List of IOC country codes
Encyclopedia
International Olympic Committee
The International Olympic Committee is an international corporation based in Lausanne, Switzerland, created by Pierre de Coubertin on 23 June 1894 with Demetrios Vikelas as its first president...
(IOC) uses three-letter abbreviation country codes to refer to each group of athletes that participate in the Olympic Games
Olympic Games
The Olympic Games is a major international event featuring summer and winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Olympic Games have come to be regarded as the world’s foremost sports competition where more than 200 nations participate...
. Each code usually identifies a National Olympic Committee
National Olympic Committee
National Olympic Committees are the national constituents of the worldwide Olympic movement. Subject to the controls of the International Olympic Committee, they are responsible for organizing their people's participation in the Olympic Games...
, 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
ISO 3166-1 alpha-3
ISO 3166-1 alpha-3 codes are three-letter country codes defined in ISO 3166-1, part of the ISO 3166 standard published by the International Organization for Standardization , to represent countries, dependent territories, and special areas of geographical interest...
codes. Other sporting organisations, such as FIFA
FIFA
The Fédération Internationale de Football Association , commonly known by the acronym FIFA , is the international governing body of :association football, futsal and beach football. Its headquarters are located in Zurich, Switzerland, and its president is Sepp Blatter, who is in his fourth...
, FIBA or the Commonwealth Games Federation
Commonwealth Games
The Commonwealth Games is an international, multi-sport event involving athletes from the Commonwealth of Nations. The event was first held in 1930 and takes place every four years....
, use similar country codes to refer to their respective teams.
History
The 1956 Winter Olympics1956 Winter Olympics
The 1956 Winter Olympics, officially known as the VII Olympic Winter Games, was a winter multi-sport event celebrated in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy. This celebration of the Games was held from 26 January to 5 February 1956. Cortina, which had originally been awarded the 1944 Winter Olympics, beat out...
and 1960 Summer Olympics
1960 Summer Olympics
The 1960 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XVII Olympiad, was an international multi-sport event held from August 25 to September 11, 1960 in Rome, Italy...
were the first Games to feature Initials of Nations to refer to each NOC in the published official reports. However, the codes used at the next few Games were often based on the host nation's language (e.g., GIA for Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
at the 1956 Winter Olympics
1956 Winter Olympics
The 1956 Winter Olympics, officially known as the VII Olympic Winter Games, was a winter multi-sport event celebrated in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy. This celebration of the Games was held from 26 January to 5 February 1956. Cortina, which had originally been awarded the 1944 Winter Olympics, beat out...
and 1960 Summer Olympics
1960 Summer Olympics
The 1960 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XVII Olympiad, was an international multi-sport event held from August 25 to September 11, 1960 in Rome, Italy...
, both held in Italy, from Italian Giappone) or based on the French name for the nation (e.g., COR for Korea
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
, from Corée). By the 1972 Winter Olympics
1972 Winter Olympics
The 1972 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XI Olympic Winter Games, were a winter multi-sport event which was celebrated from February 3 to February 13, 1972 in Sapporo, Hokkaidō, Japan...
, most codes were standardized on the current usage, but several have changed in recent years. Additionally, the dissolution of the Soviet Union
Dissolution of the Soviet Union
The dissolution of the Soviet Union was the disintegration of the federal political structures and central government of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , resulting in the independence of all fifteen republics of the Soviet Union between March 11, 1990 and December 25, 1991...
, breakup of Yugoslavia, dissolution of Czechoslovakia
Dissolution of Czechoslovakia
The dissolution of Czechoslovakia, which took effect on 1 January 1993, was an event that saw the self-determined separation of the federal state of Czechoslovakia. The Czech Republic and Slovakia, entities which had arisen in 1969 within the framework of Czechoslovak federalisation, became...
, German reunification
German reunification
German reunification was the process in 1990 in which the German Democratic Republic joined the Federal Republic of Germany , and when Berlin reunited into a single city, as provided by its then Grundgesetz constitution Article 23. The start of this process is commonly referred by Germans as die...
, and several instances of geographical renaming
Geographical renaming
Geographical renaming is the changing of the name of a geographical feature or area. This can range from the uncontroversial change of a street name to a highly disputed change to the name of a country. Some names are changed locally but the new names are not recognised by other countries,...
have all resulted in code changes.
