WebsterMark
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Global Overview of Unrestricted Jus Soli
Unrestricted (or unconditional) birthright citizenship—where nearly anyone born on a country’s soil automatically becomes a citizen, regardless of parents’ status (with standard exceptions for diplomats or invading forces)—is practiced in approximately 30–35 countries out of about 195 sovereign nations worldwide.  
This makes it a minority policy globally, as the majority of countries (around 160) rely primarily on jus sanguinis (citizenship by descent/blood) or conditional versions of jus soli.  
Regional Breakdown
• Western Hemisphere (Americas): This region overwhelmingly adopts unrestricted jus soli. Out of roughly 35 countries in the Americas, about 30 have it, including major ones like the United States, Canada, Mexico, Brazil, Argentina, and most of Central and South America (e.g., Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Venezuela, and Caribbean nations like Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago).    This stems from historical influences, such as post-colonial constitutions modeled after the U.S. 14th Amendment or similar principles in Latin American independence movements.
• Europe: No country offers unrestricted jus soli. Most (e.g., Germany, France, UK, Italy) use jus sanguinis or require conditions like parental residency or later application by the child.   Several, like Ireland (2004) and the UK (1983), abolished unrestricted versions in recent decades due to immigration concerns.
• Asia: Only Pakistan has (or had) unrestricted jus soli, but it passed restrictions in late 2024 requiring parental citizenship/residency or 10 years of child residency; implementation is ongoing but effectively ends the unrestricted policy in practice.  Other Asian countries (e.g., China, India, Japan, South Korea) use jus sanguinis exclusively or with strict conditions.
• Africa: Only Chad and Lesotho are sometimes listed, but with nuances (e.g., Chad requires a choice at age 18). 
• Oceania: Fiji and Tuvalu are occasionally cited, but no major countries like Australia or New Zealand (both restricted it in the 1980s–2000s). 
In numerical terms: The Americas account for about 85–90% of countries with unrestricted jus soli, while Europe (0 out of ~50 countries) and Asia (effectively 0 out of ~50 as of late 2025) have none.   
This distribution is why sources describe the policy as “predominantly” or “the norm” in the Western Hemisphere, while it’s rare or absent elsewhere—making regions like Europe and Asia statistical outliers in not adopting it. 
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