Major achievements in handball by nation

This article contains lists of achievements in major senior-level international indoor handball, beach handball and field handball tournaments according to first-place, second-place and third-place results obtained by teams representing different nations. The objective is not to create combined medal tables; the focus is on listing the best positions achieved by teams in major international tournaments, ranking the nations according to the most podiums accomplished by teams of these nations.

For the making of these lists, results from following major international tournaments were consulted:

• IHF: International Handball Federation
• IAHF: International Amateur Handball Federation
• IOC: International Olympic Committee
• IWGA: International World Games Association

Medals for the demonstration events are NOT counted. Medals earned by athletes from defunct National Olympic Committees (NOCs) or historical teams are NOT merged with the results achieved by their immediate successor states. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) do NOT combine medals of these nations or teams.^[1]

The tables are pre-sorted by total number of first-place results, second-place results and third-place results, then most first-place results, second-place results, respectively. When equal ranks are given, nations are listed in alphabetical order.

Last updated after the 2023 World Men's Handball Championship (As of 29 January 2023[update])
		Indoor handball				Beach handball				Field handball			Number of
		Olympic Games		World Championships		World Games		World Championships		Olympic Games	World Championships
Rk.	Nation	Men	Women	Men	Women	Men	Women	Men	Women	Men	Men	Women				Total
1	Hungary												2	6	1	9
2	Germany												6	1	1	8
3	Spain												2	2	4	8
4	Russia												6	0	1	7
5	Denmark												4	3	0	7
6	Croatia												5	1	0	6
7	Brazil												5	0	0	5
8	East Germany*												3	2	0	5
8	Norway												3	2	0	5
8	Romania												3	2	0	5
11	West Germany*												2	2	1	5
12	Czechoslovakia*												2	1	2	5
13	Austria												0	3	2	5
14	France												4	0	0	4
14	Soviet Union*												4	0	0	4
14	Yugoslavia*												4	0	0	4
17	South Korea												2	1	0	3
17	Sweden												2	1	0	3
		Indoor handball				Beach handball				Field handball			Number of
		Olympic Games		World Championships		World Games		World Championships		Olympic Games	World Championships
Rk.	Nation	Men	Women	Men	Women	Men	Women	Men	Women	Men	Men	Women				Total
19	Ukraine												1	1	1	3
20	Qatar												0	2	1	3
20	Turkey												0	2	1	3
22	Italy												1	0	1	2
22	Netherlands												1	0	1	2
22	Unified Team*												1	0	1	2
25	Argentina												0	2	0	2
26	Poland												0	1	1	2
26	Serbia												0	1	1	2
26	Switzerland												0	1	1	2
29	Serbia and Montenegro*												0	0	2	2
30	Belarus												1	0	0	1
30	Egypt												1	0	0	1
30	Greece												1	0	0	1
33	Iceland												0	1	0	1
33	Montenegro												0	1	0	1
33	ROC*												0	1	0	1
36	China												0	0	1	1
36	Portugal												0	0	1	1
36	Slovenia												0	0	1	1

^*Defunct National Olympic Committees (NOCs) or historical teams are shown in italic.

Last updated after the 2019 World Men's Handball Championship (As of 16 December 2019[update])
		Indoor handball		Beach handball		Field handball		Number of
		Olympic Games	World Championships	World Games	World Championships	Olympic Games	World Championships
Rk.	Nation	Men	Men	Men	Men	Men	Men				Total
1	Croatia							3	1	0	4
1	Germany							3	1	0	4
3	Russia							3	0	1	4
4	Spain							1	1	2	4
5	Hungary							0	3	1	4
6	Denmark							2	1	0	3
6	East Germany*							2	1	0	3
6	Sweden							2	1	0	3
6	West Germany*							2	1	0	3
10	Romania							1	2	0	3
11	Czechoslovakia*							1	1	1	3
12	Austria							0	2	1	3
13	Qatar							0	1	2	3
14	Brazil							2	0	0	2
14	France							2	0	0	2
14	Soviet Union*							2	0	0	2
14	Yugoslavia*							2	0	0	2
		Indoor handball		Beach handball		Field handball		Number of
		Olympic Games	World Championships	World Games	World Championships	Olympic Games	World Championships
Rk.	Nation	Men	Men	Men	Men	Men	Men				Total
18	Poland							0	1	1	2
18	Switzerland							0	1	1	2
20	Belarus							1	0	0	1
20	Egypt							1	0	0	1
20	Unified Team*							1	0	0	1
23	Iceland							0	1	0	1
23	Norway							0	1	0	1
23	South Korea							0	1	0	1
23	Turkey							0	1	0	1
23	Ukraine							0	1	0	1
28	Serbia							0	0	1	1
28	Serbia and Montenegro*							0	0	1	1
28	Slovenia							0	0	1	1

^*Defunct National Olympic Committees (NOCs) or historical teams are shown in italic.

