This is a list of sovereign states by the date in which they adopted their current national flag.
For most sovereign states, the date of flag adoption is obvious, but for others it is more contested. The exact date or year of flag adoption can be unknown or disputed because of design changes. This list defines the moment of flag adoption as the year since when the current flag had a continuous use to represent a nation, autonomous region or occupied state. Only countries that currently form a sovereign state are listed although the flag can be adopted before the countries gained independence. The listed countries may have gone through fundamental regime changes, big geographical changes or even temporary lost autonomy, joint bigger unions or split up. If the flag remained in use during such a period the original adoption date is used. Changes that do not alter the basic design of the flag; like the changes in ratio or colour shade, restyling of emblems or inscriptions or the addition or removal of stars, are listed in the last column. The current flag design often evolved over the years (e.g. the flag of the United States) or can be a re-adoption of an earlier, historic flag (e.g. the flag of Libya). The year the current flag design first came into use is listed in the middle column.
| Country | Adoption of current flag design | First use of current flag design | Last change to current flag design | | Denmark|size=23px}} | 1370 (or earlier)[1] | 1370 (or earlier) | 1893 (proportions formalized) |
| the=yes|Netherlands|size=23px}} | 1572 | 1572 | 1937 (colors formalized) |
| Nepal|size=25px}} | 1743 | 1743 | 1962 (modernized) |
| the=yes|United Kingdom|size=23px}} | 1801 | 1801 | 1801 |
| Chile|size=23px}} | 1817 | 1817 | 1854 (the national coat of arms disappeared and the star was kept completely upright) |
| Argentina|size=23px}} | 1818 | 1812 | 2012 (proportions standardized) |
| Peru|size=23px}} | 1825 | 1822 | 1822 |
| Uruguay|size=23px}} | 1828 | 1828 | 1830 |
| France|size=23px}} | 1830 | 1794 (naval ensign) | 1976 (colors standardized). Current design reintroduced in 1830.[2] |
| Belgium|size=23px}} | 1831 | 1831 | 1831 |
| Tunisia|size=23px}} | 1831 | 1831 (naval ensign under Ottoman Empire) | 1999 |
| Paraguay|size=23px}} | 1842 | 1842 | 2013 (coat of arms modified) |
| Turkey|size=23px}} | 1844 | 1793 | 1936 (proportions standardised) |
| Liberia|size=23px}} | 1847 | 1847 | 1847 |
| Bolivia|size=23px}} | 1851 | 1851 | 1851 |
| Ecuador|size=23px}} | 1860 | 1810 | 2009 (modernized) |
| Colombia|size=23px}} | 1861 | 1810 | 1949 (official pattern issued, all flags with arms modified)[3] |
| San Marino|size=23px}} | 1862 | 1797[4] | 2011 (proportions standardised) |
| Honduras|size=23px}} | 1866 | 1823 | 1933[5] |
| Japan|size=23px}} | 1870 | 1870 | 1999 (exact colors specified, sun-disc is perfectly centered, and proportions fixed) |
| Guatemala|size=23px}} | 1871 | 1868 | 1968[6] |
| Tonga|size=23px}} | 1875 | 1674 (as English Red Ensign) | 1875 |
| Monaco|size=23px}} | 1881 | 1881 | 1881 |
| South Korea|size=23px}} | 1883 | 1882 (designed by the King Gojong or Pak Yeong-hyo) | 2011 (when the exact color shades were last changed from their previous colors set in 1997). 1948 is when the South Korean national assembly readopted this as the national flag with modification of taegeuk, the trigrams were moved into their current place in 1949, and the exact dimensions were specified in 1984. |
| Switzerland|size=23px}} | 1889 | 1470 | 1841 |
