# Countrylayer

> Countrylayer is a real-time country data REST API that returns detailed reference information for any country in the world in lightweight JSON. It is used to populate country and currency dropdowns, autocomplete address and checkout forms, localise pricing and language, enrich user records, and power dashboards and travel or logistics tools. Coverage spans more than 200 countries, including non-officially recognised territories, drawn from Countrylayer's own database built on official data published by each country. A single lookup returns a rich object: the common and native name, alternative spellings and translations into ten languages, ISO alpha-2, alpha-3 and numeric codes, CIOC code, top-level domain, capital, region and subregion, population, area, latitude and longitude, Gini index, demonym, calling codes, bordering countries, every timezone the country spans, its currencies (code, name, symbol), its languages (ISO 639-1 and 639-2 codes, name, native name), a flag image URL, and any regional blocs it belongs to such as NAFTA or EU. Data is served over SSL, with an uptime of around 99.9%. Countrylayer is part of the APILayer suite (one account, one API key, one dashboard across the APILayer product family).
A free API key is available at https://manage.countrylayer.com/signup/free/monthly — the Free Plan is a no-time-limit trial with 100 searches per month, a rate limit of 1 request per second, SSL encryption, and access to the /all endpoint with a reduced data set, restricted to non-commercial use and without support. Paid plans widen both the request volume and, unusually, the set of endpoints and fields available: Basic ($9.99/month, 250 searches, adds /name, /currency, and /code), Professional ($49.99/month, 5,000 searches, adds /language and /capital), and Professional Plus ($149.99/month, 20,000 searches, full access to every endpoint and every field), with volume-based Enterprise pricing and up to 15% off on annual billing. Note that endpoint and field access is gated by plan, so a lookup that works on one tier may return less data or fail on a lower one. To call the API, append your access_key as a query parameter. The base URL is api.countrylayer.com/v2. A single request is one HTTP GET: api.countrylayer.com/v2/all?access_key=YOUR_KEY. The All endpoint (GET /v2/all) returns every supported country; the Name endpoint (GET /v2/name/{name}) searches by full or partial name and accepts a fullText boolean to force an exact match, so "aus" returns every country containing that string unless fullText is true. Further endpoints filter by country code, currency, language, capital city, calling code, region, and regional bloc. Any endpoint or feature, including requesting multiple countries at once, counts as only one API Request; usage notifications are sent at 75%, 90%, and 100% of the monthly allowance, after which overage fees apply. Code examples are provided for C#, JavaScript, PHP, and more.
## Getting Started
- [Countrylayer Homepage](https://countrylayer.com/): Reliable real-time country data API in lightweight JSON
- [API Documentation](https://docs.apilayer.com/countrylayer/docs/api-documentation): Full reference — endpoints, parameters, response objects, errors, and code examples
- [Free API Key Signup](https://manage.countrylayer.com/signup/free/monthly): Create a free account with 100 monthly searches
- [Login](https://manage.countrylayer.com/login): Access your dashboard, API key, and usage statistics
- [Pricing](https://countrylayer.com/pricing/): Free and premium plan tiers with search volumes, endpoint access, and field coverage
## Tools
- [API Status](https://status.countrylayer.com/): Public status page for API performance, uptime, and incidents
- [Overage Billing Documentation](https://countrylayer.com/billing-overages-documentation): How per-search charges apply once a plan's monthly quota is reached
## Resources
- [FAQs](https://countrylayer.com/faq/): Common questions on data sourcing, supported countries, access keys, request counting, plans, and payment
- [Platinum Support](https://countrylayer.com/platinum-support/): Dedicated account management, priority bug fixes, and exclusive support resources
- [APILayer Blog](https://blog.apilayer.com/): Tutorials, use cases, and product updates
## Support
- [Contact Us](https://countrylayer.com/contact): Sales and technical support
- [Get a Quote](https://countrylayer.com/contact/?quote=1): Custom and high-volume plan inquiries