The International Olympic Committee (IOC) uses three-letter abbreviation country codes[1] to refer to each group of athletes that participate in the Olympic Games. Each geocode usually identifies a National Olympic Committee (NOC), but there are several codes that have been used for other instances in past Games, such as teams composed of athletes from multiple nations, or groups of athletes not formally representing any nation.
Several of the IOC codes are different from the standard ISO 3166-1 alpha-3 codes. Other sporting organisations like FIFA use similar country codes to refer to their respective teams, but with some differences. Still others, such as the Commonwealth Games Federation or Association of Tennis Professionals, use the IOC list verbatim.
Because French is the first reference language of the IOC, followed by English, followed by the host country's language when necessary, most IOC codes have their origins from French or English.[2][3]
The 1956 Winter Olympics and 1960 Summer Olympics were the first Games to feature Initials of Nations to refer to each NOC in the published official reports.[4] However, the codes used at the next few Games were often based on the host nation's language (e.g., GIA for Japan at the 1956 Winter Olympics and 1960 Summer Olympics, both held in Italy, from Italian Giappone) or based on the French name for the nation (e.g., AUT for Austria, from Autriche). By the 1972 Winter Olympics, most codes were standardized on the current usage, but several have changed in recent years. Additionally, the dissolution of the Soviet Union, division and unification of Germany, breakup of Yugoslavia, dissolution of Czechoslovakia, and several other instances of geographical renaming have all resulted in code changes.
In addition to this list of over 200 NOCs, the participation of National Paralympic Committees (NPCs) at the Paralympic Games requires standardised IOC codes, such as Macau (or as "Macau, China" since 1999) and the Faroe Islands, coded MAC and FRO respectively.[5][6]
There are 206 current NOCs (National Olympic Committees) within the Olympic Movement. The following tables show the currently used code for each NOC and any different codes used in past Games, per the official reports from those Games. Some of the past code usage is further explained in the following sections. Codes used specifically for a Summer Games only or a Winter Games only, within the same year, are indicated by "S" and "W" respectively.
Code | National Olympic Committee | Other codes used | Link |
---|---|---|---|
AFG | ![]() |
[1] | |
ALB | ![]() |
[2] | |
ALG | ![]() |
|
[3] |
AND | ![]() |
[4] | |
ANG | ![]() |
ANO (As referenced in IAAF World Championships Beijing 2015 Statistics Handbook)[7] | [5] |
ANT | ![]() |
[6] | |
ARG | ![]() |
[7] | |
ARM | ![]() |
[8] | |
ARU | ![]() |
[9] | |
ASA | ![]() |
AMS[7] | [10] |
AUS | ![]() |
[11] | |
AUT | ![]() |
current code from French Autriche | [12] |
AZE | ![]() |
[13] | |
BAH | ![]() |
[14] | |
BAN | ![]() |
[15] | |
BAR | ![]() |
BAD (1964) | [16] |
BDI | ![]() |