| the=yes|Philippines|size=23px}} | 1898 | 1898 | 1998 (present definitive shades of blue and red) |
| Norway|size=23px}} | 1899 | 1821 | 1899 (removal of Union mark of Norway and Sweden) |
| Australia|size=23px}} | 1901 | 1901 | 1934 (dimensions officially gazetted) |
| New Zealand|size=23px}} | 1902 | 1869 |
| Cuba|size=23px}} | 1902 | 1868 (naval jack of Cuba) | 1902 |
| Sweden|size=23px}} | 1906 | 1562 (or earlier) | 1906 (removal of Union mark of Norway and Sweden) |
| Costa Rica|size=23px}} | 1906 | 1906 | 1998 (changes to coat of arms) |
| the=yes|Dominican Republic|size=23px}} | 1908[7] | 1844 | 1908 |
| Portugal|size=23px}} | 1911 | 1910 | 1910 |
| Albania|size=23px}} | 1912 | 1443 | 1992 (removal of the socialist star) |
| El Salvador|size=23px}} | 1912 | 1912 |
| Morocco|size=23px}} | 1915 | 1915 | 1915 (the Seal of Solomon is replaced by a green pentagram) |
| Thailand|size=23px}} | 1917 | 1917 | 2017, September 30 (colors standardized)[8] |
| Austria|size=23px}} | 1918 | 1230 | 1918 |
| Finland|size=23px}} | 1918 | 1861 |
| Germany|size=23px}} | 1918 | 1848 (by the Frankfurt Parliament)[9] | 1999 (when the exact colors were specified).[10] |
| Ireland|size=23px}} | 1919 |
| Poland|size=23px}} | 1919 | 1831 | 1921 (colors formalized) |
| Jordan|size=23px}} | 1920 | 1928 (star introduced) |
| Republic of China (Taiwan)|size=23px}} | 1921 | 1928 | 1949 |
| Panama|size=23px}} | 1925 | 1903 |
| the=yes|Vatican City|size=23px}} | 1929 |
| Liechtenstein|size=23px}} | 1937 |
| Lebanon|size=23px}} | 1943 |
| Iceland|size=23px}} | 1944 | 1918 | 1944 (when the exact colors were changed) |
| Indonesia|size=23px}} | 1945 | 1881 | 1881 |
| Vietnam|size=23px}} | 1945 |
| India|size=23px}} | 1947, July 24 | 1947, August 15 |
| Pakistan|size=23px}} | 1947, August 11 | 1947, August 14 |
| Italy|size=23px}} | 1948 | 1796 (with Napoleon I) | 2006 (when exact colors were specified). 1948 is when the removal of the monarch banner occurred and the proclamation of Italian Republic happened. |
| North Korea|size=23px}} | 1948, July[11] | 1948[11] | 1992 (standardization, star and disc sized changed) |
| Israel|size=23px}} | 1948 | 1897 |
| Samoa|size=23px}} | 1949 |
| People's Republic of China|size=23px}} | 1949 | 1949 |
| Somalia|size=23px}} | 1954 | 1954 |
| Hungary|size=23px}} | 1957 | 1848 (1681) | 1956 (removing the Rákosi-coat of arms) |
| Madagascar|size=23px}} | 1958 |
| Guinea|size=23px}} | 1958 |
| the=yes|Central African Republic|size=23px}} | 1958 |
| Chad|size=23px}} | 1959 |
| Brunei|size=23px}} | 1959 |
| Benin|size=23px}} | 1959 |
| Niger|size=23px}} | 1959 |
| Cote d'Ivoire|size=23px}} | 1959 |
| Singapore|size=23px}} | 1959 |
| the=yes|United States|size=23px}} | 1960 | 1818[9] | 1960 (addition of a star) |
| Togo|size=23px}} | 1960 |
| Gabon|size=23px}} | 1960 |
| Cyprus|size=23px}} | 1960 | 1960 | 2006 (modification) |
| Senegal|size=23px}} | 1960 |
| Nigeria|size=23px}} | 1960 | 1960 |
| Mali|size=23px}} | 1961 |
| Sierra Leone|size=23px}} | 1961 |
| Kuwait|size=23px}} | 1961 |
| Algeria|size=23px}} | 1962 |
| Jamaica|size=23px}} | 1962 |
| Trinidad and Tobago|size=23px}} | 1962 |
| Uganda|size=23px}} | 1962 |
| Malaysia|size=23px}} | 1950 | 1950 | 1963 (14-point star and 14 stripes) |
| Kenya|size=23px}} | 1963 |
| Tanzania|size=23px}} | 1964 |
| Malta|size=23px}} | 1964 | 1964 (addition of George Cross) |
| Zambia|size=23px}} | 1964 | 1964 | 1996 (green field changed to a lighter shade) |
