IHF World Women's Handball Championship

The IHF Women's Handball World Championship has been organized by the International Handball Federation since 1957. European teams have won every time except 1995 where South Korea won as the first team outside Europe and 2013 where Brazil won as the first American team. The biggest winners are Russia and Norway with four titles each.

This article is about Indoor Championship. For Outdoor Championship, see IHF World Women's Outdoor Handball Championship.
For the men's tournament, see World Men's Handball Championship.
IHF World Women's Handball Championship
Current season, competition or edition:
2025 World Women's Handball Championship
SportHandball
Founded1957 (1957)
No. of teams32 (finals)
ContinentInternational (IHF)
Most recent
champion(s)		 France (3rd title)
Most titles Norway
 Russia
(4 titles each)
Tournaments

Nine teams participated in the first championship, this number has grown in steps to 32 (from 2021). In 1977 a B-tournament was introduced and later in 1986 a C-tournament which served as qualification for the real championship or A-tournament. The B- and C-tournament qualifications were replaced by the present qualification system based on continental confederations in 1993.[1]

From 1993 it has been held every other year. Between 1978 and 1990 it was held every fourth alternating with the Olympic tournament (introduced for women handball in 1976). The first five tournaments were held in the summer or early fall whereas the rest has been held in November or December.[1]

Tournaments
Year Host Final Third place match Teams
Champions Score Runners-up Third place Score Fourth place
1957
Details
Yugoslavia
Czechoslovakia		 7–1
Hungary
Yugoslavia		 9–6
West Germany		 9
1962
Details
Romania
Romania		 8–5
Denmark
Czechoslovakia		 6–5
Yugoslavia		 9
1965
Details
West Germany
Hungary		 5–3
Yugoslavia
West Germany		 11–10
Czechoslovakia		 8
1968
Soviet Union		 The tournament was cancelled due to the Soviet intervention in Czechoslovakia
1971
Details
Netherlands
East Germany		 11–8
Yugoslavia
Hungary		 12–11 (2ET)
Romania		 9
1973
Details
Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia		 16–11
Romania
Soviet Union		 20–12
Hungary		 12
1975
Details
Soviet Union
East Germany		 Round-robin
Soviet Union
Hungary		 Round-robin
Romania		 12
1978
Details
Czechoslovakia
East Germany		 Round-robin
Soviet Union
Hungary		 Round-robin
Czechoslovakia		 12
1982
Details
Hungary
Soviet Union		 Round-robin
Hungary
Yugoslavia		 Round-robin
East Germany		 12
1986
Details
Netherlands
Soviet Union		 30–22
Czechoslovakia
Norway		 23–19
East Germany		 16
1990
Details
South Korea
Soviet Union		 24–22
Yugoslavia
East Germany		 25–19
West Germany		 16
1993
Details
Norway
Germany		 22–21 (ET)
Denmark
Norway		 20–19
Romania		 16
1995
Details
Austria / Hungary
South Korea		 25–20
Hungary
Denmark		 25–24
Norway		 20
1997
Details
Germany
Denmark		 33–20
Norway
Germany		 27–25
Russia		 24
1999
Details
Norway / Denmark
Norway		 25–24 (2ET)
France
Austria		 31–28 (ET)
Romania		 24
2001
Details
Italy
Russia		 30–25
Norway
FR Yugoslavia		 42–40 (ET)
Denmark		 24
2003
Details
Croatia
France		 32–29 (ET)
Hungary
South Korea		 31–29
Ukraine		 24
2005
Details
Russia
Russia		 28–23
Romania
Hungary		 27–24
Denmark		 24
2007
Details
France
Russia		 29–24
Norway
Germany		 36–35 (ET)
Romania		 24
2009
Details
China
Russia		 25–22
France
Norway		 31–26
Spain		 24
2011
Details
Brazil
Norway		 32–24
France
Spain		 24–18
Denmark		 24
2013
Details
Serbia
Brazil		 22–20
Serbia
Denmark		 30–26
Poland		 24
2015
Details
Denmark
Norway		 31–23
Netherlands
Romania		 31–22
Poland		 24
2017
Details
Germany
France		 23–21
Norway
Netherlands		 24–21
Sweden		 24
2019
Details
Japan
Netherlands		 30–29
Spain
Russia		 33–28
Norway		 24
2021
Details
Spain
Norway		 29–22
France
Denmark		 35–28
Spain		 32
2023
Details
Denmark / Norway / Sweden
France		 31–28
Norway
Denmark		 28–27
Sweden		 32
2025
Details
Germany / Netherlands		 32
2027
Details
Hungary		 32
2029
Details
Spain		 32
2031
Details
Czech Republic / Poland		 32

