IHF World Women's Handball Championship

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.

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.

IHF World Women's Handball Championship

Current season, competition or edition: 2025 World Women's Handball Championship
Sport	Handball
Founded	1957; 68 years ago (1957)
No. of teams	32 (finals)
Continent	International (IHF)
Most recent champion(s)	France (3rd title)
Most titles	Norway  Russia (4 titles each)

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	Netherlands / Germany										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]

Rank	Nation	Gold	Silver	Bronze	Total
1	Norway	4	5	3	12
2	Russia	4	0	1	5
3	France	3	4	0	7
4	Soviet Union	3	2	1	6
5	East Germany	3	0	1	4
6	Hungary	1	4	4	9
7	Yugoslavia	1	3	2	6
8	Denmark	1	2	4	7
9	Romania	1	2	1	4
10	Czechoslovakia	1	1	1	3
	Netherlands	1	1	1	3
12	Germany	1	0	2	3
13	South Korea	1	0	1	2
14	Brazil	1	0	0	1
15	Spain	0	1	1	2
16	Serbia	0	1	0	1
17	Austria	0	0	1	1
	West Germany	0	0	1	1
	Yugoslavia	0	0	1	1
Totals (19 entries)		26	26	26	78

Participating 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	•	•	•	•	•	19th	×	•	•	×	×	•	•	22nd	•	•	•	×	•	•				3
Angola	Part of  Portugal					×	×	•	•	16th	16th	13th	15th	15th	13th	17th	16th	7th	11th	8th	16th	16th	19th	15th	25th	15th	Q				18
Argentina	×	×	×	×	×	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	24th	•	22nd	20th	20th	19th	23rd	19th	18th	23rd	16th	21st	20th	Q				13
Australia	×	×	×	×	×	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	23rd	•	23rd	24th	24th	24th	24th	24th	•	×	24th	×	•	×				8
Austria	6th	×	×	×	•	•	•	•	12th	5th	8th	8th	11th	3rd	7th	11th	13th	16th	10th	•	•	•	•	•	16th	19th	Q				15
Belarus	Part of  Soviet Union										•	•	16th	14th	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	×	×				2
Brazil	×	×	×	×	×	•	•	•	•	•	•	17th	23rd	16th	12th	20th	7th	14th	15th	5th	1st	10th	18th	17th	6th	9th	Q				16
Bulgaria	×	×	×	•	•	•	•	10th	•	12th	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	×	•	•				2
Cameroon	FRA	×	×	×	×	×	•	×	•	•	×	×	•	•	•	•	22nd	•	•	•	•	•	20th	•	28th	24th	•				4
Canada	×	×	×	×	×	•	10th	•	•	15th	•	17th	20th	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	×	•	•				4
Chile	×	×	×	×	×	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	23rd	•	•	•	•	•	•	27th	•				2
China	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	•	9th	8th	14th	13th	22nd	18th	11th	19th	17th	21st	12th	21st	18th	17th	22nd	23rd	32nd	28th	Q				19
Congo	FRA	×	×	×	×	×	×	12th	••	•	•	•	•	22nd	22nd	•	•	17th	20th	•	•	•	•	•	23rd	26th	•				7
Croatia	Part of  Yugoslavia										•	10th	6th	•	•	14th	11th	9th	•	7th	•	•	•	•	18th	14th	Q				9
Cuba	×	×	×	×	×	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	21st	•	•	•	•	•	22nd	•	23rd	•	21st	×	•	Q				5
Czech Republic	See  Czechoslovakia											13th	13th	19th	•	15th	•	•	•	•	15th	•	8th	•	19th	8th	Q			Q	10
DR Congo	BEL	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	•	×	×	×	×	•	•	•	•	•	20th	24th	•	20th	•	•	•				3
Denmark	5th	2nd	5th	6th	7th	9th	•	•	•	10th	2nd	3rd	1st	6th	4th	13th	4th	•	5th	4th	3rd	6th	6th	9th	3rd	3rd	Q				23
Dominican Republic	×	×	×	×	×	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	22nd	•	•	23rd	•	•	•	×	×	×				2
Egypt	×	×	×	×	×	•	•	•	•	•	×	×	×	×	×	×	•	×	×	•	•	×	×	×	×	•	Q				1
Faroe Islands	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	•	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	•	•	•	•	Q				1
France	×	×	×	×	×	•	•	•	15th	14th	•	•	10th	2nd	5th	1st	12th	5th	2nd	2nd	6th	7th	1st	13th	2nd	1st	Q				17
Germany (including West Germany)	4th	8th	3rd	5th	11th	•	8th	9th	7th	4th	1st	5th	3rd	7th	•	12th	6th	3rd	7th	17th	7th	13th	12th	8th	7th	6th	Q				25
Greenland	×	×	×	×	×	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	24th	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	32nd	×				2
Hungary	2nd	5th	1st	3rd	4th	3rd	3rd	2nd	8th	•	7th	2nd	9th	5th	6th	2nd	3rd	8th	9th	•	8th	11th	15th	14th	10th	10th	Q	Q			26