| Maldives|size=23px}} | 1965 | 1926 | 1965 (removal of striped hoist after Independence) |
| Canada|size=23px}} | 1965 | 1965 | 1965 |
| Gambia|size=23px}} | 1965 | 1965 | 1965 |
| Ghana|size=23px}} | 1966 | 1957 | 1966 (white stripe changed back to original yellow) |
| Botswana|size=23px}} | 1966 |
| Barbados|size=23px}} | 1966 |
| Burundi|size=23px}} | 1967 | 1962 | 1982 (ratio changed from 2:3 to 3:5) |
| Nauru|size=23px}} | 1968 | 1968 | 1968 |
| Mauritius|size=23px}} | 1968 | 1968 | 1968 |
| Mexico|size=23px}} | 1968 | 1821 (First Mexican Empire flag) | 1968 (coat of arms modified) |
| Eswatini|size=23px}} | 1968 | 1968 | 1968 |
| Bhutan|size=23px}} | 1969 | 1947 | 1969 (color of the lower half changed from red to orange) |
| Sudan|size=23px}} | 1970 | 1970 | 1970 |
| Fiji|size=23px}} | 1970 | 1924 | 1970 (emblem on flag changed) |
| Papua New Guinea|size=23px}} | 1971 | 1971 | 1971 |
| Qatar|size=23px}} | 1971 | 1949 | 1971 (proportion modified) |
| Andorra|size=23px}} | 1971 | 1866 | 1971 (coat of arms modified) |
| Nicaragua|size=23px}} | 1971 | 1823 (as provincial flag within United States of Central America) | 1908 (coat of arms modified) |
| the=yes|United Arab Emirates|size=23px}} | 1971 | 1971 | 1971 |
| Bangladesh|size=23px}} | 1972 | 1971 | 1972 (removal of country's map) |
| Sri Lanka|size=23px}} | 1972 | 1948 | 1972 (four leaves of the Bo tree were added to the corners of the flag) |
| Luxembourg|size=23px}} | 1972 | 1845[12] | 1845 |
| Saudi Arabia|size=23px}} | 1973 | 1932 | 1973 (design of sword modified) |
| Bahamas|size=23px}} | 1973 | 1973 | 1973 |
| Guinea-Bissau|size=23px}} | 1973 | 1973 | 1973 |
| Grenada|size=23px}} | 1974 | 1974 | 1974 |
| Cameroon|size=23px}} | 1975 | 1957 | 1975 (a yellow star added in the middle) |
| São Tomé and Príncipe|size=23px}} | 1975 | 1975 | 1975 |
| Angola|size=23px}} | 1975 | 1975 | 1975 |
| Suriname|size=23px}} | 1975 | 1975 | 1975 |
| Laos|size=23px}} | 1975 | 1945 (by the Lao Issara government) | 1945 |
| Djibouti|size=23px}} | 1977 | 1977 | 1977 |
| the=yes|Solomon Islands|size=23px}} | 1977 | 1977 | 1977 |
| Dominica|size=23px}} | 1990 | 1978 | 1990 (yellow side of green stars removed, but old design seldom use today) |
| Greece|size=23px}} | 1978 | 1822 (naval ensign)[9] | 1978 (land flag abolished) |
| Saint Lucia|size=23px}} | 1979 | 1967 | 2002 |
| Marshall Islands|size=23px}} | 1979 | 1979 | 1979 |
| Kiribati|size=23px}} | 1979 | 1979 | 1979 |
| Equatorial Guinea|size=23px}} | 1979 | 1972 | 1979 (re-adoption of coat of arms due to the collapse of Francisco Nguema regime) |
| Micronesia|size=23px}} | 1979 | 1965 (as Flag of the TTPI which had 6 stars above) | 1979 (two stars removed due to reorganization of the Territory) |
| Vanuatu|size=23px}} | 1980 | 1980 | 1980 |
| Syria|size=23px}} | 1980 | 1958[9] | 1980 |
| Zimbabwe|size=23px}} | 1980 | 1980 | 1980 |
| Iran|size=23px}} | 1980 | 1980 | 1980 (national emblem added to center of flag and religious script added due to the Islamic Revolution) |
| Spain|size=23px}} | 1981 | 1785 | 1981 (coat of arms replaced) |
| Palau|size=23px}} | 1981 | 1981 | 1981 |
| Belize|size=23px}} | 1981 | 1981 | 1981 |
| Mozambique|size=23px}} | 1983 | 1975[13][9] | 1983 (change of emblem on the left side of flag) |
| Saint Kitts and Nevis|size=23px}} | 1983 | 1983 | 1983 |
| Burkina Faso|size=23px}} | 1984 | 1984 | 1984 |
| Egypt|size=23px}} | 1984 | 1953 | 1984 |
| Saint Vincent and the Grenadines|size=23px}} | 1985 | 1985 | 1985 |
