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Top 10 Countries by Number of Satellites

By Dhiraj Sharma · Published November 12, 2026

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The countries ranked here use dated SATCAT active-payload totals, and inactive objects or international operators are labelled rather than mixed in. Rank is by dated SATCAT active-payload totals attributed to a named country, and inactive objects or international operators are labelled rather than mixed into the same official product ^[1]. The CelesTrak SATCAT boxscore used here is current as of 11 November 2026 at 19:09 UTC, which is 12:39 a.m. on 12 November 2026 in India Standard Time ^[1]. The United States is first, at 13,153 active payloads; most of that official lead is associated with large commercial constellations registered in the United States, including Starlink, and that attribution is labelled rather than treated as a separate unofficial country total ^[1]. China is second, at 1,624 active payloads ^[1]. The United Kingdom is third, at 700 active payloads ^[1]. Russia, recorded in the boxscore under the CIS source code, is fourth, at 380 active payloads, and that source-code label is stated in the open ^[1].

Later names remain in the same official active-payload class at that snapshot. Japan is fifth, at 155 active payloads ^[1]. Italy is sixth, at 89 active payloads ^[1]. India is seventh, at 80 active payloads ^[1]. France and Germany are eighth and ninth, at 78 active payloads each, a labelled official tie; the European Space Agency also has 78 active payloads at the same snapshot, an official international operator rather than a country, and that holding is labelled rather than ranked as a silent country cell ^[1]. The Republic of Korea is tenth, at 77 active payloads ^[1]. Spain, at 59 active payloads, and Canada, at 57, sit just outside this countries ten ^[1]. Unidentified or to-be-determined payloads, and later operator codes such as SES or ITSO, are not treated as countries. This article does not copy official flags, agency crests, or exact spacecraft likenesses as decorative art.

Key Facts

The ten below are the labelled official active-payload leaders at the 11 November 2026 SATCAT snapshot: the United States, 13,153; China, 1,624; the United Kingdom, 700; Russia, 380, under the CIS source code; Japan, 155; Italy, 89; India, 80; France, 78; Germany, 78; and the Republic of Korea, 77 ^[1]. Rank 1 is the outstanding official active-payload total, which stands far above every later named country.

The table is the official spine: dated active payloads first, international operators labelled, and no silent substitution of an on-orbit or decayed-object total.

Countries by Number of Satellites at a Glance

Rank	Country	Active payloads	2026 note
1	United States	13,153	SATCAT boxscore as of 11 November 2026, 19:09 UTC; large commercial constellations, including Starlink, are attributed here and labelled
2	China	1,624	SATCAT source code PRC
3	United Kingdom	700	Official active-payload total at the same snapshot
4	Russia	380	Recorded under the SATCAT source code CIS, labelled
5	Japan	155	Official active-payload total at the same snapshot
6	Italy	89	Official active-payload total at the same snapshot
7	India	80	Official active-payload total at the same snapshot
8	France	78	Official tie with Germany; the European Space Agency also has 78 active payloads, labelled as an international operator, not a country
9	Germany	78	Official tie with France
10	Republic of Korea	77	Official active-payload total at the same snapshot; Spain, at 59, sits just outside

1. United States

The United States is first, at 13,153 active payloads in the SATCAT boxscore current as of 11 November 2026 at 19:09 UTC ^[1]. The same snapshot records 13,999 payloads on orbit for the United States, including inactive objects, a different official product that is labelled and is not used as the ranking unit ^[1]. Large commercial constellations registered in the United States, including Starlink, are attributed to this official total and are labelled rather than treated as a separate unofficial country ^[1]. This article records the official 13,153 active-payload figure. It stands far above China's official 1,624 active payloads.

It is first as the outstanding official active-payload total, a labelled 11 November 2026 fact, and the documentary centre of this ten ^[1]. A later official boxscore revision will belong in a revision of the cell.