Debuts

•  Rwanda

Returns

Last competed in 1990:

•  Cook Islands

Last competed in 2008:

•  Antigua and Barbuda
•  DR Congo

Last competed in 2010:

•  St. Lucia

Last competed in 2011:

•  Cayman Islands

Last competed in 2012:

•  Sierra Leone

Last competed in 2013:

•  Guinea-Bissau

Last competed in 2014:

•  Belarus
•  Canada
•  Egypt
•  Equatorial Guinea
•  Ghana
•  Israel

Designations

• Antigua & Barbuda – Latisha Greene was appointed as Miss Antigua & Barbuda World by Calvin Southwell, president of Antigua Pageants Ltd and national director of Miss World in the island nation.^{[8][non-primary source needed]}
•  British Virgin Islands – Kadia Turnbull was chosen Miss World British Virgin Islands 2016 at a casting call held by Damion Grange, the national director of Miss World British Virgin Islands pageant.
•  Costa Rica - Melania González was appointed Miss Mundo Costa Rica 2016 after a casting call was organized by Allan Aleman, the national director of Reinas de Costa Rica pageant who is also franchise holder for Miss World in Costa Rica.
•  El Salvador - Ana Cortez was appointed to represent El Salvador at Miss World 2016 by Telecorporacion Salvadorena, the license holder for Miss World in El Salvador after the national pageant, Nuestra Belleza El Salvador was not held for the second consecutive year. Cortez works for the company as a TV presenter and DJ radio host.
•  Germany - Selina Kriechbaum was appointed to compete at Miss World 2016 by Detlef Tursies, the national director of Miss Deutschland pageant after the 2016 edition of the pageant was postponed to early November. Kriechbaum represented the state of Hesse at Miss Deutschland 2015 and was the 3rd runner-up at the pageant.
•  Mongolia - Bayartsetseg Altangerel was appointed Miss World Mongolia 2016 after a casting call was organized by Asian Future Group the franchise holder for Miss World in Mongolia.
•  Montenegro - Katarina Keković, Miss Universe Montenegro 2015 was appointed to compete at Miss World 2016 by Vesna De Vinča, the national director of Miss Montenegro pageant who decided to send Tea Babic, Miss Montenegro 2016 to Miss World 2017 pageant so as to allow more preparation time for the new delegate after the national contest was postponed to late October 2016. Keković was the 1st runner-up at Miss Montenegro 2015 pageant and was supposed to compete at Miss Universe 2016 however she has been replaced by Adela Zoranić, Miss Universe Montenegro 2016.
•  Nigeria - Debbie Collins, MBGN Universe 2015 was appointed to compete at Miss World 2016 by Silverbird Group, the license holder for Miss World in Nigeria after MBGN 2016 pageant was cancelled because of economic recession plaguing the country. Collins represent the Ebonyi State at MBGN 2015 and was the 1st runner-up at the pageant.
•  Panama – Alessandra Bueno was chosen Señorita Panamá Mundo 2016 by Edwin Dominguez after being appointed the new franchise holder for Miss World in Panama. Bueno was selected at casting call held in association with Justine Pasek and Cesar Anel Rodríguez, the organizers of Señorita Panamá pageant due to time constraints in organizing the pageant. Previously Medcom Corporation under the direction of Marisela Moreno held the franchise for Miss World in Panama.^[9]
•  Romania – Diana Dinu was appointed Miss World Romania 2016 by Ernest Hadrian Böhm, the national director of Miss World Romania after a casting call was organized by ExclusivEvent agency franchise holders for Miss World in Romania.
•  Singapore - Bhamaa Padmanathan was appointed Miss World Singapore 2016 after a casting call was held by Inès Ligron the new national director of Miss World Singapore pageant. Previously Raymund Ooi held the franchise for Miss World in Singapore.
•  Trinidad and Tobago - Daniella Marie Walcott was appointed Miss World Trinidad and Tobago 2016, by Vanessa Sahatoo-Manoo, the President of Oneness Entertainment and the national director of Miss World Trinidad & Tobago pageant after taking into account the weak corporate economic situation in the country. Walcott is also the younger sister of Gabrielle Walcott who was 2nd runner-up at Miss World 2008 and also the cousin of Magdalene Walcott, who made it to the Top 20 at Miss World 2003. Daniella has been training since she was 12 years old by Miss World 1986, Giselle Laronde to become Miss World.
•  Tunisia – Meriem Hammemi was appointed to represent Tunisia at Miss World 2016 by Aida Antar the national director of Miss Tunisie pageant because of scheduling conflicts after the 2016 edition of the pageant was postponed to early December 2016. Hammemi represented the Governorate of Béja at the Miss Tunisie 2015 and was the 2nd runner-up at the pageant.
•  US Virgin Islands - Kyrelle Thomas was appointed Miss US Paradise World 2016 after a casting call was organised by Cnydee Frontal, the national director of Miss US Paradise pageant.
•  Venezuela - Diana Croce was appointed to compete at Miss World 2016 by Osmel Sousa, the national director of Miss Venezuela pageant after Miss Venezuela Mundo 2016 pageant was not held because of ongoing economic recession in the country. Croce represented the state of Nueva Esparta at Miss Venezuela 2016 and was the 1st Runner-Up at the pageant.^[10]

