Number of Participating Countries at the Olympics
Thirteen nations were represented at the very first modern Olympic Games in Athens, in 1896 (though some records report 14 countries). Over time this number has increased to over 200 in recent Games, though the chart below shows clearly that the boycotts in 1976 and 1980 resulted in the numbers being well down in those years.
Number of participating countries at the Olympic GamesTable of Host Cities and Number of participating NOCs
* the number for each Olympiad represents the number of teams representing the National Olympic Committees (NOCs), though in recent years the number also includes the independent athletes and refugee teams.
| Olympiad | Year | Host City, Country | no. of nations * |
|---|---|---|---|
| XXXII | 2021 | Tokyo, Japan | 206 (includes the refugee team and the Russian independent athletes) |
| XXXI | 2016 | Rio, Brazil | 207 |
| XXX | 2012 | London, England | 204 |
| XXIX | 2008 | Beijing, China | 204 |
| XXVIII | 2004 | Athens, Greece | 201 |
| XXVII | 2000 | Sydney, Australia | 199 |
| XXVI | 1996 | Atlanta, USA | 197 |
| XXV | 1992 | Barcelona, Spain | 169 |
| XXIV | 1988 | Seoul, South Korea | 159 |
| XXIII | 1984 | Los Angeles, USA | 140 |
| XXII | 1980 | Moscow, USSR | 80 |
| XXI | 1976 | Montreal, Canada | 92 |
| XX | 1972 | Munich, Germany | 121 |
| XIX | 1968 | Mexico City, Mexico | 112 |
| XVIII | 1964 | Tokyo, Japan | 93 |
| XVII | 1960 | Rome, Italy | 83 |
| XVI | 1956 | Melbourne, Australia | 72 |
| XV | 1952 | Helsinki, Finland | 69 |
| XIV | 1948 | London, Great Britain | 59 |
| XI | 1936 | Berlin, Germany | 49 |
| X | 1932 | Los Angeles, USA | 37 |
| IX | 1928 | Amsterdam, Holland | 46 |
| VIII | 1924 | Paris, France | 44 |
| VII | 1920 | Antwerp, Belgium | 29 |
| V | 1912 | Stockholm, Sweden | 28 |
| IV | 1908 | London, Great Britain | 22 |
| III | 1904 | St Louis, USA | 12 |
| II | 1900 | Paris, France | 28 |
| I | 1896 | Athens, Greece | 13 or 14 |
Related Pages
- List of Countries which have participted at the Olympic Games.
- Countries and the year they first competed at the Summer Olympic Games
- Winter Olympics: The Number of Participating Countries & Athletes
- Country Codes for the participating countries
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