[17] | |
BEL | ![]() |
[18] | |
BEN | ![]() |
|
[19] |
BER | ![]() |
[20] | |
BHU | ![]() |
[21] | |
BIH | ![]() |
BSH (1992 S), BOS[7] current code from Bosnian Bosna i Hercegovina | [22] |
BIZ | ![]() |
HBR (1968–1972) from French Honduras britannique as British Honduras Also BHO[7] | [23] |
BLR | ![]() |
[24] | |
BOL | ![]() |
[25] | |
BOT | ![]() |
[26] | |
BRA | ![]() |
[27] | |
BRN | ![]() |
BHR[7] | [28] |
BRU | ![]() |
[29] | |
BUL | ![]() |
[30] | |
BUR | ![]() |
VOL (1972–1984) as Upper Volta Also BKF[7] | [31] |
CAF | ![]() |
AFC (1968) | [32] |
CAM | ![]() |
|
[33] |
CAN | ![]() |
[34] | |
CAY | ![]() |
[35] | |
CGO | ![]() |
[36] | |
CHA | ![]() |
CHD (1964) | [37] |
CHI | ![]() |
|
[38] |
CHN | ![]() |
PRC (1952 S) as People's Republic of China | [39] |
CIV | ![]() |
|
[40] |
CMR | ![]() |
[41] | |
COD | ![]() |
|
[42] |
COK | ![]() |
CKI[7] | [43] |
COL | ![]() |
[44] | |
COM | ![]() |
[45] | |
CPV | ![]() |
CVD[7] | [46] |
CRC | ![]() |
COS (1964) | [47] |
CRO | ![]() |
[48] | |
CUB | ![]() |
[49] | |
CYP | ![]() |
[50] | |
CZE | ![]() |
[51] | |
DEN | ![]() |
|
[52] |
DJI | ![]() |
[53] | |
DMA | ![]() |
DMN[7] | [54] |
DOM | ![]() |
[55] | |
ECU | ![]() |
[56] | |
EGY | ![]() |
|
[57] |
ERI | ![]() |
[58] | |
ESA | ![]() |
SAL (1964–1976) | [59] |
ESP | ![]() |
|
[60] |
EST | ![]() |
[61] | |
ETH | ![]() |
|
[62] |
FIJ | ![]() |
FIG (1960) from Italian Figi | [63] |
FIN | ![]() |
[64] | |
FRA | ![]() |
[65] | |
FSM | ![]() |
[66] | |
GAB | ![]() |
[67] | |
GAM | ![]() |
[68] | |
GBR | ![]() |
|
[69] |
GBS | ![]() |
[70] | |
GEO | ![]() |
[71] | |
GEQ | ![]() |
[72] | |
GER | ![]() |
[73] | |
GHA | ![]() |
[74] | |
GRE | ![]() |
[75] | |
GRN | ![]() |
[76] | |
GUA | ![]() |
GUT (1964) | [77] |
GUI | ![]() |
[78] | |
GUM | ![]() |
[79] | |
GUY | ![]() |
|
[80] |
HAI | ![]() |
[81] | |
HKG | ![]() |
HOK (1960–1968) | [82] |
HON | ![]() |
[83] | |
HUN | ![]() |
|
[84] |
INA | ![]() |
INS (1960) | [85] |
IND | ![]() |
[86] | |
IRI | ![]() |
|
[87] |
IRL | ![]() |
current code taken from French Irlande | [88] |
IRQ | ![]() |
|
[89] |
ISL | ![]() |
|
[90] |
ISR | ![]() |
[91] | |
ISV | ![]() |
current code taken from French Îles Vierges (des États-Unis) | [92] |
ITA | ![]() |
[93] | |
IVB | ![]() |
current code taken from French Îles Vierges britanniques | [94] |
JAM | ![]() |
[95] | |
JOR | ![]() |
[96] | |
JPN | ![]() |
|
[97] |
KAZ | ![]() |
[98] | |
KEN | ![]() |
[99] | |
KGZ | ![]() |
[100] | |
KIR | ![]() |
[101] | |
KOR | ![]() |
|
[102] |
KOS | ![]() |
[103] | |
KSA | ![]() |
|
[104] |
KUW | ![]() |
[105] | |
LAO | ![]() |
[106] | |
LAT | ![]() |
[107] | |
LBA | ![]() |
|
[108] |
LBN | ![]() |
|
[109] |
LBR | ![]() |
[110] | |
LCA | ![]() |
[111] | |
LES | ![]() |
[112] | |
LIE | ![]() |
|
[113] |
LTU | ![]() |
LIT (1992 W) | [114] |
LUX | ![]() |
[115] | |
MAD | ![]() |
MAG (1964) | [116] |
MAR | ![]() |
MRC (1964); current code from French Maroc | [117] |
MAS | ![]() |
MAL (1964–1988) | [118] |
MAW | ![]() |
[119] | |
MDA | ![]() |
MLD (1994) | [120] |
MDV | ![]() |
[121] | |
MEX | ![]() |
[122] | |
