List of participating nations at the Winter Olympic Games

Flagbearers for each of the participating nations at the I Olympic Winter Games (1924) recite the athlete's oath.

This is a list of nations, as represented by National Olympic Committees (NOCs), that have participated in the Winter Olympic Games between 1924 and 2022. The Winter Olympic Games have been held every four years (once during each Olympiad) since 1924, except for the cancelled Games of 1940 and 1944, and in 1994 when the Winter Games were moved to the middle of the Olympiad, two years after the previous Games.

129 NOCs (118 of the current 206 NOCs and 11 obsolete NOCs) have participated in at least one Winter Games, and twelve nations (Austria, Canada, Finland, France, Great Britain, Hungary, Italy, Norway, Poland, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United States) have participated in all twenty-three Winter Games to date. Including continuity from Czechoslovakia, the Czech Republic and Slovakia have also been represented in every edition.

History

Origin and early Games

The first winter sport to be contested at the modern Olympic Games was figure skating at the 1908 Games in London. A total of 21 skaters from six countries (Argentina, Germany, Great Britain, Sweden, Russia, and the United States) competed in four events on 28–29 October. Skating was not in the program of the 1912 Summer Olympics in Stockholm, but returned for the 1920 Games in Antwerp. Ice hockey was also part of the 1920 program of events, with seven teams competing.

The first Winter Games were held in 1924, in Chamonix, France. They were originally called International Winter Sports Week and held in association with the 1924 Summer Olympics, but were in retrospect designated by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) as the I Olympic Winter Games. Sixteen nations participated in these Games: fourteen from Europe and two from North America. Four years later, 25 nations were represented at the 1928 Winter Olympics, in St. Moritz, Switzerland, including Argentina (the first nation from the Southern Hemisphere), Japan (the first Asian nation), and Mexico. The 1932 Games, held in Lake Placid, United States, saw the participation of 17 nations. The 1936 Winter Games, in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany, had 28 participating nations, the largest number to that date. These would be the last Winter Games for twelve years, as the planned 1940 Games and 1944 Games were cancelled due to World War II.

Post-war years and Cold War era

After the war, 28 nations would return to St. Moritz for the 1948 Winter Olympics, but not Germany or Japan, who were not invited because of their roles in the war. The 1952 Winter Games in Oslo, Norway, featured 30 participating nations. The 1956 Games in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy, marked the Winter Games debut of the Soviet Union, along with 31 other nations. The NOCs of East Germany and West Germany would be represented by a single German team, an arrangement that would continue until 1964. Thirty nations would participate at the 1960 Winter Olympics in Squaw Valley, United States, including South Africa, the first African nation to participate in the Winter Games. Thirty-six nations were represented in Innsbruck, Austria, in 1964.

The 1968 Winter Olympics in Grenoble, France, marked the first time that East Germany and West Germany competed as independent teams, two of the 37 nations that took part. The Games of 1972 were held in Sapporo, Japan, the first time the Winter Games were held outside of Europe or North America. A total of 35 nations were represented, including the Philippines, the first appearance by a southeast Asian nation. The Winter Games returned to Innsbruck, in 1976, with 37 participating nations.

Lake Placid was the site of the Winter Games in 1980, with 37 competing nations. The People's Republic of China made their Olympic debut but, in response, the Republic of China boycotted the Games, protesting their inability to use the name "China" after the decision by the IOC. Sarajevo, SFR Yugoslavia was host to the 1984 Winter Olympics, which welcomed 49 nations. Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands were the first two Caribbean NOCs to compete in the Winter Games. Several more tropical nations would participate at the 1988 Winter Olympics, in Calgary, Canada, including the famed Jamaica national bobsleigh team.

Recent Games

The post-Cold War events of the early 1990s led to a large increase in participating nations at the Olympics. At the 1992 Games, in Albertville, France, a total of 64 NOCs were represented, including a single Germany team—following the German reunification in 1990—and a Unified Team composed of six of the ex-republics of the Soviet Union. The Baltic states competed independently for the first time since 1936, and some of the ex-Yugoslav nations started to compete independently in 1992.

