000Claimed sales1959Fred Buscaglione"Guarda Che Luna"4,000Claimed sales
Luxembourg Park Café sold 5,000 copies of a maxi-single recorded in 1986. Up to 1993, average sales records were between 1,000 and 2,000 units, according to local retailers and mechanical licensing reports from SACEM.
Malaysia YearArtistSingleSalesOrigin1989Kaoma"Lambada"80,000Claimed sales1986Ramli Sarip"Oran Kota (City People)"50,000Claimed sales1989Tommy Page"A Shoulder to Cry On"30,000Claimed sales1990Timmy Thomas"(Dying Inside) To Hold You"20,000Claimed sales
Malta YearArtistTitleSalesOriginFredu Abela (il-Bamboċċu)"Taxi Mary"10,000Claimed sales
Notes "Taxi Mary" by Fredu Abela (il-Bamboċċu) is considered to be Malta's highest selling record/single of all time. "Do They Know It's Christmas?" by Band Aid, sold "Hundreds of copies" in its first eight days. Additional information: According to a 1968 report, about 60,000 records were sold annually in Malta up that point, with 70% covered by singles, and three quarters of the records were of American or British origins. The remainder were principally Italian.
Mexico
Morocco YearArtistTitleSalesOriginNajat Aatabou"J'en ai marre"500,000Claimed sales
Netherlands
New Zealand