Last updated after the 2019 World Women's Handball Championship (As of 16 December 2019[update])
		Indoor handball		Beach handball		Field handball	Number of
		Olympic Games	World Championships	World Games	World Championships	World Championships
Rk.	Nation	Women	Women	Women	Women	Women				Total
1	Hungary						2	3	0	5
2	Norway						3	0	1	4
3	Germany						1	2	1	4
4	Spain						1	1	2	4
5	Brazil						3	0	0	3
6	Russia						3	0	0	3
7	Denmark						2	1	0	3
8	Romania						2	0	0	2
8	South Korea						2	0	0	2
8	Soviet Union*						2	0	0	2
8	Yugoslavia*						2	0	0	2
		Indoor handball		Beach handball		Field handball	Number of
		Olympic Games	World Championships	World Games	World Championships	World Championships
Rk.	Nation	Women	Women	Women	Women	Women				Total
12	Croatia						1	1	0	2
12	East Germany*						1	1	0	2
12	France						1	1	0	2
15	Czechoslovakia*						1	0	1	2
15	Italy						1	0	1	2
15	Ukraine						1	0	1	2
18	Austria						0	1	1	2
18	Turkey						0	1	1	2
18	West Germany*						0	1	1	2
21	Greece						1	0	0	1
21	Netherlands						1	0	0	1
23	Argentina						0	1	0	1
23	Montenegro						0	1	0	1
23	Serbia						0	1	0	1
26	China						0	0	1	1
26	Serbia and Montenegro*						0	0	1	1
26	Unified Team*						0	0	1	1

^*Defunct National Olympic Committees (NOCs) or historical teams are shown in italic.

Last updated after the 2019 World Women's Handball Championship (As of 16 December 2019[update])
		Indoor handball				Number of
		Olympic Games		World Championships
Rk.	Nation	Men	Women	Men	Women				Total
1	Denmark					4	0	0	4
1	Russia					4	0	0	4
1	Soviet Union*					4	0	0	4
1	Yugoslavia*					4	0	0	4
5	France					3	1	0	4
6	East Germany*					2	2	0	4
7	Spain					1	1	2	4
8	Czechoslovakia*					2	1	0	3
8	Germany					2	1	0	3
8	Norway					2	1	0	3
8	Romania					2	1	0	3
8	South Korea					2	1	0	3
13	Hungary					1	2	0	3
14	West Germany*					1	1	1	3
		Indoor handball				Number of
		Olympic Games		World Championships
Rk.	Nation	Men	Women	Men	Women				Total
15	Croatia					2	0	0	2
16	Sweden					1	1	0	2
17	Unified Team*					1	0	1	2
18	Austria					0	1	1	2
18	Poland					0	1	1	2
20	Serbia and Montenegro*					0	0	2	2
21	Brazil					1	0	0	1
21	Netherlands					1	0	0	1
23	Iceland					0	1	0	1
23	Montenegro					0	1	0	1
23	Qatar					0	1	0	1
23	Serbia					0	1	0	1
27	China					0	0	1	1
27	Slovenia					0	0	1	1
27	Ukraine					0	0	1	1

^*Defunct National Olympic Committees (NOCs) or historical teams are shown in italic.

Last updated after the 2019 World Men's Handball Championship (As of 16 December 2019[update])
		Indoor handball		Number of
		Olympic Games	World Championships
Rk.	Nation	Men	Men				Total
1	Croatia			2	0	0	2
1	Denmark			2	0	0	2
1	France			2	0	0	2
1	Russia			2	0	0	2
1	Soviet Union*			2	0	0	2
1	Yugoslavia*			2	0	0	2
7	Czechoslovakia*			1	1	0	2
7	East Germany*			1	1	0	2
7	Germany			1	1	0	2
7	Romania			1	1	0	2
7	Sweden			1	1	0	2
7	West Germany*			1	1	0	2
13	Spain			1	0	1	2
14	Poland			0	1	1	2
15	Unified Team*			1	0	0	1
16	Austria			0	1	0	1
16	Hungary			0	1	0	1
16	Iceland			0	1	0	1
16	Norway			0	1	0	1
16	Qatar			0	1	0	1
16	South Korea			0	1	0	1
22	Serbia and Montenegro*			0	0	1	1
22	Slovenia			0	0	1	1

^*Defunct National Olympic Committees (NOCs) or historical teams are shown in italic.