MGL | ![]() |
MON (1968 W) | [123] |
MHL | ![]() |
[124] | |
MKD | ![]() |
current code taken from Macedonian Македонија/Makedonija | [125] |
MLI | ![]() |
[126] | |
MLT | ![]() |
MAT (1960–1964) | [127] |
MNE | ![]() |
[128] | |
MON | ![]() |
[129] | |
MOZ | ![]() |
[130] | |
MRI | ![]() |
From French Maurice | [131] |
MTN | ![]() |
[132] | |
MYA | ![]() |
[133] | |
NAM | ![]() |
[134] | |
NCA | ![]() |
|
[135] |
NED | ![]() |
current code taken from Dutch Nederland | [136] |
NEP | ![]() |
[137] | |
NGR | ![]() |
|
[138] |
NIG | ![]() |
NGR (1964) | [139] |
NOR | ![]() |
[140] | |
NRU | ![]() |
[141] | |
NZL | ![]() |
|
[142] |
OMA | ![]() |
[143] | |
PAK | ![]() |
[144] | |
PAN | ![]() |
[145] | |
PAR | ![]() |
[146] | |
PER | ![]() |
[147] | |
PHI | ![]() |
|
[148] |
PLE | ![]() |
[149] | |
PLW | ![]() |
[150] | |
PNG | ![]() |
|
[151] |
POL | ![]() |
[152] | |
POR | ![]() |
[153] | |
PRK | ![]() |
|
[154] |
PUR | ![]() |
|
[155] |
QAT | ![]() |
[156] | |
ROU | ![]() |
|
[157] |
RSA | ![]() |
SAF (1960–1972) current code from Republic of South Africa |
[158] |
RUS | ![]() |
From 1994 to 2016 | [159] |
RWA | ![]() |
[160] | |
SAM | ![]() |
WSM (1984–1996) as Western Samoa | [161] |
SEN | ![]() |
SGL (1964) | [162] |
SEY | ![]() |
[163] | |
SGP | ![]() |
SIN (1959–2016) | [164] |
SKN | ![]() |
[165] | |
SLE | ![]() |
SLA (1968) | [166] |
SLO | ![]() |
[167] | |
SMR | ![]() |
SMA (1960–1964) | [168] |
SOL | ![]() |
[169] | |
SOM | ![]() |
[170] | |
SRB | ![]() |
[171] | |
SRI | ![]() |
|
[172] |
SSD | ![]() |
[173] | |
STP | ![]() |
[174] | |
SUD | ![]() |
[175] | |
SUI | ![]() |
|
[176] |
SUR | ![]() |
[177] | |
SVK | ![]() |
[178] | |
SWE | ![]() |
|
[179] |
SWZ | ![]() |
current code from former name Swaziland | [180] |
SYR | ![]() |
SIR (1968) from Spanish Siria | [181] |
TAN | ![]() |
[182] | |
TGA | ![]() |
TON (1984) | [183] |
THA | ![]() |
[184] | |
TJK | ![]() |
[185] | |
TKM | ![]() |
[186] | |
TLS | ![]() |
current code taken from Portuguese Timor-Leste | [187] |
TOG | ![]() |
[188] | |
TPE | ![]() |
|
[189] |
TTO | ![]() |
|
[190] |
TUN | ![]() |
[191] | |
TUR | ![]() |
[192] | |
TUV | ![]() |
[193] | |
UAE | ![]() |
[194] | |
UGA | ![]() |
[195] | |
UKR | ![]() |
[196] | |
URU | ![]() |
URG (1968) | [197] |
USA | ![]() |
|
[198] |
UZB | ![]() |
[199] | |
VAN | ![]() |
[200] | |
VEN | ![]() |
[201] | |
VIE | ![]() |
|
[202] |
VIN | ![]() |
[203] | |
YEM | ![]() |
[204] | |
ZAM | ![]() |
NRH (1964) as Northern Rhodesia | [205] |
ZIM | ![]() |
RHO (1960–1972) as Rhodesia | [206] |
Most National Paralympic Committees (NPC) cover a territory with an active NOC. In these cases the NPC codes matches the IOC codes shown above. The two current NPCs without a corresponding NOC use the following NPC codes.
Code | National Paralympic Committee | Link |
---|---|---|
MAC | ![]() |
Associação Recreativa dos Deficientes de Macau |
FRO | ![]() |
The Faroese Sport Organisation for Disabled |
Fourteen historical NOCs or teams have codes that are still used in the IOC results database[9] to refer to past medal winners from these teams.
