Olympic Games Debut - When did each country first attend the Olympic Games
Below is a list of the current Olympic Games participating teams (based on the currently recognized by the International Olympic Committee, with the year that they first participated.
First Summer Olympics Participation Year
| Country | Debut Year | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Afghanistan | 1936 | |
| Albania | 1972 | |
| Algeria | 1964 | The winner of the 1928 Olympic marathon was Ahmed Boughèra El Ouafi, an Algerian athlete who represented France (as during that time Algeria was part of France). |
| American Samoa | 1988 | |
| Andorra | 1976 | |
| Angola | 1980 | |
| Antigua and Barbuda | 1976 | |
| Argentina | 1900 | |
| Armenia | 1996 | Athletes from the region of Armenia have competed previously at the Olympic Games as part of the Soviet Union from 1952 to 1988 |
| Aruba | 1988 | Between 1952 until 1984, Aruban athletes competed as part of the Netherlands Antilles |
| Australia | 1896 | |
| Austria | 1896 | |
| Azerbaijan | 1996 | From 1952 to 1988 Azerbaijan athletes were part of the Soviet Union delegation and the Unified Team in 1992. |
| Bahamas | 1952 | |
| Bahrain | 1984 | |
| Bangladesh | 1984 | |
| Barbados | 1968 | Barbados was part of the British West Indies delegation in 1960, joining athletes from Jamaica, and Trinidad and Tobago. |
| Belarus | 1996 | From 1952 l to 1988 as part of the Soviet Union. In 1992, Belarusian athletes again went as part of the European Unified Team consisting of twelve former Soviet Union republics. |
| Belgium | 1900 | |
| Belize | 1968 | |
| Benin | 1972 | |
| Bermuda | 1936 | |
| Bhutan | 1984 | |
| Bolivia | 1936 | |
| Bosnia and Herzegovina | 1992 | Bosnian athletes have been participating in the Olympics since 1920, participatingunder the Yugoslavian flag |
| Botswana | 1980 | |
| Brazil | 1920 | |
| British Virgin Islands | 1984 | |
| Brunei | 1988 | |
| Bulgaria | 1896 | Bulgaria was represented at the 1896 Games, though as their one athlete was Swiss but living in Bulgaria, some sources credit his appearance to Switzerland instead. An offical Bulgairan team was first sent in 1924. |
| Burkina Faso | 1972 | |
| Burundi | 1996 | |
| Cambodia | 1956 | |
| Cameroon | 1964 | |
| Canada | 1900 | |
| Cape Verde | 1996 | |
| Cayman Islands | 1976 | |
| Central African Republic | 1968 | |
| Chad | 1964 | |
| Chile | 1896 | |
| China | 1924 | In 1924 a team from the Republic of China was sent to the Olympics but did not compete. One athlete competed in 1932. |
| Chinese Taipei | 1956 | Taiwan was represented at the Olympics between 1924 to 1948 by the team from the Republic of China. |
| Colombia | 1932 | |
| Comoros | 1996 | |
| Cook Islands | 1988 | |
| Costa Rica | 1936 | |
| Croatia | 1992 | Prior to 1992, Croatian athletes had been participating in the Summer Olympics since 1920 as part of the team from Yugoslavia. |
| Cuba | 1900 | |
| Cyprus | 1980 | |
| Czech Republic | 1996 | From 1900 to 1912, they were part of the Bohemian delegation, and after Bohemia became part of Czechoslovakia, they competed under its flag until 1992. |
| Democratic Republic of the Congo | 1968 | |
| Denmark | 1896 | |
| Djibouti | 1984 | |
| Dominica | 1996 | |
| Dominican Republic | 1964 | |
| Ecuador | 1924 | |
| Egypt | 1912 | |
| El Salvador | 1968 | |
| Equatorial Guinea | 1984 | |
| Eritrea | 2000 | |
| Estonia | 1920 | |
| Eswatini | 1972 | |
| Ethiopia | 1956 | |
| Fiji | 1956 | |
| Finland | 1908 | |
| France | 1896 | |
| Gabon | 1972 | |
| Gambia | 1984 | |
| Georgia | 1996 | |
