Back رابطة جنوب آسيا للتعاون الاقليمي Arabic দক্ষিণ এচিয় আঞ্চলিক সহযোগিতা সংস্থা Assamese Asociación Sudasiática pa la Cooperación Rexonal AST सार्क AWA Көньяҡ Азия төбәк хеҙмәттәшлеге ассоциацияһы Bashkir Паўднёваазіяцкае аб’яднаньне рэгіянальнай супрацы BE-TARASK Асоциация за регионално сътрудничество в Южна Азия Bulgarian दक्खिन एशियाई क्षेत्रीय सहजोग संगठन Bihari দক্ষিণ এশীয় আঞ্চলিক সহযোগিতা সংস্থা Bengali/Bangla Associació Sud-asiàtica per a la Cooperació Regional Catalan
South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation In other languages:
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Location of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (dark green) in Asia (dark grey) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Headquarters | Kathmandu, Nepal 28°10′N 84°15′E / 28.167°N 84.250°E | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Largest city | Mumbai, India 19°04′34″N 72°52′39″E / 19.07611°N 72.87750°E | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Working language | English | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Official languages of contracting states | 24 languages | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Religion (2025)[1] |
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| Demonym(s) | South Asian | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Type | Regional organisation | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Member states | 8 members: 9 observers: | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Leaders | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Golam Sarwar[2] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
• Chairmanship of SAARC |  Bangladesh | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Legislature | None | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Establishment | 8 December 1985 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Area | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
• Total | 5,222,321 km2 (2,016,349 sq mi) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
• Water (%) | 8 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Population | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
• 2025 estimate |  1,992,790,035[3] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
• Density | 381.6/km2 (988.3/sq mi) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| GDP (PPP) | 2025 estimate | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
• Total |  $21.7 trillion[4] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
• Per capita | $11,136[5] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| GDP (nominal) | 2025 estimate | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
• Total | $5.22 trillion[6] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
• Per capita | $2,665[7] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| HDI (2023) | 0.663[8] medium | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Currency | 8 currencies
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| Time zone | UTC+4:30 to +6:00 (AFT, PST, MVT, IST, SLST, NPT, BST, BTT) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Calling code | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Internet TLD | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Website saarc-sec | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
The South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) is the regional intergovernmental organization and geopolitical union of states in South Asia. Its member states are Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka. SAARC comprises 3% of the world's land area, 21% of the world's population and 5.21% (US$4.47 trillion)[9] of the global economy, as of 2021.
SAARC was founded in Dhaka on 8 December 1985 by Ziaur Rahman, the then President of Bangladesh.[10] Its secretariat is based in Kathmandu, Nepal. The organization promotes economic development and regional integration.[11] It launched the South Asian Free Trade Area in 2006.[12] SAARC maintains permanent diplomatic relations at the United Nations as an observer and has developed links with multilateral entities, including the European Union. However, due to the geopolitical conflict between India and Pakistan and the situation in Afghanistan, the organization has been suspended for a long time, and India currently cooperates with its eastern neighbors through BIMSTEC.[13][14]
- ^ https://x.com/i/grok?conversation=1928379078890897805
- ^ "Sarwar to be new Saarc secretary general". The Kathmandu Post. 7 March 2023. Archived from the original on 26 March 2023. Retrieved 26 March 2023.
- ^ https://www.worldometers.info/world-population/southern-asia-population/
- ^ https://www.imf.org/en/Publications/WEO/weo-database/2025/april/weo-report?c=534,&s=NGDPD,PPPGDP,NGDPDPC,PPPPC,&sy=2023&ey=2030&ssm=0&scsm=1&scc=0&ssd=1&ssc=0&sic=0&sort=country&ds=.&br=1
- ^ https://www.imf.org/en/Publications/WEO/weo-database/2025/april/weo-report?c=534,&s=NGDPD,PPPGDP,NGDPDPC,PPPPC,&sy=2023&ey=2030&ssm=0&scsm=1&scc=0&ssd=1&ssc=0&sic=0&sort=country&ds=.&br=1
- ^ https://www.imf.org/en/Publications/WEO/weo-database/2025/april/weo-report?c=534,&s=NGDPD,PPPGDP,NGDPDPC,PPPPC,&sy=2023&ey=2030&ssm=0&scsm=1&scc=0&ssd=1&ssc=0&sic=0&sort=country&ds=.&br=1
- ^ https://www.imf.org/en/Publications/WEO/weo-database/2025/april/weo-report?c=534,&s=NGDPD,PPPGDP,NGDPDPC,PPPPC,&sy=2023&ey=2030&ssm=0&scsm=1&scc=0&ssd=1&ssc=0&sic=0&sort=country&ds=.&br=1
- ^ https://hdr.undp.org/system/files/documents/global-report-document/hdr2025reporten.pdf
- ^ "Report for Selected Countries and Subjects". imf.org. Archived from the original on 2 July 2017. Retrieved 28 September 2016.
- ^ Ahmad, Naveed (6 August 2016). "Rest in peace SAARC: The tug of war between India and Pakistan". The Express Tribune. Archived from the original on 7 August 2016. Retrieved 7 August 2016.
- ^ "Charter of SAARC". SAARC Secretariat. Archived from the original on 27 October 2016. Retrieved 10 November 2013.
- ^ Center, Asia Regional Integration. "South Asian Free Trade Area Free Trade Agreement". aric.adb.org. Archived from the original on 20 August 2020. Retrieved 2 March 2018.
- ^ Longtail-e-media. "From SAARC to BIMSTEC: Neighborhood Perspective". aidiaasia.org. Archived from the original on 6 May 2023. Retrieved 6 May 2023.
- ^ "BIMSTEC Gets a New Lease of Life". The Diplomat. Archived from the original on 4 June 2023. Retrieved 6 May 2023.
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