Replacements

•  Argentina - Camila Macías was crowned the new Belleza Argentina 2016 by Nadia Cerri, the national director of Belleza Argentina pageant, after Elena Roca the original winner was dethroned for committing repeated breaches of obligations stipulated in her contract. Macias represented the province of Córdoba at Belleza Argentina 2016 and was the 1st runner-up at the pageant.^[11]
•  Curaçao – Nashaira Balentien, Miss World Curaçao 2016 will not compete in this edition due personal reason. Sabrina Namias de Castro, replace her, Sabrina previously competed at Reina Hispanoamericana 2016.
•  France - Morgane Edvige was appointed Miss World France 2016 by Sylvie Tellier, the national director of Miss France pageant, as a replacement to Iris Mittenaere, Miss France 2016, who will not be able to compete at Miss World contest because of conflicting schedules, as she crowns her successor just a day before the Miss World 2016 finals. Edvige represented the island of Martinique at Miss France 2016 and was the 1st runner-up at the pageant. Mittenaere would later win Miss Universe 2016 in Manila.
•  Kenya - Evelyn Njambi replaced Roshanara Ebrahim, Miss World Kenya 2016 after she was stripped of her title by Terry Muigai, the national director of Miss World Kenya pageant for the breach of code of conduct stipulated in her contract. Njambi represented Kiambu County at the Miss World Kenya 2016 and was crowned the 1st runner-up at the pageant^[12][13]
•  Lesotho - Lebakile Mokhohlane, the original winner of Miss Lesotho 2016 pageant, declined to participate at Miss World 2016 pageant due to her study commitments, hence Rethabile Tsosane was appointed to replace Mokhohlane. Tsosane was the 4th runner-up at Miss Lesotho 2016 pageant and had also won the Top Model award.^{[14][non-primary source needed]}

Withdrawals

•  Bermuda– Miss Bermuda 2016 pageant was not held due to lack of funding and sponsorship.
•  Cameroon – Julia Nguimfack, Miss Cameroon 2016 withdrew due to visa problems.
•  Ethiopia – Soliyana Assefa, Miss Ethiopia 2016 withdrew at the last minute.
•  Gabon – Miss Gabon 2016 pageant was postponed due to the political turmoil and unrest in the country that followed after the general elections.
•  Macedonia – No delegate was appointed due to lack of funding and sponsorship.
•  Namibia – Lizelle Esterhuizen, Miss Namibia 2016, not compete at Miss World pageant after Conny Maritz, the national director of the Miss Namibia pageant, decided to send Esterhuizen only to Miss Universe 2016 due to lack of funding and sponsorship. Usually the winner of Miss Namibia pageant competes at both Miss World and Miss Universe pageants.
•  Norway – No delegate was appointed due to lack of funding and sponsorship.
•  Samoa – No delegate was appointed due to lack of funding and sponsorship.
•  St. Kitts and Nevis– No delegate was appointed due to lack of funding and sponsorship.
•  Zambia – the Miss Zambia 2016 pageant finals were scheduled just a day before the Miss World finals.
•  Zimbabwe – Miss Zimbabwe Trust chairperson Mary Chiwenga cancelled the 2016 edition of the Miss Zimbabwe pageant due to lack of quality candidates to compete at an international level.^{[citation needed]}

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