| Germany | 1896 | |
| Ghana | 1952 | |
| Greece | 1896 | |
| Grenada | 1984 | |
| Guam | 1988 | |
| Guatemala | 1952 | |
| Guinea | 1968 | |
| Guinea-Bissau | 1996 | |
| Guyana | 1948 | |
| Haiti | 1900 | |
| Honduras | 1968 | |
| Hong Kong | 1952 | |
| Hungary | 1896 | |
| Iceland | 1912 | |
| India | 1900 | |
| Indonesia | 1952 | |
| Iran | 1900 | |
| Iraq | 1948 | |
| Ireland | 1924 | |
| Israel | 1952 | |
| Italy | 1896 | |
| Ivory Coast | 1964 | |
| Jamaica | 1948 | |
| Japan | 1912 | |
| Jordan | 1980 | |
| Kazakhstan | 1996 | |
| Kenya | 1956 | |
| Kiribati | 2004 | |
| Kosovo | 2016 | |
| Kuwait | 1968 | |
| Kyrgyzstan | 1996 | |
| Laos | 1980 | |
| Latvia | 1924 | |
| Lebanon | 1948 | |
| Lesotho | 1972 | |
| Liberia | 1956 | |
| Libya | 1964 | |
| Liechtenstein | 1936 | |
| Lithuania | 1924 | |
| Luxembourg | 1900 | |
| Madagascar | 1964 | |
| Malawi | 1972 | |
| Malaysia | 1964 | |
| Maldives | 1988 | |
| Mali | 1964 | |
| Malta | 1928 | |
| Marshall Islands | 2008 | |
| Mauritania | 1984 | |
| Mauritius | 1984 | |
| Mexico | 1900 | |
| Micronesia | 2000 | |
| Moldova | 1994 | |
| Monaco | 1920 | |
| Mongolia | 1964 | |
| Montenegro | 2008 | |
| Morocco | 1960 | |
| Mozambique | 1980 | |
| Myanmar | 1948 | |
| Namibia | 1992 | |
| Nauru | 1996 | |
| Nepal | 1964 | |
| Netherlands | 1900 | |
| New Zealand | 1908 | |
| Nicaragua | 1968 | |
| Niger | 1964 | |
| Nigeria | 1952 | |
| North Korea | 1964 | |
| North Macedonia | ||
| Norway | 1900 | |
| Oman | 1984 | |
| Pakistan | 1948 | |
| Palau | 2000 | |
| Palestine | 1996 | |
| Panama | 1928 | |
| Papua New Guinea | 1976 | |
| Paraguay | 1968 | |
| Peru | 1936 | |
| Philippines | 1924 | |
| Poland | 1924 | |
| Portugal | 1912 | |
| Puerto Rico | 1948 | |
| Qatar | 1984 | |
| Republic of the Congo | 1964 | |
| Romania | 1924 | |
| Russia | 1900 | |
| Rwanda | 1984 | |
| Saint Kitts and Nevis | 1996 | |
| Saint Lucia | 1996 | |
| Saint Vincent and the Grenadines | 1988 | |
| Samoa | 1984 | |
| San Marino | 1960 | |
| São Tomé and Príncipe | 1996 | |
| Saudi Arabia | 1972 | |
| Senegal | 1964 | |
| Serbia | 1912 | |
| Seychelles | 1980 | |
| Sierra Leone | 1960 | |
| Singapore | 1948 | |
| Slovakia | 1996 | |
| Slovenia | 1992 | |
| Solomon Islands | 1984 | |
| Somalia | 1972 | |
| South Africa | 1904 | |
| South Korea | 1948 | |
| South Sudan | 2016 | |
| Spain | 1900 | |
| Sri Lanka | 1948 | |
| Sudan | 1960 | |
| Suriname | 1968 | |
| Sweden | 1896 | |
| Switzerland | 1896 | |
| Syria | 1948 | |
| Taiwan | 1956 | |
| Tajikistan | 1996 | |
| Tanzania | 1964 | |
| Thailand | 1952 | |
| Timor-Leste | ||
| Togo | 1972 | |
| Tonga | 1984 | |
| Trinidad and Tobago | 1948 | |
| Tunisia | 1960 | |
| Turkey | 1908 | |
| Turkmenistan | 1996 | |
| Tuvalu | 2008 | |
| Uganda | 1956 | |
| Ukraine | 1996 | |
| United Arab Emirates | 1984 | |
| United Kingdom | 1896 | |
| United States | 1896 | |
| Uruguay | 1924 | |
| Uzbekistan | 1996 | |
| Vanuatu | 1988 | |
| Venezuela | 1948 | |
| Vietnam | 1952 | |
| Virgin Islands | 1968 | |
| Yemen | 1992 | |
| Zambia | 1968 | |
| Zimbabwe | 1928 |
Non-Countries
- Athletes from North Macedonia, Montenegro and Serbia competed as Independent Olympic Participants in 1992, and athletes from East Timor competed as Individual Olympic Athletes at the 2000 Summer Olympics.
Related Pages
- Country Codes for past and present participating countries.
- Number of countries participating at the Olympics for each Olympiad.
- First Olympic Gold Medal Winners from Each Country
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