| Haiti|size=23px}} | 1986 | 1806[9] | 1986 (re-adoption due to the collapse of Duvalier regime) |
| Lithuania|size=23px}} | 1988 | 1918 | 2004 (ratio changed) |
| Romania|size=23px}} | 1989 | 1867 | 1989 (removed emblem) |
| Namibia|size=23px}} | 1990 | 1990 | 1990 |
| Yemen|size=23px}} | 1990 | 1990 | |
| Moldova|size=23px}} | 1990 | 1990 | 2010 (emblem copied to reverse side) |
| Estonia|size=23px}} | 1990 | 1918 | 1918 |
| Armenia|size=23px}} | 1990 | 1918 | 1990 (ratio changed) |
| Azerbaijan|size=23px}} | 1990 | 1918 | 1918 |
| Croatia|size=23px}} | 1990 | 1848 | 1990 (redesign of the coat of arms) |
| Russia|size=23px}} | 1991[14] | 1700[9] | 1993 (ratio and colors changed) |
| Latvia|size=23px}} | 1991 | 1280 | 1923 (proportions formalized) |
| Bulgaria|size=23px}} | 1991 | 1879 | 1991 (removal of the state emblem) |
| the=yes|Republic of the Congo|size=23px}} | 1991 | 1959 |
| Slovenia|size=23px}} | 1991 | 1848 | 1991 (red star was replaced with coat of arms) |
| Uzbekistan|size=23px}} | 1991 | 1991 | 1991 |
| Mongolia|size=23px}} | 1992 | 1940 | 1992 (removal of the socialist star) |
| Ukraine|size=23px}} | 1992 | 1848 | 1918 |
| Turkmenistan|size=23px}} | 1992 | 1992 | 2001 (ratio and ornament design adjusted) |
| Kyrgyzstan|size=23px}} | 1992 | 1992 | 1992 |
| Brazil|size=23px}} | 1992 | 1889 | 1992 (addition of six stars) |
| Kazakhstan|size=23px}} | 1992[15] | 1992 | 1992 |
| Slovakia|size=23px}} | 1992 | 1848 | 1992 |
| Cape Verde|size=23px}} | 1992 | 1992 | 1992 |
| Tajikistan|size=23px}} | 1992 | 1992 | 1992 |
| the=yes|Czech Republic|size=23px}} | 1993 | 1920 | 1920 |
| Eritrea|size=23px}} | 1993[16] | 1993 | 1995 (ratio changed) |
| Cambodia|size=23px}} | 1993 | 1948 | 1993 (re-adoption) |
| South Africa|size=23px}} | 1994 | 1994 | 1994 |
| Belarus|size=23px}} | 1995 | 1951[9] | 2012 (previous 1995 design with a thicker ornament pattern)[17] |
| North Macedonia|size=23px}} | 1995 | 1995 | 1995 |
| Oman|size=23px}} | 1995 | 1970 | 1995 (middle band to equal size) |
| Ethiopia|size=23px}} | 1996 | 1996 | 2009 (larger central disc) |
| Seychelles|size=23px}} | 1996 | 1996 | 1996 |
| Tuvalu|size=23px}} | 1997 | 1978 | 1997 (restoration of 1978 flag) |
| Bosnia and Herzegovina|size=23px}} | 1998 | 1998 | 1998 |
| Rwanda|size=23px}} | 2001 | 2001 | 2001 |
| Comoros|size=23px}} | 2002 | 2002 | 2002 |
| Bahrain|size=23px}} | 2002 | 1932 | 2002 (white points reduced to 5) |
| East Timor|size=23px}} | 2002[18] | 1975 | 1975 |
| Afghanistan|size=23px}} | 2002 | 1928[9] | 2013, August 19 (ratio changed) |
| Georgia|size=23px}} | 2004 | 1350[9] (approx. and disputed) | 2004 (proportions defined) |
| Serbia|size=23px}} | 2004 | 1835 | 2010 (redesign of the coat of arms) |
| Montenegro|size=23px}} | 2004 | 2004 | 2004 (first publication) |
| the=yes|Democratic Republic of the Congo|size=23px}} | 2006 | 1963[9] | 2006 (return to 1966 design, colors changed to a lighter shade of blue) |
| Venezuela|size=23px}} | 2006, March 12 | 1810 | 2006, March 12 (addition of a star) |
| Lesotho|size=23px}} | 2006, October 4 | 2006, October 4 | 2006, October 4 |
| Kosovo|size=23px}} | 2008, February 17 | 2008, February 17 |
| Iraq|size=23px}} | 2008, January 22 | 1963 | 2008, January 22 (removal of stars, slight change to script) |
| Myanmar|size=23px}} | 2010, October 10 | 2010, October 10 | 2010, October 10 |
| Libya|size=23px}} | 2011, February 17 | 1951, December 24[9] | 1951 |
| South Sudan|size=23px}} | 2011, July 9 | 2005, July 9[19] | 2011, July 9 (proportions defined, independent state) |
