National team appearances in the World Men's Handball Championship

Year	Debutants	Total
1938	Austria,  Denmark,  Germany,  Sweden	4
1954	Czechoslovakia,  France,   Switzerland	3
1958	Brazil,  Finland,  Hungary,  Iceland,  Luxembourg,  Norway,  Poland,  Romania,  Spain,  Yugoslavia	10
1961	Japan,  Netherlands	2
1964	Egypt,  East Germany,  Soviet Union,  United States	4
1967	Canada,  Tunisia	2
1970	No debut nations	0
1974	Algeria,  Bulgaria	2
1978	No debut nations	0
1982	Cuba,  Kuwait	2
1986	South Korea	1
1990	No debut nations	0
1993	Russia*	0(+1)
1995	Belarus,  Croatia,  Czech Republic*,  Morocco,  Slovenia	4(+1)
1997	Argentina,  China,  Italy,  Lithuania,  Saudi Arabia,  FR Yugoslavia*	5(+1)
1999	Australia,  Macedonia,  Nigeria,  Portugal	4
2001	Greenland,  Ukraine	2
2003	Qatar	1
2005	Angola,  Greece	2
2007	No debut nations	0
2009	Serbia*,  Slovakia*	0(+2)
2011	Bahrain,  Chile	2
2013	Montenegro	1
2015	Bosnia and Herzegovina,  Iran	2
2017	No debut nations	0
2019	Korea**	0(+1)
2021	Cape Verde,  DR Congo,  Uruguay	3
2023	Belgium	1
2025	Guinea	1

* Successor Teams

** Composed of players from both South Korea and North Korea. The team split into two again after the tournament.

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 to 24th – Twelfth to twenty-fourth place
• Q — Qualified for upcoming tournament
•  ••  — Qualified but withdrew
•  •  — Did not qualify
•  ×  — Did not enter / Withdrew from the World Championship / Banned
•    — Hosts