Iceland	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	12th	•	•	•	•	•	25th	Q				3
Iran	×	×	×	×	×	•	×	×	•	×	•	×	×	×	•	×	×	×	×	•	•	•	•	•	31st	31st	Q				3
Italy	×	×	×	×	×	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	16th	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•				1
Ivory Coast	×	×	×	×	×	×	•	•	•	•	•	17th	14th	20th	•	21st	21st	•	18th	16th	•	×	•	•	×	•	×				7
Japan	×	9th	7th	9th	10th	10th	•	•	14th	•	•	13th	17th	17th	20th	16th	18th	19th	16th	14th	14th	19th	16th	10th	11th	17th	Q				22
Kazakhstan	Part of  Soviet Union										•	×	×	×	•	••	×	18th	22nd	19th	•	22nd	•	22nd	24th	30th	Q				8
Lithuania	Part of  Soviet Union										13th	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	×	×				1
Montenegro	Part of  Yugoslavia										Part of  Serbia and Montenegro							•	•	10th	11th	8th	6th	5th	22nd	7th	Q				8
Netherlands	×	×	•	8th	12th	•	9th	•	10th	•	•	•	•	10th	14th	•	5th	•	•	15th	13th	2nd	3rd	1st	9th	5th	Q				15
North Macedonia	Part of  Yugoslavia										•	•	7th	8th	21st	•	15th	12th	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•				5
Norway	×	×	•	7th	8th	8th	•	7th	3rd	6th	3rd	4th	2nd	1st	2nd	6th	9th	2nd	3rd	1st	5th	1st	2nd	4th	1st	2nd	Q				23
Paraguay	×	×	×	×	×	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	23rd	•	•	21st	•	21st	•	29th	29th	Q				6
Poland	7th	7th	8th	•	5th	7th	6th	•	13th	9th	10th	•	8th	11th	•	•	19th	11th	•	•	4th	4th	17th	•	15th	16th	Q			Q	20
Puerto Rico	×	×	×	×	×	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	20th	•	•	20th	×	•				2
Romania	9th	1st	6th	4th	2nd	4th	7th	8th	5th	7th	4th	7th	12th	4th	17th	10th	2nd	4th	8th	13th	10th	3rd	10th	12th	13th	12th	Q				27
Russia	See  Soviet Union										5th	6th	4th	12th	1st	7th	1st	1st	1st	6th	•	5th	5th	3rd	8th	×	×				14[A]
Senegal	FRA	×	×	×	×	•	×	×	•	×	•	×	×	×	•	×	×	×	×	•	•	•	•	18th	•	18th	Q				3
Serbia	Part of  Yugoslavia										See  Serbia and Montenegro							•	•	•	2nd	15th	9th	6th	12th	21st	Q				7
Slovakia	Part of  Czechoslovakia											12th	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	26th	•	•				2
Slovenia	Part of  Yugoslavia										•	•	18th	•	9th	8th	14th	•	•	•	•	•	14th	19th	17th	11th	•				8
South Korea	×	×	×	×	×	•	10th	6th	11th	11th	11th	1st	5th	9th	15th	3rd	8th	6th	6th	11th	12th	14th	13th	11th	14th	22nd	Q				21
Spain	×	×	×	×	×	•	•	•	•	•	15th	•	•	•	10th	5th	•	10th	4th	3rd	9th	12th	11th	2nd	4th	13th	Q		Q		14
Sweden	8th	×	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	13th	6th	11th	•	•	8th	•	•	•	13th	9th	•	9th	4th	7th	5th	4th	Q				13
Switzerland	×	×	×	×	×	×	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	×	×	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	Q				1
Thailand	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	21st	•	×	×	×	×	×	•	×				1
Tunisia	×	×	×	×	×	12th	•	•	•	•	•	•	×	×	19th	18th	•	15th	14th	18th	17th	21st	24th	•	27th	•	Q				11
Ukraine	Part of  Soviet Union										•	9th	•	13th	18th	4th	10th	13th	17th	•	•	•	•	•	•	23rd	•				8
United States	×	×	×	×	×	11th	•	11th	16th	•	12th	17th	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•					5
Uruguay	×	×	×	×	×	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	24th	•	23rd	24th	23rd	•	•	20th	•	•	•	•	•	•	Q				6
Uzbekistan	Part of  Soviet Union										×	×	21st	×	×	•	×	×	•	•	•	•	•	×	30th	•	×				2
Discontinued teams
Czechoslovakia	1st	3rd	4th	•	6th	6th	4th	5th	2nd	•	9th	See  Czech Republic																			9
East Germany	×	•	•	1st	9th	1st	1st	4th	4th	3rd	See  Germany																				7
Serbia and Montenegro	Part of  Yugoslavia										•	•	•	•	3rd	9th	•	See  Serbia													2
Soviet Union	×	6th	×	•	3rd	2nd	2nd	1st	1st	1st	See  Russia																				7
Yugoslavia	3rd	4th	2nd	2nd	1st	5th	5th	3rd	6th	2nd	See  Serbia																				10
Total	9	9	8	9	12	12	12	12	16	16	16	20	24	24	24	24	24	24	24	24	24	24	24	24	32	32	32	32	32	32