Code | Nation/Team | Other codes used |
---|---|---|
AHO | ![]() |
|
ANZ | ![]() |
Also AUA[7] |
BOH | ![]() |
|
BWI | ![]() |
|
EUA | ![]() |
GER (1956–1964) code taken from French Équipe unifiée d'Allemagne |
EUN | ![]() |
code from the French Équipe unifiée or Spanish Equipo Unificado |
FRG | ![]() |
|
GDR | ![]() |
ADE (1968) from Spanish Alemania Democrática code GDR taken from German Democratic Republic |
RU1 | ![]() |
|
SCG | ![]() |
code from Serbian Србија и Црна Гора / Srbija i Crna Gora |
TCH | ![]() |
|
URS | ![]() |
SOV (1968 W) code from French Union des républiques socialistes soviétiques (URSS) |
VNM | ![]() |
Code of Republic of Vietnam from 1955 to 1975.[citation needed][10] |
YUG | ![]() |
|
ZZX | ![]() |
Unlike the previous list, these codes no longer appear in the IOC results database. When a past athlete from one of these teams has won a medal, the new code is shown next to them instead.
Code | Nation (NOC) | Years | Notes | |
---|---|---|---|---|
BIR | ![]() From French Birmanie |
1948–1988 | Now ![]() | |
CEY | ![]() From French Ceylan |
1948–1972 | Now ![]() | |
DAH | ![]() |
1964–1976 | Now ![]() | |
GUI | ![]() |
1948–1964 | Now ![]() The code former GUI has been reassigned to ![]() | |
HBR | ![]() From French Honduras britannique |
1968–1972 | Now ![]() | |
IHO | ![]() code from French Indes orientales hollandaises |
1934–1938 | Now ![]() | |
KHM | ![]() From French République khmère |
1972 | Now ![]() | |
MAL | ![]() From French Malaisie |
1956–1960 | Competed independently before the formation of Malaysia in 1963. Now ![]() | |
NBO | ![]() |
1956 | ||
NRH | ![]() |
1964 | Now ![]() | |
RAU | ![]() code from French République arabe unie |
1960 | Now ![]() ![]() | |
RHO | ![]() also Southern Rhodesia and Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland until it became Zimbabwe in 1980 |
1960–1972 | Now ![]() | |
ROC | ![]() |
1932–1976 | Medal winners from 1948 and earlier display as ![]() ![]() | |
SAA | ![]() |
1952 | Competed independently before rejoining ![]() | |
UAR | ![]() |
1964–1968 | Now ![]() | |
VOL | ![]() |
1972–1984 | Now ![]() | |
WSM | ![]() |
1984–1996 | Now ![]() | |
YAR | ![]() code from Yemen Arab Republic |
1984–1988 | Competed independently before Yemeni unification in 1990. Now ![]() | |
YMD | ![]() code from Yemen Democratic Republic |
1988 | ||
ZAI | ![]() From French Zaïre |
1972–1996 | Now ![]() |
Two other significant code changes have occurred, both because of a change in the nation's designation as used by the IOC:
Code | Nation/team | Years | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
ANZ | ![]() |
1908–1912 | Used in the IOC's medal database[9] to identify the team from Australasia, composed of athletes from both Australia and New Zealand for the 1908 and 1912 Games. Both nations competed separately by 1920. |
COR | ![]() from French Corée |
2018 | Used for the unified Korean women's ice hockey team at the 2018 Winter Olympics.[11] |
EOR | ![]() from French Équipe olympique des réfugiés |
2020 | Used for the IOC Refugee Olympic Team at the 2020 Summer Olympics for athletes to compete who have been displaced from their home countries. The IOC code was changed from ROT which was used in 2016. |
EUA | ![]() from French Équipe unifiée d'Allemagne |
1956–1964 | Used in the IOC's medal database[9] to identify the United Team of Germany, composed of athletes representing the NOCs of both East Germany and West Germany for the 1956–1964 Games. The team was simply known as Germany in the official reports for those six games at the time. |
EUN | ![]() from French Équipe unifiée |
1992 | Used in 1992 (both Summer and Winter Games) for the Unified Team, composed of athletes from most of the ex-republics of the Soviet Union that chose to compete as a unified team. Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania were able to compete again as independent teams in 1992, whereas Russia and eleven other post-Soviet nations competed independently for the first time in 1994 and/or 1996. |
IOP | ![]() |
|
Used for independent Olympic participants at the 1992 Summer Olympics as a designation used for athletes from FR Yugoslavia who could not compete as a team due to United Nations sanctions. At the 1992 Summer Olympics IOP was used as a designation for athletes from the Republic of Macedonia too. IOP was also used during the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi by Indian athletes due to the Indian Olympic Association suspension. |
IOA | ![]() |
|