In October 1986, the IOC had voted to hold the Olympic Winter Games halfway through the four-year Olympiad, rather than in the same year as the summer Games, and this change started with the XVIIth Olympic Winter Games in 1994 in Lillehammer, Norway. A total of 67 nations took part, including the Czech Republic and Slovakia as independent teams, and each of the ex-Soviet nations. Pakistan debuted in the Winter Olympics in 2010. Nigeria debuted in the Winter Olympics several years later, in 2018.

The Winter Games continued to grow in the recent past, with 72 nations at the 1998 Winter Olympics, in Nagano, Japan, 77 nations at the 2002 Winter Olympics, in Salt Lake City, United States, 80 nations at the 2006 Winter Olympics, in Turin, Italy, 82 nations at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, Canada, 88 nations at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia, and a record 93 nations at the 2018 Games.

List of nations

Blue represents those that participated in the Winter Olympics and gray represents those that never participated.

Description

This list includes 129 NOCs (118 of the current 206 NOCs and 11 obsolete NOCs), arranged alphabetically. The three-letter country code is also listed for each NOC. Since the 1960s, these codes have been frequently used by the IOC and each Games organizing committee to identify NOCs, such as within the official report of each Games. However, in this section, several countries which have long-form names designated by the United Nations are referred to by their common names, such as Laos (Lao People's Democratic Republic), North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of Korea), and Moldova (Republic of Moldova).

Several nations have changed during their Olympic history. Name changes due to geographical renaming are explained by footnotes after the nation's name, and other changes are explained by footnotes links within the table itself.

Obsolete nations

Obsolete nations are included in the table to more clearly illustrate past Olympic appearances for their successor nations.

Table legend

24   In the table headings, indicates the Games year, from 1924 through 2022
Participated in the specified Games
H Host nation for the specified Games
[A] Additional explanatory comments at the linked footnote
  The planned Games of 1940 and 1944 were cancelled due to World War II
  NOC superseded or preceded by other NOC(s) during these years