In addition to this list of over 200 NOCs, the participation of National Paralympic Committee
National Paralympic Committee
National Paralympic Committees are the national constituents of the worldwide Paralympic movement. Subject to the controls of the International Paralympic Committee , they are responsible for organizing their people's participation in the Paralympic Games.The Paralympic Games are a major...
s (NPCs) at the Paralympic Games
Paralympic Games
The Paralympic Games are a major international multi-sport event where athletes with a physical disability compete; this includes athletes with mobility disabilities, amputations, blindness, and Cerebral Palsy. There are Winter and Summer Paralympic Games, which are held immediately following their...
requires standardised IOC codes. Recent examples of these include Macau
Macau
Macau , also spelled Macao , is, along with Hong Kong, one of the two special administrative regions of the People's Republic of China...
and the Faroe Islands
Faroe Islands
The Faroe Islands are an island group situated between the Norwegian Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, approximately halfway between Scotland and Iceland. The Faroe Islands are a self-governing territory within the Kingdom of Denmark, along with Denmark proper and Greenland...
, coded MAC and FRO respectively.
Current NOCs
There are 204 current NOCs (National Olympic CommitteeNational Olympic Committee
National Olympic Committees are the national constituents of the worldwide Olympic movement. Subject to the controls of the International Olympic Committee, they are responsible for organizing their people's participation in the Olympic Games...
s) 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.
| Contents: | A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V Y Z |
|---|
A
B
C
D
| Code | Ref | Nation (NOC) | Other codes used |
|---|---|---|---|
| DEN | http://www.olympic.org/en/content/National-Olympic-Committees/denmark/ |  Denmark |
DAN (1960 S, 1968 W), DIN (1968 S) |
| DJI | http://www.olympic.org/en/content/National-Olympic-Committees/djibouti/ |  Djibouti |
|
| DMA | http://www.olympic.org/en/content/National-Olympic-Committees/dominica/ |  Dominica |
|
| DOM | http://www.olympic.org/en/content/National-Olympic-Committees/dominican-republic/ |  Dominican Republic |
E
| Code | Ref | Nation (NOC) | Other codes used |
|---|---|---|---|
| ECU | http://www.olympic.org/en/content/National-Olympic-Committees/ecuador/ |  Ecuador |
|
| EGY | http://www.olympic.org/en/content/National-Olympic-Committees/egypt/ |  Egypt |
RAU (1960, 1968), UAR (1964) |
| ERI | http://www.olympic.org/en/content/National-Olympic-Committees/eritrea/ |  Eritrea |
|
| ESA | http://www.olympic.org/en/content/National-Olympic-Committees/el-salvador/ |  El Salvador |
SAL (1964–1976) |
| ESP | http://www.olympic.org/en/content/National-Olympic-Committees/spain/ |  Spain |
SPA (1956–1964, 1968 W) |
| EST | http://www.olympic.org/en/content/National-Olympic-Committees/estonia/ |  Estonia |
|
| ETH | http://www.olympic.org/en/content/National-Olympic-Committees/ethiopia/ |  Ethiopia |
ETI (1960, 1968) |
F
G
H
| Code | Ref | Nation (NOC) | Other codes used |
|---|---|---|---|
| HAI | http://www.olympic.org/en/content/National-Olympic-Committees/haiti/ |  Haiti |
|
| HKG | http://www.olympic.org/en/content/National-Olympic-Committees/hong-kong/ |  Hong Kong |
HOK (1960–1968) |
| HON | http://www.olympic.org/en/content/National-Olympic-Committees/honduras/ |  Honduras |
|
| HUN | http://www.olympic.org/en/content/National-Olympic-Committees/hungary/ |  Hungary |
UNG (1956 W, 1960 S) |
I
J
| Code | Ref | Nation (NOC) | Other codes used |
|---|---|---|---|
| JAM | http://www.olympic.org/en/content/National-Olympic-Committees/jamaica/ |  Jamaica |
|
| JOR | http://www.olympic.org/en/content/National-Olympic-Committees/jordan/ |  Jordan |