| Malawi|size=23px}} | 2012, May 28[20][21] | 1964, July 6[9] | 1964, July 6[20][21] |
| Mauritania|size=23px}} | 2017, August 15 | 2017, August 15 | 2017, August 15 (addition of red bands) |
1. ^{{cite web |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180203070136/http://denmark.dk/en/quick-facts/national-flag/ |title=National Flag - The official Website of Denmark|accessdate=2016-10-02}}
2. ^http://flagspot.net/flags/fr-index.html#his Historical flags of France FOTW
3. ^{{cite web|url=http://www.crwflags.com/fotw/flags/co-histb.html#1949|title=Colombia - Historical Flags (1910-1949)|website=www.crwflags.com|accessdate=9 May 2017}}
4. ^{{cite web|url=http://www.rbvex.it/sanmarino.html|title=Sanmarino|website=www.rbvex.it|accessdate=9 May 2017}}
5. ^{{cite web|url=http://www.crwflags.com/fotw/flags/hn-hist.html|title=Honduras - Historical Flags|website=www.crwflags.com|accessdate=9 May 2017}}
6. ^{{cite web|url=http://www.worldatlas.com/webimage/flags/countrys/camerica/guatmala.htm|title=Guatemala Flag and Description|website=www.worldatlas.com|accessdate=9 May 2017}}
7. ^{{cite web|url=http://www.thatsdominican.com/dominican-republic-flag|title=The Dominican Republic Flag - Dominican Flag meaning - ThatsDominican.com|publisher=|accessdate=9 May 2017}}
8. ^{{cite web|title=มาตรฐานแถบสีธงชาติไทย|trans-title=Flag of Thailand|url=https://www.nstda.or.th/th/nstda-knowledge/11557-thaiflag-color|publisher=National Science and Technology Development Agency|accessdate=16 February 2018|date=16 October 2017|language=Thai}}
9. ^1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 The flag has not been in continuous use.
10. ^{{cite web|url=http://styleguide.bundesregierung.de/index_de.html?Content=basiselemente/farben/primaerfarben_de.html |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20070926233554/http://styleguide.bundesregierung.de/index_de.html?Content=basiselemente%2Ffarben%2Fprimaerfarben_de.html |archivedate=26 September 2007 |title=Primärfarben |work=Corporate Design Documentation |author=Federal Government of Germany |language=German |date=17 December 2007 |accessdate=26 February 2008 |deadurl=yes |df= }}
11. ^1 {{Cite web | title = Kim Tu Bong and the Flag of Great Extremes | last=Tertitskiy|first=Fyodor | work = Daily NK | date = 20 June 2014 | accessdate = 10 August 2016 | url = http://www.dailynk.com/english/read.php?num=11993&cataId=nk03600}}
12. ^http://flagspot.net/flags/lu.html Flag of Luxembourg
13. ^http://flagspot.net/flags/mz.html Flag of Mozambique
14. ^http://www.crwflags.com/fotw/flags/ru.html Russian flag FOTW
15. ^http://flagspot.net/flags/kz.html Flag of Kazakhstan
16. ^http://flagspot.net/flags/er.html Flag of Eritrea
17. ^Flag of Belarus
18. ^http://flagspot.net/flags/tl.html Flag of East Timor
19. ^http://www.crwflags.com/fotw/flags/ss.html Flag of South Sudan
20. ^1 {{cite news|url=http://www.nyasatimes.com/malawi/2012/05/28/malawi-parliament-approves-to-revert-to-original-flag/ |title=Malawi Parliament approves to revert to original flag |publisher=Nyasa Times |date=2012-05-28 |accessdate=2015-09-02 |deadurl=yes |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20121227040154/http://www.nyasatimes.com/malawi/2012/05/28/malawi-parliament-approves-to-revert-to-original-flag/ |archivedate=2012-12-27 |df= }}
21. ^1 {{cite news |url=http://www.timeslive.co.za/africa/2012/05/29/malawi-reverts-to-old-flag |title= Malawi reverts to old flag |publisher= Sunday Times |date=2012-05-29 |accessdate=2015-09-02}}