Alphabetical list

Contents: A B C D E F G H I J K L M N P R S T U V Y Z Total
A Code 24 28 32 36 40 44 48 52 56 60 64 68 72 76 80 84 88 92 94 98 02 06 10 14 18 22 Total
 Albania ALB 5
 Algeria ALG France France 3
 American Samoa ASA 2
 Andorra AND 13
 Argentina ARG 20
 Armenia ARM Soviet Union Soviet Union 8
 Australia AUS 20
 Austria AUT H H 24
 Azerbaijan AZE Soviet Union Soviet Union 7
B Code 24 28 32 36 40 44 48 52 56 60 64 68 72 76 80 84 88 92 94 98 02 06 10 14 18 22 Total
 Belarus BLR Soviet Union Soviet Union EUN 8
 Belgium BEL 22
 Bermuda BER 8
 Bolivia BOL 7
 Bosnia and Herzegovina BIH Yugoslavia Yugoslavia 8
 Brazil BRA 9
 British Virgin Islands IVB 2
 Bulgaria BUL 21
C Code 24 28 32 36 40 44 48 52 56 60 64 68 72 76 80 84 88 92 94 98 02 06 10 14 18 22 Total
 Cameroon CMR 1
 Canada CAN H H 24
 Cayman Islands CAY 2
 Chile CHI 18
 China CHN H 12
 Chinese Taipei[TPE] ( Taiwan) TPE 13
 Colombia COL 3
 Costa Rica CRC 6
 Croatia CRO Yugoslavia Yugoslavia 9
 Cyprus CYP 12
 Czech Republic CZE Czechoslovakia Czechoslovakia 8
 Czechoslovakia [^] TCH 16
D Code 24 28 32 36 40 44 48 52 56 60 64 68 72 76 80 84 88 92 94 98 02 06 10 14 18 22 Total
 Denmark DEN 15
 Dominica DMA 1
E Code 24 28 32 36 40 44 48 52 56 60 64 68 72 76 80 84 88 92 94 98 02 06 10 14 18 22 Total
 East Timor TLS 3
 Ecuador ECU 2
 Egypt EGY 1
 Eritrea ERI 2
 Estonia EST Soviet Union 11
 Ethiopia ETH 2
F Code 24 28 32 36 40 44 48 52 56 60 64 68 72 76 80 84 88 92 94 98 02 06 10 14 18 22 Total
 Fiji FIJ 3
 Finland FIN 24
 France FRA H H H 24
G Code 24 28 32 36 40 44 48 52 56 60 64 68 72 76 80 84 88 92 94 98 02 06 10 14 18 22 Total
 Georgia GEO Soviet Union Soviet Union 8
 Germany GER H EUA GDR, FRG 13
 United Team of Germany [^] EUA 3
 East Germany [^] GDR EUA 6
 West Germany [^] FRG EUA 6
 Ghana GHA 3
 Great Britain GBR 24
 Greece GRE 20
 Guam GUM 1
 Guatemala GUA 1
H Code 24 28 32 36 40 44 48 52 56 60 64 68 72 76 80 84 88 92 94 98 02 06 10 14 18 22 Total
 Haiti HAI 1
 Honduras HON 1
 Hong Kong HKG 6
 Hungary HUN 24
I Code 24 28 32 36 40 44 48 52 56 60 64 68 72 76 80 84 88 92 94 98 02 06 10 14 18 22 Total
 Iceland ISL 19
 India IND 11
 Iran IRI 12
 Ireland IRL 8
 Israel ISR 8
 Italy ITA H H 24
J Code 24 28 32 36 40 44 48 52 56 60 64 68 72 76 80 84 88 92 94 98 02 06 10 14 18 22 Total
 Jamaica JAM 9
 Japan JPN H H 22
K Code 24 28 32 36 40 44 48 52 56 60 64 68 72 76 80 84 88 92 94 98 02 06 10 14 18 22 Total
 Kazakhstan KAZ Soviet Union Soviet Union EUN 8
 Kenya KEN 4
 North Korea PRK 9
 South Korea KOR H 19
 Korea [^] COR 1
 Kosovo KOS Yugoslavia Yugoslavia SCG Serbia 2
 Kyrgyzstan KGZ Soviet Union Soviet Union 8
L Code 24 28 32 36 40 44 48 52 56 60 64 68 72 76 80 84 88 92 94 98 02 06 10 14 18 22 Total
 Latvia LAT Soviet Union 12
 Lebanon LIB 18
 Liechtenstein LIE 20
 Lithuania LTU Soviet Union 10
 Luxembourg LUX 10
M Code 24 28 32 36 40 44 48 52 56 60 64 68 72 76 80 84 88 92 94 98 02 06 10 14 18 22 Total
 Madagascar MAD 3
 Malaysia MAS 2
 Malta MLT 3
 Mexico MEX 10
 Moldova MDA Romania Soviet Union 8
 Monaco MON 11
 Mongolia MGL 15
 Montenegro MNE Yugoslavia Yugoslavia SCG 4
 Morocco MAR 8
N Code 24 28 32 36 40 44 48 52 56 60 64 68 72 76 80 84 88 92 94 98 02 06 10 14 18 22 Total
 Nepal NEP 4
 Netherlands NED 22
 Netherlands Antilles [^] AHO 2
 New Zealand NZL 17
 Nigeria NGR 2
 North Macedonia[MKD] MKD Yugoslavia Yugoslavia 7
 Norway NOR H H 24
P Code 24 28 32 36 40 44 48 52 56 60 64 68 72 76 80 84 88 92 94 98 02 06 10 14 18 22 Total
 Pakistan PAK 4
 Paraguay PAR 1
 Peru PER 3
 Philippines PHI 6
 Poland POL 24
 Portugal POR 9
 Puerto Rico PUR 8
R Code 24 28 32 36 40 44 48 52 56 60 64 68 72 76 80 84 88 92 94 98 02 06 10 14 18 22 Total
 Romania ROU 22
 Russia RUS Soviet Union Soviet Union EUN H OAR/ROC 6
 Soviet Union [^] URS EUN 9
 Unified Team [^] EUN 1
ROC [^] ROC 2
S Code 24 28 32 36 40 44 48 52 56 60 64 68 72 76 80 84 88 92 94 98 02 06 10 14 18 22 Total
 San Marino SMR 11
 Saudi Arabia KSA 1
 Senegal SEN 5
 Serbia SRB Yugoslavia Yugoslavia SCG 4
 Yugoslavia [^] YUG H 14
 Serbia and Montenegro[SCG] [^] SCG Yugoslavia Yugoslavia 3
 Slovakia SVK Czechoslovakia Czechoslovakia 8
 Slovenia SLO Yugoslavia Yugoslavia 9
 Singapore SGP 1
 South Africa RSA 7
 Spain ESP 21
 Swaziland SWZ 1
 Sweden SWE 24
 Switzerland SUI H H 24
T Code 24 28 32 36 40 44 48 52 56 60 64 68 72 76 80 84 88 92 94 98 02 06 10 14 18 22 Total
 Tajikistan TJK Soviet Union Soviet Union 4
 Thailand THA 5
 Togo TOG 2
 Tonga TGA 2
 Trinidad and Tobago TRI 4
 Turkey TUR 18
U Code 24 28 32 36 40 44 48 52 56 60 64 68 72 76 80 84 88 92 94 98 02 06 10 14 18 22 Total
 Ukraine UKR Soviet Union Soviet Union EUN 8
 United States USA H H H H 24
 Uruguay URU 1
 Uzbekistan UZB Soviet Union Soviet Union EUN 8
V Code 24 28 32 36 40 44 48 52 56 60 64 68 72 76 80 84 88 92 94 98 02 06 10 14 18 22 Total
 Venezuela VEN 4
 Virgin Islands ISV 8
Z Code 24 28 32 36 40 44 48 52 56 60 64 68 72 76 80 84 88 92 94 98 02 06 10 14 18 22 Total
 Zimbabwe ZIM 1
Total NOCs number 16 25 17 28 - - 28 30 32 30 36 37 35 37 37 49 57 64 67 72 78 80 82 88 93 91 1209

