International Day of Awareness of the Special Development Needs and Challenges of Landlocked Developing Countries Date in the current year: August 6, 2026

Landlocked developing countries (LLDCs) are developing countries that have no coastlines on the world ocean. Of the 44 landlocked countries in the world, 32 are classified as LLDCs by the United Nations.

• Sixteen countries in Africa: Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, the Central African Republic, Chad, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Lesotho, Malawi, Mali, Niger, Rwanda, South Sudan, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.
• Ten countries in Asia: Afghanistan, Bhutan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Mongolia, Nepal, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan.
• Four countries in Europe: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Moldova, and North Macedonia.
• Two countries in South America: Bolivia and Paraguay.

Geographically, Armenia and Azerbaijan are sometimes considered part of Asia, but the United Nations groups them with Europe in its Landlocked Developing Countries (LLDC) framework.

Half of the world’s LLDCs are also considered least developed countries. This is not a coincidence because a lack of direct territorial access to the sea puts LLDCs at an economic disadvantage and slows their economic growth.

One of the main challenges LLDCs face is the combination of high transport and trade costs and dependence on transit countries. Geographical isolation means goods must pass through one or more neighboring countries, which increases shipping costs and delays. This dependence makes LLDCs vulnerable to infrastructure problems, border closures, labor strikes, political instability, and policy changes in transit countries.

This dependence on neighboring countries is particularly problematic in regions with political or climate instability. For instance, Mali had significant issues exporting goods in the 1990s because nearly all its transit countries were affected by civil wars or related conflicts. In the Central African Republic, the accessibility and reliability of transport routes have historically varied significantly between the rainy and dry seasons. All of the above can create a self-reinforcing cycle in which high transport costs hinder economic development, while weak economic development limits investment in transport infrastructure.

High transportation costs limit LLDCs’ integration into global trade, making their exports less competitive than those of countries with easier access to supply chains and international markets. This hinders their economic development further. Additionally, geographical isolation makes these countries more vulnerable to the disruption of imports of essential goods, such as food and fuel.

In July 2025, the United Nations General Assembly proclaimed August 6 as the International Day of Awareness of the Special Development Needs and Challenges of Landlocked Developing Countries. The day’s main goal is to raise awareness of the unique challenges LLDCs face and highlight the need to support them.