Medal table

IHF only includes medals won at the indoor championships.[2]

RankNationGoldSilverBronzeTotal
1 Norway45312
2 Russia4015
3 France3407
4 Soviet Union3216
5 East Germany3014
6 Hungary1449
7 Yugoslavia1326
8 Denmark1247
9 Romania1214
10 Czechoslovakia1113
 Netherlands1113
12 Germany1023
13 South Korea1012
14 Brazil1001
15 Spain0112
16 Serbia0101
17 Austria0011
 West Germany0011
 Yugoslavia0011
Totals (19 entries)26262678

Participation nations
Main article: National team appearances in the World Women's Handball Championship

Source: IHF official site.[2]

Legend
  • 1st – Champions
  • 2nd – Runners-up
  • 3rd – Third place
  • 4th – Fourth place
  • 5th – Fifth place
  • 6th – Sixth place
  • 7th – Seventh place
  • 8th – Eighth place
  • 9th – Ninth place
  • 10th – Tenth place
  • 11th – Eleventh place
  • 12th – Twelfth place
  • MR – Main round
  • GS – Group stage
  • Q – Qualified for upcoming tournament
  •  ••  – Qualified but withdrew
  •  •  – Did not qualify
  •  ×  – Did not enter / Withdrew from the World Championship / Banned
  •    – Hosts

For each tournament, the number of teams in each finals tournament (in brackets) are shown.