Nations that have never competed

88 of the 206 active NOCs have yet to compete in a Winter Olympics.

Nation Code
 Afghanistan AFG
 Angola ANG
 Antigua and Barbuda ANT
 Aruba ARU
 Bahamas BAH
 Bahrain BRN
 Bangladesh BAN
 Barbados BAR
 Belize BIZ
 Benin BEN
 Bhutan BHU
 Botswana BOT
 Brunei BRU
 Burkina Faso BUR
 Burundi BDI
 Cambodia CAM
 Cape Verde CPV
 Central African Republic CAF
 Chad CHA
 Comoros COM
 Republic of the Congo CGO
 Cook Islands COK
 Cuba CUB
 Djibouti DJI
 Dominican Republic DOM
 Democratic Republic of the Congo COD
 El Salvador ESA
 Equatorial Guinea GEQ
 Federated States of Micronesia FSM
 Gabon GAB
 The Gambia GAM
 Grenada GRN
 Guinea GUI
 Guinea-Bissau GBS
 Guyana GUY
 Indonesia INA
 Iraq IRQ
 Ivory Coast CIV
 Jordan JOR
 Kiribati KIR
 Kuwait KUW
 Laos LAO
 Lesotho LES
 Liberia LBR
 Libya LBA
 Malawi MAW
 Maldives MDV
 Mali MLI
 Marshall Islands MHL
 Mauritania MTN
 Mauritius MRI
 Mozambique MOZ
 Myanmar MYA
 Namibia NAM
 Nauru NRU
 Nicaragua NCA
 Niger NIG
 Oman OMA
 Palau PLW
 Palestine PLE
 Panama PAN
 Papua New Guinea PNG
 Qatar QAT
 Rwanda RWA
 Saint Kitts and Nevis SKN
 Saint Lucia LCA
 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines VIN
 Samoa SAM
 São Tomé and Príncipe STP
 Seychelles SEY
 Sierra Leone SLE
 Solomon Islands SOL
 Somalia SOM
 South Sudan SSD
 Sri Lanka SRI
 Sudan SUD
 Suriname SUR
 Syria SYR
 Tanzania TAN
 Tunisia TUN
 Turkmenistan TKM
 Tuvalu TUV
 Uganda UGA
 United Arab Emirates UAE
 Vanuatu VAN
 Vietnam VIE
 Yemen YEM
 Zambia ZAM

This page was last updated at 2024-03-06 00:47 UTC. Update now. View original page.

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