| Host city | Sofia, Bulgaria |
|---|---|
| Dates | 8–15 November 1986 |
The 1986 Men's World Weightlifting Championships were held in Sofia, Bulgaria from November 8 to November 15, 1986. There were 193 men in action from 41 nations.
Ranking by Big (Total result) medals
| Rank | Nation | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Bulgaria | 7 | 2 | 0 | 9 |
| 2 |  Soviet Union | 2 | 4 | 2 | 8 |
| 3 |  Romania | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
| 4 |  Poland | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| 5 |  China | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
 West Germany | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | |
| 7 |  Hungary | 0 | 0 | 4 | 4 |
| 8 |  East Germany | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Totals (8 entries) | 10 | 10 | 10 | 30 | |
Ranking by all medals: Big (Total result) and Small (Snatch and Clean & Jerk)
| Rank | Nation | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bulgaria | 18 | 8 | 1 | 27 |
| 2 | Soviet Union | 6 | 13 | 4 | 23 |
| 3 | Romania | 3 | 2 | 3 | 8 |
| 4 | China | 1 | 2 | 4 | 7 |
| 5 | Poland | 1 | 1 | 6 | 8 |
| 6 | West Germany | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| 7 | Hungary | 0 | 1 | 9 | 10 |
| 8 | East Germany | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| 9 |  Cuba | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 10 |  North Korea | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| Totals (10 entries) | 30 | 30 | 31 | 91 | |