|
| JPN | http://www.olympic.org/en/content/National-Olympic-Committees/japan/ |  Japan |
GIA (1956 W, 1960 S), JAP (1960 W) |
K
| Code | Ref | Nation (NOC) | Other codes used |
|---|---|---|---|
| KAZ | http://www.olympic.org/en/content/National-Olympic-Committees/kazakhstan/ |  Kazakhstan |
|
| KEN | http://www.olympic.org/en/content/National-Olympic-Committees/kenya/ |  Kenya |
|
| KGZ | http://www.olympic.org/en/content/National-Olympic-Committees/kyrgyzstan/ |  Kyrgyzstan |
|
| KIR | http://www.olympic.org/en/content/National-Olympic-Committees/kiribati/ |  Kiribati |
|
| KOR | http://www.olympic.org/en/content/National-Olympic-Committees/korea/ |  South Korea |
COR (1956 W, 1960 S, 1968 S, 1972 S) |
| KSA | http://www.olympic.org/en/content/National-Olympic-Committees/saudi-arabia/ |  Saudi Arabia |
ARS (1968–1976), SAU (1980–1984) |
| KUW | http://www.olympic.org/en/content/National-Olympic-Committees/kuwait/ |  Kuwait |
L
M
N
| Code | Ref | Nation (NOC) | Other codes used |
|---|---|---|---|
| NAM | http://www.olympic.org/en/content/National-Olympic-Committees/namibia/ |  Namibia |
|
| NCA | http://www.olympic.org/en/content/National-Olympic-Committees/nicaragua/ |  Nicaragua |
NCG (1964), NIC (1968) |
| NED | http://www.olympic.org/en/content/National-Olympic-Committees/netherlands/ |  Netherlands |
OLA (1956 W), NET (1960 W), PBA (1960 S), NLD (1964 S), HOL (1968–1988) |
| NEP | http://www.olympic.org/en/content/National-Olympic-Committees/nepal/ |  Nepal |
|
| NGR | http://www.olympic.org/en/content/National-Olympic-Committees/nigeria/ |  Nigeria |
NGA (1964) |
| NIG | http://www.olympic.org/en/content/National-Olympic-Committees/niger/ |  Niger |
NGR (1964) |
| NOR | http://www.olympic.org/en/content/National-Olympic-Committees/norway/ |  Norway |
|
| NRU | http://www.olympic.org/en/content/National-Olympic-Committees/nauru/ |  Nauru |
|
| NZL | http://www.olympic.org/en/content/National-Olympic-Committees/new-zealand/ |  New Zealand |
NZE (1960, 1968 W) |
O
| Code | Ref | Nation (NOC) | Other codes used |
|---|---|---|---|
| OMA | http://www.olympic.org/en/content/National-Olympic-Committees/oman/ |  Oman |
P
Q
| Code | Ref | Nation (NOC) | Other codes used |
|---|---|---|---|
| QAT | http://www.olympic.org/en/content/National-Olympic-Committees/qatar/ |  Qatar |
R
| Code | Ref | Nation (NOC) | Other codes used |
|---|---|---|---|
| ROU | http://www.olympic.org/en/content/National-Olympic-Committees/romania/ |  Romania |
ROM (1956–1960, 1972–2006), RUM (1964–1968) |
| RSA | http://www.olympic.org/en/content/National-Olympic-Committees/south-africa/ |  South Africa |
SAF (1960–1972) |
| RUS | http://www.olympic.org/en/content/National-Olympic-Committees/russian-federation/ |  Russia |
|
| RWA | http://www.olympic.org/en/content/National-Olympic-Committees/rwanda/ |  Rwanda |
S
T
U
V
Y
| Code | Ref | Nation (NOC) | Other codes used |
|---|---|---|---|
| YEM | http://www.olympic.org/en/content/National-Olympic-Committees/yemen/ |  Yemen |
Z
| Code | Ref | Nation (NOC) | Other codes used |
|---|---|---|---|
| ZAM | http://www.olympic.org/en/content/National-Olympic-Committees/zambia/ |  Zambia |
NRH (1964) |
| ZIM | http://www.olympic.org/en/content/National-Olympic-Committees/zimbabwe/ |  Zimbabwe |
RHO (1960–1972) |
Codes still in use
Twelve historical NOCs or teams have codes that are still used in the IOC results database to refer to past medal winners from these teams.| Code | Nation/Team | Other codes used |
|---|---|---|
| AHO |  Netherlands Antilles |
|
| ANZ | ||
| BOH |  Bohemia |
|
| BWI | ANT (1960, 1968), WID (1964) | |
| EUA |  Unified Team of Germany |
GER (1956–1964) |
| EUN |  Unified TeamUnified Team The Unified Team was the name used for the sports team of the former Soviet Union at the 1992 Winter Olympics in Albertville and the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona. The IOC country code was EUN, after the French name, Équipe Unifiée... |