Team
1957
1962
1965
1971
1973
1975
1978
1982
1986
1990
1993

1995
1997

1999
2001
2003
2005
2007
2009
2011
2013
2015
2017
2019
2021


2023


2025
2027
2029

2031		 Total
 Algeria France××××10th•••••19thו•×ו•22nd•••×•3
 AngolaPart of  Portugal×ו•16th16th13th15th15th13th17th16th7th11th8th16th16th19th15th25th15th17
 Argentina××××ו•••••••24th•22nd20th20th19th23rd19th18th23rd16th21st20th12
 Australia××××ו•••••••23rd•23rd24th24th24th24th24th•×24thו8
 Austria6th××ו•••12th5th8th8th11th3rd7th11th13th16th10th•••••16th19th14
 BelarusPart of  Soviet Union••16th14th•••••••••••×2
 Brazil××××ו•••••17th23rd16th12th20th7th14th15th5th1st10th18th17th6th9th15
 Bulgaria××ו•••10th•12th••••••••••••••×•2
 CameroonFRA××××וו•×ו•••22nd•••••20th•28th24th4
 Canada××××ו10th••15th•17th20th•••••••••••×•4
 Chile××××ו••••••••••••23rd••••••27th2
 China××××××ו9th8th14th13th22nd18th11th19th17th21st12th21st18th17th22nd23rd32nd28th18
 CongoFRA××××××12th••••••22nd22nd••17th20th•••••23rd26th7
 CroatiaPart of  Yugoslavia•10th6th••14th11th9th•7th••••18th14th8
 Cuba××××ו•••••••21st•••••22nd•23rd•21stו4
 Czech RepublicSee  Czechoslovakia13th13th19th•15th••••15th•8th•19th8thQ9
 DR CongoBEL××××××××ו×××ו••••20th24th•20th••3
 Denmark5th2nd5th6th7th9th•••10th2nd3rd1st6th4th13th4th•5th4th3rd6th6th9th3rd3rd22
 Dominican Republic××××ו•••••••••••22nd••23rd•••××2
 France××××ו••15th14th••10th2nd5th1st12th5th2nd2nd6th7th1st13th2nd1stQ17
 Germany
(including West Germany)		4th8th3rd5th11th•8th9th7th4th1st5th3rd7th•12th6th3rd7th17th7th13th12th8th7th6thQ25
 Greenland××××ו••••••••24th••••••••••32nd2
 Hungary2nd5th1st3rd4th3rd3rd2nd8th•7th2nd9th5th6th2nd3rd8th9th•8th11th15th14th10th10thQ25
 Iceland×וו••••••••••••••12th•••••25th2
 Iran××××ו×וו××ו×××ו••••31st31st2
 Italy××××ו••••••••16th•••••••••••1
 Ivory Coast×××××ו••••17th14th20th•21st21st•18th16th•×••×•7
 Japan×9th7th9th10th10th••14th••13th17th17th20th16th18th19th16th14th14th19th16th10th11th17th21
 KazakhstanPart of  Soviet Union•××ו••×18th22nd19th•22nd22nd24th30th7
 LithuaniaPart of  Soviet Union13th••••••••••••••×1
 MontenegroPart of  YugoslaviaPart of  Serbia and Montenegro••10th11th8th6th5th22nd7th7
 Netherlands×ו8th12th•9th•10th••••10th14th•5th••15th13th2nd3rd1st9th5thQ15
 North MacedoniaPart of  Yugoslavia••7th8th21st•15th12th••••••••5
 Norway×ו7th8th8th•7th3rd6th3rd4th2nd1st2nd6th9th2nd3rd1st5th1st2nd4th1st2nd22
 Paraguay××××ו•••••••••••23rd••21st•21st•29th29th5
 Poland7th7th8th•5th7th6th•13th9th10th•8th11th••19th11th••4th4th17th•15th16thQ19
 Puerto Rico××××ו•••••••••••••••20th••20th×2
 Romania9th1st6th4th2nd4th7th8th5th7th4th7th12th4th17th10th2nd4th8th13th10th3rd10th12th13th12th26
 RussiaSee  Soviet Union5th6th4th12th1st7th1st1st1st6th•5th5th3rd8th×14[upper-alpha 1]
 SenegalFRA×××ו×וו××ו×××ו•••18th•18th2
 SerbiaPart of  YugoslaviaSee  Serbia and Montenegro•••2nd15th9th6th12th21st6
 SlovakiaPart of  Czechoslovakia12th••••••••••••26th•2
 SloveniaPart of  Yugoslavia••18th•9th8th14th•••••14th19th17th11th8
 South Korea××××ו10th6th11th11th11th1st5th9th15th3rd8th6th6th11th12th14th13th11th14th22nd20
 Spain××××ו••••15th•••10th5th•10th4th3rd9th12th11th2nd4th13thQ13
 Sweden8thו••••••13th6th11th••8th•••13th9th•9th4th7th5th4th12
 Thailand××××××××××××××××××21st•××××ו1
 Tunisia×××××12th••••••××19th18th•15th14th18th17th21st24th•27th•10
 UkrainePart of  Soviet Union•9th•13th18th4th10th13th17th••••••23rd8
 United States×××××11th•11th16th•12th17th••••••••••••••QQ7
 Uruguay××××ו••••••24th•23rd24th23rd••20th••••••5
 UzbekistanPart of  Soviet Union××21st×ו×ו••••×30th•2
Discontinued teams
 Czechoslovakia1st3rd4th•6th6th4th5th2nd•9thSee  Czech Republic9
 East Germanyו•1st9th1st1st4th4th3rdSee  Germany7
 Serbia and MontenegroPart of  Yugoslavia••••3rd9th•See  Serbia2
 Soviet Union×6thו3rd2nd2nd1st1st1stSee  Russia7
 Yugoslavia3rd4th2nd2nd1st5th5th3rd6th2ndSee  Serbia10
Total99891212121216161620242424242424242424242424323232323232

Since first entering the tournament in 1957, Romania are the only team to have appeared in all 26 tournaments to date.

Most successful players

Boldface denotes active handball players and highest medal count among all players (including these who not included in these tables) per type.

Multiple gold medalists

The table shows players who have won at least 3 gold medals at the World Championships.

Rank Player Country From To Gold Silver Bronze Total
1Camilla Herrem Norway200920233216
2Stine Bredal Oftedal Norway2011202332–5
3Maryna Bazanova Soviet Union198219903––3
Hannelore Burosch East Germany197119783––3
Maria Constantinescu (Scheip) Romania19561962** 3 **––** 3 **
Victorița Dumitrescu Romania19561962** 3 **––** 3 **
Anna Kareyeva Russia200120073––3
Irina Klimovschi (Nagy) Romania19561962** 3 **––** 3 **
Waltraud Kretzschmar East Germany197119783––3
Nadezhda Muravyova Russia200120093––3
Irina Poltoratskaya Russia200120073––3
Lyudmila Postnova Russia200520093––3
Kristina Richter (Hochmuth) East Germany197119783––3
Oksana Romenskaya Russia200120073––3
Ana Stănișel (Starck) Romania19561962** 3 **––** 3 **
Iozefina Ștefănescu (Ugron) Romania19561962** 3 **––** 3 **
Inna Suslina Russia200120093––3
Aurelia Szőke (Sălăgeanu) Romania19561962** 3 **––** 3 **
Emiliya Turey Russia200520093––3
Petra Uhlig (Kahnt) East Germany197119783––3
Hannelore Zober East Germany197119783––3

