Microstates are smallest countries in the world with small land mass (less than 1000 km2) and small population (less than 500K). It is important to understand that overseas territories, and SARs are not considered as microstates.
Microstates should not be confused with micronations, which are not recognized as sovereign states. Micronation citizenships that have no value.
Microstates often rely on other countries in order to survive, as they have a small military capacity and a lack of resources. In Europe, Andorra, Liechtenstein, Monaco, San Marino and the Vatican City as examples of such microstates.
There are 7 microstates that have already installed active citizenship by investment programs. Future citizenship by Investment programs have high chances of being established in microstates to support their economic revival from devastating effects of Covid and natural disasters.
Microstates have their own citizenship legislation and they issue their own passports to its citizens. These passports are internationally recognized everywhere facilitating visa free travel to most parts of globe.
St Kitts was the first sovereign micro-state to start a citizenship by investment program in the Caribbean in 1984. Since then many other states followed. Citizenship sales is the biggest revenue earner for these small nations raising billions in revenues that helped to reduce their public debts, social and economic development, welfare projects and insurance against hurricanes that strike every year.
Below are the top microstates in terms of land area and local population.
| Rank | Country | Area (km2 or sqmi) | Population |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Vatican City | 0.44 km2 (0.17 sq mi) | 1,000 |
| 2 | Monaco | 2.02 km2 (0.78 sq mi) | 37,308 |
| 3 | Nauru | 21 km2 (8 sq mi) | 9,488 |
| 4 | Tuvalu | 26 km2 (10 sq mi) | 10,782 |
| 5 | San Marino | 61 km2 (24 sq mi) | 32,742 |
| 6 | Liechtenstein | 160 km2 (62 sq mi) | 37,313 |
| 7 | Marshall Islands | 181 km2 (70 sq mi) | 70,983 |
| 8 | Saint Kitts and Nevis* | 261 km2 (101 sq mi) | 51,538 |
| 9 | Maldives | 298 km2 (115 sq mi) | 393,595 |
| 10 | Malta* | 316 km2 (122 sq mi) | 412,655 |
| 11 | Grenada* | 344 km2 (133 sq mi) | 110,152 |
| 12 | Saint Vincent and the Grenadines | 389 km2 (150 sq mi) | 102,918 |
| 13 | Barbados | 430 km2 (166 sq mi) | 289,680 |
| 14 | Antigua and Barbuda* | 443 km2 (171 sq mi) | 91,295 |
| 15 | Seychelles | 455 km2 (176 sq mi) | 91,650 |
| 16 | Palau | 459 km2 (177 sq mi) | 21,186 |
| 17 | Andorra | 468 km2 (181 sq mi) | 85,458 |
| 18 | Saint Lucia* | 616 km2 (238 sq mi) | 163,362 |
| 19 | Federated States of Micronesia | 702 km2 (271 sq mi) | 105,681 |
| 20 | Singapore | 714 km2 (276 sq mi) | 5,888,926 |
| 21 | Tonga | 747 km2 (288 sq mi) | 106,440 |
| 22 | Dominica* | 751 km2 (290 sq mi) | 73,449 |
| 23 | Bahrain | 765 km2 (295 sq mi) | 1,140,942 |
| 24 | Kiribati | 811 km2 (313 sq mi) | 104,488 |
| 25 | São Tomé and Príncipe | 964 km2 (372 sq mi) | 190,428 |
| 26 | Samoa* | 2,831 km2 (1,093 sq mi) | 196,628 |
| 27 | Brunei | 5,765 km2 (2,226 sq mi) | 422,675 |
| 28 | Vanuatu* | 12,189 km2 (4,706 sq mi) | 266,937 |
| 29 | Bahamas | 13,880 km2 (5,359 sq mi) | 321,834 |
| 30 | Belize | 22,966 km2 (8,867 sq mi) | 340,844 |
| 31 | Iceland | 103,000 km2 (39,769 sq mi) | 317,351 |
*Active CBI schemes
Source: Wikipedia
