All Fermi answers
Fermi #18 · Question 2

How many countries have the color red in their flag?

Explore the official answer and the simple reasoning behind this Fermi estimate.

2QUESTION 2 OF 3

Answer & explanation

The official answer, with Fermi’s reasoning step by step.

Answer & explanation

Official answer

148

countries

How to estimate it

Fermi’s official “Napkin math”

There are about 200 countries in the world. Red shows up on flags more than any other color, it's bold and it reads from far away. Guess something like three in four flags use it.

World countries
~200
Flags with red (guess)
× 75%
200 × 75%
≈ 150

Rounded assumptions may give a slightly different estimate. The official answer above is the game’s reference value.

Source calculation & reference
National flags surveyed
192
Flags of the World (FOTW), flags containing red
148 (77%)

Reference cited by Fermi: Flags of the World (FOTW), Statistics on Flag Colors

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