** including two medals won at the 1956 and 1960 World Outdoor Field Handball Championships

Multiple medalists

The table shows players who have won at least 4 medals in total at the World Championships.

Rank Player Country From To Gold Silver Bronze Total
1Camilla Herrem Norway200920233216
2Katrine Lunde (Haraldsen) Norway200720232316
3Stine Bredal Oftedal Norway2011202332–5
4Kari Aalvik Grimsbø Norway200720172215
Zinaida Turchyna Soviet Union197319862215
6Vilde Ingstad Norway2015202322–4
Nora Mørk Norway2015202322–4
Sanna Solberg-Isaksen Norway2015202322–4
Silje Solberg-Østhassel Norway2015202322–4
10Heidi Løke Norway200920172114
11Cléopatre Darleux France2009202113–4
Allison Pineau France2009202113–4
13Amália Sterbinszky Hungary19711982–134

Top scorers and best players by tournament

The record-holder for scored goals in a single World Championship is Bojana Radulović. She scored 97 goals for Hungary at the 2003 World Championship.

Year Top scorer Goals Best player
1957 Pavla Bartáková 11
1962 Marie Mateju
Ana Stănișel		 14
1965 Anne-Marie Nielsen 11
1971 Hideyo Taramizu 22
1973 Christine Gehlhoff 25
1975 Tetyana Makarets 35
1978 Milena Foltýnová
Kristina Richter		 41
1982 Jasna Merdan 52 Larisa Karlova
1986 Natalya Kirchik 61 Natalya Kirchik
1990 Bożena Karkut
Svetlana Vydrina		 50
1993 Hong Jeong-ho 58
1995 Nataliya Derepasko 61
1997 Indira Kastratović 71 Franziska Heinz
1999 Carmen Amariei
Grit Jurack		 67 Ausra Fridrikas
2001 Ausra Fridrikas 87 Ausra Fridrikas
2003 Bojana Radulović 97 Valérie Nicolas
2005 Nadine Krause
Tanja Logwin		 60 Lyudmila Postnova
2007 Grit Jurack 85 Katja Nyberg
2009 Katrin Engel 67 Lyudmila Postnova
2011 Alexandra do Nascimento 57 Not awarded
2013 Susann Müller 62 Eduarda Amorim
2015 Cristina Neagu 63 Cristina Neagu
2017 Nora Mørk 66 Stine Bredal Oftedal
2019 Lois Abbingh 71 Estavana Polman
2021 Nathalie Hagman 71 Kari Brattset Dale
2023 Markéta Jeřábková 63 Henny Reistad

Largest winning margin
MarginWinning teamScoreOpponentWC
48Hungary 57–9 Australia2005
46Netherlands 61–15 Kazakhstan2021
45Sweden 66–21 Australia2009
41Netherlands 58–17 Uzbekistan2021
41Angola 52–11 Uzbekistan2021
41Austria 52–11 Thailand2009
40Netherlands 55–15 Puerto Rico2021
40Russia 48–8 Australia2009
39Angola 47–8 Australia2005
39France 46–7 Australia2019
38Netherlands 53–15 Australia2011
38South Korea 50–12 Paraguay2007
38Sweden 48–10 Puerto Rico2021
38Yugoslavia 41–3 Tunisia1975
37Norway 48–11 Uruguay2001
37Norway 47–10 Australia2005
37Russia 45–8 Australia2011
37Russia 45–8 Thailand2009
37Denmark 42–5 Argentina1999
36Norway 43–7 Puerto Rico2021

Source: TV2Sporten.no

See also

Notes
  1. Russia's total includes one appearance as Russian Handball Federation in 2021.

References
  1. "Women's World Championships". IHF. Retrieved 5 December 2013.
  2. IHF official site (ihf.info): Page 51: MEDALS TABLE Archived 16 February 2020 at the Wayback Machine


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