International Museum Day, held anually on or around May 18, aims to raise awareness about the role of museums as hubs for cultural exchange and education. This day, created and coordinated by the International Council of Museums, encourages people to explore history and art through free admission, extended hours and special events. International Museum Day also shines a light onto the broad spectrum of museum work, from scientific research and climate action to preserving indigenous heritage.
According to a UNESCO report, the United States is by far the country with the most museums in the world: over 33,000. This places the U.S. way ahead of the second country on the list, Germany, which counts just under 7,000 museums. Completing the top 3 is Japan (5,738 museums). When looking at the countries with the highest number of museums per capita, however, the results look rather different. Excluding microstates (with fewer than 100,000 inhabitants), Sweden is the country in the world with the most museums per capita: with its 1,600 museums for a population of 10.6 million, the country counts around 151 museums per million inhabitants. According to recent data, the three most visited museums in the world in 2024 were in China.