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

Best result of participants (as of 2019).

Best result for discontinued states

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
1	Camilla Herrem	Norway	2009	2023	3	2	1	6
2	Stine Bredal Oftedal	Norway	2011	2023	3	2	–	5
3	Maryna Bazanova	Soviet Union	1982	1990	3	–	–	3
	Hannelore Burosch	East Germany	1971	1978	3	–	–	3
	Maria Constantinescu (Scheip)	Romania	1956	1962	** 3 **	–	–	** 3 **
	Victorița Dumitrescu	Romania	1956	1962	** 3 **	–	–	** 3 **
	Anna Kareyeva	Russia	2001	2007	3	–	–	3
	Irina Klimovschi (Nagy)	Romania	1956	1962	** 3 **	–	–	** 3 **
	Waltraud Kretzschmar	East Germany	1971	1978	3	–	–	3
	Nadezhda Muravyova	Russia	2001	2009	3	–	–	3
	Irina Poltoratskaya	Russia	2001	2007	3	–	–	3
	Lyudmila Postnova	Russia	2005	2009	3	–	–	3
	Kristina Richter (Hochmuth)	East Germany	1971	1978	3	–	–	3
	Oksana Romenskaya	Russia	2001	2007	3	–	–	3
	Ana Stănișel (Starck)	Romania	1956	1962	** 3 **	–	–	** 3 **
	Iozefina Ștefănescu (Ugron)	Romania	1956	1962	** 3 **	–	–	** 3 **
	Inna Suslina	Russia	2001	2009	3	–	–	3
	Aurelia Szőke (Sălăgeanu)	Romania	1956	1962	** 3 **	–	–	** 3 **
	Emiliya Turey	Russia	2005	2009	3	–	–	3
	Petra Uhlig (Kahnt)	East Germany	1971	1978	3	–	–	3
	Hannelore Zober	East Germany	1971	1978	3	–	–	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
1	Camilla Herrem	Norway	2009	2023	3	2	1	6
2	Katrine Lunde (Haraldsen)	Norway	2007	2023	2	3	1	6
3	Stine Bredal Oftedal	Norway	2011	2023	3	2	–	5
4	Kari Aalvik Grimsbø	Norway	2007	2017	2	2	1	5
	Zinaida Turchyna	Soviet Union	1973	1986	2	2	1	5
6	Vilde Ingstad	Norway	2015	2023	2	2	–	4
	Nora Mørk	Norway	2015	2023	2	2	–	4
	Sanna Solberg-Isaksen	Norway	2015	2023	2	2	–	4
	Silje Solberg-Østhassel	Norway	2015	2023	2	2	–	4
10	Heidi Løke	Norway	2009	2017	2	1	1	4
11	Cléopatre Darleux	France	2009	2021	1	3	–	4
	Allison Pineau	France	2009	2021	1	3	–	4
13	Amália Sterbinszky	Hungary	1971	1982	–	1	3	4

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

Margin	Winning team	Score	Opponent	WC
48	Hungary	57–9	Australia	2005
46	Netherlands	61–15	Kazakhstan	2021
45	Sweden	66–21	Australia	2009
41	Netherlands	58–17	Uzbekistan	2021
41	Angola	52–11	Uzbekistan	2021
41	Austria	52–11	Thailand	2009
40	Netherlands	55–15	Puerto Rico	2021
40	Russia	48–8	Australia	2009
39	Angola	47–8	Australia	2005
39	France	46–7	Australia	2019
38	Netherlands	53–15	Australia	2011
38	South Korea	50–12	Paraguay	2007
38	Sweden	48–10	Puerto Rico	2021
38	Yugoslavia	41–3	Tunisia	1975
37	Norway	48–11	Uruguay	2001
37	Norway	47–10	Australia	2005
37	Russia	45–8	Australia	2011
37	Russia	45–8	Thailand	2009
37	Denmark	42–5	Argentina	1999
36	Norway	43–7	Puerto Rico	2021

Source: TV2Sporten.no

See also

• World Men's Handball Championship

Notes

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