As of 2016, which country is the most successful at the Summer Olympics by medals won per capita of population?

Finland is the most successful currently competing country at the Summer Olympic Games based on their population size and the number of Olympic medals won (irrespective of whether the total golds or total medals metric is used). Finland has won 101 gold medals in 25 appearances at the Summer Olympics, with a current population of 5,407,040 million people. Denmark, with a similar population and from the same region, has won only 45 gold medals. Many of Finland's medals were gained in early last century, with only a few medals won in recent Summer Olympiads.

Countries coming into the top 10 are Grenada, which won its first gold medal in 2012, when runner Kirani James won the Men's 400 meters (and a silver to add to that in 2016), coming from a population of just over 100,000, and The Bahamas, with 6 gold medals from sailing and athletics with a current population of less than 400,000 people.

The top three ranked teams based on gold medals per million of population are – 1st, Finland with 101 gold medals and a population of 5,407,040; 2nd, Hungary with 175 gold medals and a population of 9,962,000 and The Bahamas with 6 gold medals and a population of 353,658.

Top ranked teams based on total medals per million population are – 1st, Finland with 303 medals, 2nd, Sweden with 494 medals and a population of 9,490,683 people and 3rd, Hungary with 491medals and a population of 9,962,000 people.

More Info: www.medalspercapita.com

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11 Comments

Player Dennis

This question is out of date and needs to be updated.

Leapy Lee

Pat Wells, I guess you have never heard of the Flying Finns in athletics then? A long time ago the Finns dominated middle and long distance running with one man, Paavo Nurmi winning 9 gold medals and 3 silver medals over three different Olympic Games.

Leapy Lee

David Coe, it is correct that The Bahamas have won more gold medals up to 2021 per capita, as they won 2 in Tokyo and would now head Finland on per capita, but up to 2016 they would have been behind them.

Leapy Lee

seane, I would argue exactly the opposite. It makes for a much fairer comparison and stops countries with huge populations and great wealth dominating.

Richard D. Boyle

Per capita was the key.

Howard Groopman

Figured to be the one with the lowest population. Norway has 5.5 million people, and has won the most Winter Olympics medals, and did it again in 2022.

seane

Per capita is for false narratives imo.

David Coe

other sources claim: The Bahamas take first place when it comes to countries that won the most gold medals per population, winning one gold from its population of nearly 400,000, according to the website Medals Per Capita. Jamaica came in next, winning six gold medals, or one per every 454,323 people.