Used for Individual Olympic Athletes in 2000,[12] a designation used for athletes from Timor-Leste before the formation of its NOC. IOA was used again in the 2012 Games, when it stood for Independent Olympic Athletes,[13] comprising athletes from the former Netherlands Antilles and a runner from South Sudan. The Netherlands Antilles Olympic Committee's membership from the IOC was withdrawn the previous year, and South Sudan had not yet formed an NOC at the time. IOA was used again in 2016 for athletes from Kuwait as a result of the suspension of its National Olympic Committee.[14] |
IOC | ![]() |
2010–2012 | Used as the country code for Athletes from Kuwait, when the Kuwait Olympic Committee was suspended the first time, at the 2010 Summer Youth Olympics, the 2010 Asian Games and the 2011 Asian Winter Games; for the second suspension in 2015–2017, athletes from Kuwait were also competing in several international competitions under the IOC flag, but this time in the team of Individual Olympic Athletes (IOA), including (but not only) in the 2016 Summer Olympics. |
MIX | ![]() |
2010– | Used as the country code for Mixed NOCs at the Youth Olympics.[15][16] |
OAR | ![]() |
2018 | Used for Olympic Athletes from Russia competing as neutral athletes due to the state-sponsored doping scandal.[17] |
ROC | ![]() from the abbreviation for Russian Olympic Committee |
2020– | Used for Russian Olympic Committee athletes at the 2020 Summer Olympics and 2022 Winter Olympics following the sanctions due to the state-sponsored doping scandal.[18][19] |
ROT | ![]() |
2016 | Used for the Refugee Olympic Team at the 2016 Summer Olympics for athletes to compete who have been displaced from their home countries.[20] |
ZZX | ![]() |
1896–1904 | Used in the IOC's medal database[9] to identify medals won by mixed teams of athletes from multiple nations (such as the combination of France and Great Britain, for example), a situation that happened several times in the Games of 1896, 1900, and 1904. |
Code | Nation/Team | Years | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
IPP | ![]() |
1992 | Used for Independent Paralympic Participants at the 1992 Summer Paralympics as a designation used for athletes from FR Yugoslavia and Former Yugoslavian Republic of Macedonia who could not compete as a team due to United Nations sanctions. |
IPA | ![]() |
|
De facto independent East Timor was not yet recognised as a sovereign state, and did not have a recognised National Paralympic Committee. Two athletes from the country gained the opportunity to in the 2000 Summer Paralympics in Sydney, but they competed officially as Individual Paralympic Athletes, rather than as representatives of an NPC. |
IPA | ![]() |
|
A team consisting of refugee and asylee Paralympic athletes competed at the 2016 Summer Paralympics in Rio de Janeiro as Independent Paralympic Athletes. |
NPA | ![]() |
|
Used in 2018 for Russian athletes competing as neutral athletes due to the state-sponsored doping scandal. Was to be used in 2022 for Russian athletes competing as neutral athletes due to the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine,[21] however the Russian athletes were ultimately banned before the start of the 2022 Games. |
PNA | ![]() |
— | Was to be used for Belarusian athletes competing as neutral athletes due to the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine,[21] however the Belarusian athletes were ultimately banned before the start of the 2022 Winter Paralympics and the code was not used. |
RPC | ![]() from the abbreviation for Russian Paralympic Committee |
|
Used for Russian Paralympic Committee athletes at the 2020 Summer Paralympics following the sanctions due to the state-sponsored doping scandal. Was to be used in 2022 as well, however the Russian athletes were ultimately banned due to the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine. |
RPT | ![]() |
2020 |
The World Games are a multi-sport event comprising sports and sporting disciplines that are not contested in the Olympic Games. The World Games are governed by the International World Games Association, under the patronage of the International Olympic Committee.
Code | Nation/Team | Years | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
HNL[22] | ![]() |
2022 | The Haudenosaunee Nationals (also known as the Iroquois), who invented the sport of lacrosse and which has spiritual significance to them, were initially denied a spot to compete at the 2022 World Games, despite the Haudenosaunee national team's placement at the 2018 World Lacrosse Championship, due to not having a recognized NOC and issues concerning other countries recognizing sovereignty; they were given a spot to compete after Ireland agreed to drop out of competition in a show of solidarity.[23][24][25] |