Last updated after the 2019 World Women's Handball Championship (As of 16 December 2019[update])
		Indoor handball		Number of
		Olympic Games	World Championships
Rk.	Nation	Women	Women				Total
1	Denmark			2	0	0	2
1	Norway			2	0	0	2
1	Russia			2	0	0	2
1	South Korea			2	0	0	2
1	Soviet Union*			2	0	0	2
1	Yugoslavia*			2	0	0	2
7	East Germany*			1	1	0	2
7	France			1	1	0	2
7	Hungary			1	1	0	2
10	Spain			0	1	1	2
11	Brazil			1	0	0	1
11	Czechoslovakia*			1	0	0	1
11	Germany			1	0	0	1
11	Netherlands			1	0	0	1
11	Romania			1	0	0	1
16	Montenegro			0	1	0	1
16	Serbia			0	1	0	1
18	Austria			0	0	1	1
18	China			0	0	1	1
18	Serbia and Montenegro*			0	0	1	1
18	Ukraine			0	0	1	1
18	Unified Team*			0	0	1	1
18	West Germany*			0	0	1	1

^*Defunct National Olympic Committees (NOCs) or historical teams are shown in italic.

Last updated after the 2018 Men's Beach Handball World Championships (As of 16 December 2019[update])
		Beach handball				Number of
		World Games		World Championships
Rk.	Nation	Men	Women	Men	Women				Total
1	Brazil					4	0	0	4
2	Croatia					2	2	0	4
3	Spain					1	1	2	4
4	Hungary					0	4	0	4
5	Russia					2	0	1	3
6	Turkey					0	2	1	3
7	Ukraine					1	1	0	2
8	Italy					1	0	1	2
8	Norway					1	0	1	2
10	Germany					0	2	0	2
11	Qatar					0	0	2	2
12	Belarus					1	0	0	1
12	Egypt					1	0	0	1
12	Greece					1	0	0	1
15	Argentina					0	1	0	1
15	Denmark					0	1	0	1
17	Serbia					0	0	1	1

^*Defunct National Olympic Committees (NOCs) or historical teams are shown in italic.

Last updated after the 2018 Men's Beach Handball World Championships (As of 16 December 2019[update])
		Beach handball		Number of
		World Games	World Championships
Rk.	Nation	Men	Men				Total
1	Brazil			2	0	0	2
2	Croatia			1	1	0	2
3	Russia			1	0	1	2
4	Hungary			0	2	0	2
5	Spain			0	1	1	2
6	Qatar			0	0	2	2
7	Belarus			1	0	0	1
7	Egypt			1	0	0	1
9	Turkey			0	1	0	1
9	Ukraine			0	1	0	1
11	Serbia			0	0	1	1

^*Defunct National Olympic Committees (NOCs) or historical teams are shown in italic.

Last updated after the 2018 Women's Beach Handball World Championships (As of 16 December 2019[update])
		Beach handball		Number of
		World Games	World Championships
Rk.	Nation	Women	Women				Total
1	Brazil			2	0	0	2
2	Croatia			1	1	0	2
3	Italy			1	0	1	2
3	Norway			1	0	1	2
3	Spain			1	0	1	2
6	Germany			0	2	0	2
6	Hungary			0	2	0	2
8	Turkey			0	1	1	2
9	Greece			1	0	0	1
9	Russia			1	0	0	1
9	Ukraine			1	0	0	1
12	Argentina			0	1	0	1
12	Denmark			0	1	0	1

^*Defunct National Olympic Committees (NOCs) or historical teams are shown in italic.

Last updated after the 1966 IHF World Men's Outdoor Handball Championship (As of 16 December 2019[update])
		Field handball			Number of
		Olympic Games	World Championships
Rk.	Nation	Men	Men	Women				Total
1	Germany				2	0	1	3
2	Austria				0	2	1	3
3	Romania				1	1	0	2
3	West Germany*				1	1	0	2
5	Hungary				1	0	1	2
6	Switzerland				0	1	1	2
7	Czechoslovakia*				0	0	2	2
8	East Germany*				1	0	0	1
8	Sweden				1	0	0	1
10	Denmark				0	1	0	1

^*Defunct National Olympic Committees (NOCs) or historical teams are shown in italic.

• List of major achievements in sports by nation

Official results

• Indoor handball
  • Olympic tournament: History of the Olympic Games, Competitions Archive
  • Men's World Championship: Competitions Archive - Indoor
  • Women's World Championship: Competitions Archive - Indoor
• Beach handball
  • Tournament at the World Games: World Games
  • Men's World Championship: Competitions Archive
  • Women's World Championship: Competitions Archive
• Field handball
  • Olympic tournament: History of the Olympic Games, Competitions Archive
  • Men's World Cup: Competitions Archive - Outdoor
  • Women's World Cup: Competitions Archive - Outdoor

• International Handball Federation (IHF) – official website