Team	1938	1954	1958	1961	1964	1967	1970	1974	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	Part of  France				×	×	×	15th	•	16th	16th	16th	•	16th	17th	15th	13th	18th	17th	•	19th	15th	17th	24th	•	•	22nd	31st	30th	Q			18
Angola	Part of  Portugal								•	•	•	•	×	×	×	•	×	•	20th	21st	•	•	•	•	24th	23rd	30th	•	•	Q			6
Argentina	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	22nd	21st	15th	17th	18th	16th	18th	12th	18th	12th	18th	17th	11th	19th	20th	Q			16
Australia	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	24th	•	21st	24th	24th	24th	24th	24th	•	×	•	•	•	×	•			7
Austria	2nd	×	11th	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	14th	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	18th	•	13th	•	19th	26th	•	17th				8
Bahrain	Part of  Great Britain							×	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	23rd	•	••	23rd	20th	21st	16th	29th	Q			7
Belarus	Part of  Soviet Union												•	9th	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	15th	18th	11th	•	17th	×	×	×			5
Belgium	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	21st	•	•			1
Bosnia and Herzegovina	Part of  Yugoslavia												•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	20th	•	•	•	•	•				1
Brazil	×	×	15th	×	×	×	×	•	•	•	•	•	•	24th	24th	16th	19th	22nd	19th	19th	21st	21st	13th	16th	16th	9th	18th	17th	7th	Q			18
Bulgaria	×	×	×	×	×	×	•	11th	14th	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	×	×			2
Canada	×	×	×	×	•	16th	•	×	15th	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	23rd	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	×	•				3
Cape Verde	Part of  Portugal								×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	32nd	23rd	23rd	Q			4
Chile	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	22nd	23rd	23rd	21st	16th	27th	26th	24th	Q			9
China	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	•	•	•	•	•	•	20th	20th	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	×	•	•			2
Croatia	Part of  Yugoslavia												•	2nd	13th	10th	9th	1st	2nd	5th	2nd	5th	3rd	6th	4th	6th	15th	9th	2nd	Q			17
Cuba	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	•	13th	15th	14th	•	13th	14th	8th	•	×	×	×	20th	•	×	×	×	×	×	•	32nd				8
Czech Republic	See  Czechoslovakia													8th	11th	•	18th	•	10th	12th	•	•	•	17th	•	•	••	•	19th				7
Denmark	4th	5th	4th	5th	7th	2nd	4th	8th	4th	4th	7th	•	9th	19th	•	9th	•	9th	13th	3rd	4th	2nd	2nd	5th	10th	1st	1st	1st	1st	Q		Q	27
DR Congo	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	•	×	×	×	•	×	×	×	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	28th	•	•	×			1
Egypt	×	×	×	×	14th	×	×	×	•	•	•	•	12th	6th	6th	7th	4th	15th	14th	17th	14th	14th	16th	14th	13th	8th	7th	7th	5th	Q			19
Finland	×	•	14th	•	•	•	•	×	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•			1
France	×	6th	9th	8th	13th	10th	12th	•	16th	•	•	9th	2nd	1st	3rd	6th	1st	3rd	3rd	4th	1st	1st	6th	1st	1st	3rd	4th	2nd	3rd		Q		26
Germany (including West Germany)	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	4th	6th	5th	9th	1st	7th	7th	•	6th	4th	•	5th	8th	2nd	9th	1st	5th	11th	5th	7th	9th	4th	12th	5th	6th	Q	Q		29
Greece	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	6th	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•				1
Greenland	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	20th	24th	•	22nd	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•				3
Guinea	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	•	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	•	•	31st	•			1
Hungary	×	•	7th	•	8th	8th	8th	7th	9th	9th	2nd	6th	11th	17th	4th	11th	•	6th	•	9th	6th	7th	8th	•	7th	10th	5th	8th	8th				23
Iceland	×	×	10th	6th	9th	•	11th	14th	13th	•	6th	10th	8th	14th	5th	•	11th	7th	15th	8th	•	6th	12th	11th	14th	11th	20th	12th	9th	Q		Q	25
Iran	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	21st	•	•	•	24th	•	•			2
Italy	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	18th	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	16th				2
Japan	×	×	×	12th	16th	11th	10th	12th	12th	14th	•	15th	•	23rd	15th	•	•	•	16th	•	•	16th	•	•	22nd	24th	19th	×	28th	Q			17
Kuwait	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	•	15th	•	•	•	20th	•	19th	23rd	20th	22nd	19th	22nd	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	27th	Q			10
Lithuania	Part of  Soviet Union												•	•	10th	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•			1
Luxembourg	×	×	16th	•	•	×	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•			1
Montenegro	Part of  Yugoslavia												Part of  Serbia and Montenegro							•	•	•	22nd	•	•	•	•	18th	•				2
Morocco	/		×	×	×	×	•	×	•	×	×	•	•	22nd	23rd	17th	22nd	23rd	•	20th	•	•	•	•	•	•	29th	30th	•	•			8
Netherlands	×	×	×	11th	×	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	14th	12th				3
Nigeria	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	•	•	•	×	×	×	•	23rd	×	•	×	•	•	•	×	•	•	•	•	•	•	•			1
North Macedonia	Part of  Yugoslavia												•	•	•	18th	•	•	•	•	11th	•	14th	9th	15th	15th	23rd	27th	15th				9
Norway	×	•	6th	7th	11th	13th	13th	•	•	•	•	•	13th	•	12th	13th	14th	•	7th	13th	9th	9th	•	•	2nd	2nd	6th	6th	10th			Q	19
Poland	×	×	5th	•	•	12th	14th	4th	6th	3rd	14th	11th	•	•	•	•	•	10th	•	2nd	3rd	8th	9th	3rd	17th	•	13th	15th	25th				18
Portugal	×	×	×	•	×	×	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	19th	•	16th	12th	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	10th	13th	4th	Q			7
Qatar	Part of  Great Britain							×	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	16th	21st	23rd	•	•	20th	2nd	8th	13th	8th	22nd	21st	Q			11
Romania	×	×	13th	1st	1st	3rd	1st	1st	7th	5th	9th	3rd	10th	10th	•	•	•	•	•	•	15th	19th	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•			14
Russia	See  Soviet Union												1st	5th	1st	2nd	6th	5th	8th	6th	16th	•	7th	19th	12th	14th	14th	×	×	×			14[a]
Saudi Arabia	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	•	•	•	•	•	•	21st	22nd	21st	19th	•	•	23rd	•	19th	22nd	20th	21st	•	29th	•	•			10
Serbia	Part of  Yugoslavia												Part of  Serbia and Montenegro							•	8th	10th	10th	•	•	18th	•	11th	•				5
Slovakia	See  Czechoslovakia													•	•	•	•	•	•	•	10th	17th	•	•	•	•	•	•	•				2
Slovenia	Part of  Yugoslavia												•	18th	•	•	17th	11th	12th	10th	•	•	4th	8th	3rd	•	9th	10th	13th				11
South Korea	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	•	•	12th	12th	15th	12th	8th	14th	12th	•	•	15th	12th	13th	21st	•	•	S.	31st	28th	•	•			13
Spain	×	•	12th	•	•	•	•	13th	10th	8th	5th	5th	5th	11th	7th	4th	5th	4th	1st	7th	13th	3rd	1st	4th	5th	7th	3rd	3rd	18th				23
Sweden	3rd	1st	1st	3rd	2nd	5th	6th	10th	8th	11th	4th	1st	3rd	3rd	2nd	1st	2nd	13th	11th	•	7th	4th	•	10th	6th	5th	2nd	4th	14th	Q			28
Switzerland	×	4th	×	10th	12th	14th	15th	•	•	12th	11th	13th	4th	7th	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	16th	•	11th				12
Tunisia	France		×	×	×	15th	×	•	•	•	•	•	•	15th	16th	12th	10th	14th	4th	11th	17th	20th	11th	15th	19th	12th	25th	25th	22nd	Q			18
Ukraine	Part of  Soviet Union												•	•	•	•	7th	•	•	14th	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•			2
United States	×	×	×	×	15th	•	16th	16th	•	•	•	•	16th	21st	•	•	24th	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	••	20th	26th				8
Uruguay	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	24th	32nd	•	Q			3
Discontinued teams
Czechoslovakia	×	3rd	2nd	2nd	3rd	1st	7th	6th	11th	10th	13th	7th	7th	See  Czech Republic																			12
East Germany		×			10th	9th	2nd	2nd	3rd	6th	3rd	8th	See  Germany																				8
Korea	See  North Korea and  South Korea																									22nd	North Korea /  South Korea						1
Serbia and Montenegro	Part of  Yugoslavia												•	•	9th	3rd	3rd	8th	5th	See  Serbia and  Montenegro													5
Soviet Union	×	×	×	•	5th	4th	9th	5th	2nd	1st	10th	2nd	See  Russia																				8
Yugoslavia	×	×	8th	9th	6th	7th	3rd	3rd	5th	2nd	1st	4th																					10
Total	4	6	16	12	16	16	16	16	16	16	16	16	16	24	24	24	24	24	24	24	24	24	24	24	24	24	32	32	32	32	32	32