The UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) has designated 51 World Heritage Sites in six countries (also called "state parties") of Southern Asia: Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh. Bhutan, which is also located within the region, does not have any World Heritage Sites.

In this region, India is home to the most inscribed sites with 28 sites. The first sites from the region were the Sagarmatha National Park and Kathmandu Valley, both in Nepal. Each year, UNESCO's World Heritage Committee may inscribe new sites on the list, or delist sites that that no longer meet the criteria. Selection is based on ten criteria: six for cultural heritage (i–vi) and four for natural heritage (vii–x). Some sites, designated "mixed sites," represent both cultural and natural heritage. In Southern Asia, there are 41 cultural, 10 natural, and no mixed sites.

The World Heritage Committee may also specify that a site is endangered, citing "conditions which threaten the very characteristics for which a property was inscribed on the World Heritage List." Three sites in this region are currently listed as endangered, one site (Kathmandu Valley) has been listed previously and possible danger listing has been considered by UNESCO in a number of other cases.