|
| FRG |  West Germany |
ALL (1968 W), ALE (1968 S), GER (1972–1976) |
| GDR |  German Democratic Republic |
ADE (1968) |
| SCG |  Serbia and Montenegro |
YUG (1996 S-2002 W) |
| TCH |  Czechoslovakia |
CSL (1956 W), CZE (1960 W), CSV (1960 S), CZS (1964 S), CHE (1968 S) |
| URS |  Soviet Union |
SOV (1968 W) |
| YUG |  Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia |
JUG (1956–1960, 1968 W), YUS (1964 S) |
| ZZX | Mixed teams |
Obsolete codes
| Code | Nation (NOC) | Years | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BIR | 1948–1988 | Now  MYA |
||
| CEY | 1948–1972 | Now  Sri Lanka |
||
| DAH |  Republic of Dahomey |
1964–1976 | Now  Benin |
|
| HBR |  British Honduras |
1968–1972 | Now  Belize |
|
| KHM |  Khmer RepublicKhmer Republic The Khmer Republic or République Khmère, was the republican government of Cambodia that was formally declared on October 9, 1970. The Khmer Republic was disestablished in 1975 and was followed by the totalitarian communist state known as Democratic Kampuchea.-Background:Formally declared on October... |
1972–1976 | Now  Cambodia |
|
| MAL |  Federation of Malaya |
1956–1960 | Competed independently prior to the formation of Malaysia in 1963. Now  Malaysia |
|
| — |  North Borneo |
1956 | ||
| NRH |  Northern Rhodesia |
1964 | Now Zambia |
|
| RAU |  United Arab Republic |
1960 | Now Egypt and  Syria |
|
| RHO |  Rhodesia |
1960–1972 | Now Zimbabwe |
|
| ROC |  Republic of China |
1932–1976 | Now competing under the name ' Chinese Taipei' |
|
| UAR | United Arab Republic |
1964 | Now Egypt |
|
| VOL |  Republic of Upper Volta |
1972–1984 | Now  Burkina Faso |
|
| YAR |  Yemen Arab Republic |
1984–1988 | Competed independently prior to Yemenite unification in 1990. Now Yemen |
|
| YMD |  South Yemen |
1988 | ||
| ZAI |  Zaire |
1972–1996 | Now  Democratic Republic of the Congo |
|
| — |  British Guiana |
1948–1964 | Now  Guyana |
|
| — |  Gold Coast (British colony) |
1952 | Now  Ghana |
|
| — |  Saar (protectorate) |
1952 | Competed independently prior to rejoining West Germany West Germany West Germany is the common English, but not official, name for the Federal Republic of Germany or FRG in the period between its creation in May 1949 to German reunification on 3 October 1990.... in 1957. |
|
Two other significant code changes have occurred, both because of a change in the nation's designation as used by the IOC:
- HOL was changed to NED for the NetherlandsNetherlandsThe Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
for the 1992 Games, reflecting the change in designation from Holland. - IRN was changed to IRI for IranIranIran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
for the 1992 Games, reflecting the change in designation to Islamic Republic of Iran.
Special codes
- ANZ is now used in the IOC's medal database to identify the team from AustralasiaAustralasia at the OlympicsAustralasia was the name of a combined team of athletes from Australia and New Zealand that competed together at the 1908 and 1912 Summer Olympics. When the Olympic Games resumed in 1920 after World War I, the two nations sent separate teams to the Games....
, composed of athletes from both AustraliaAustraliaAustralia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
and New ZealandNew ZealandNew Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
for the 1908 and 1912 Games. By 1920, both nations competed separately. - EUA is now used in the IOC's medal database to identify the Unified Team of Germany, composed of athletes representing the NOCs of both East Germany and West GermanyWest GermanyWest Germany is the common English, but not official, name for the Federal Republic of Germany or FRG in the period between its creation in May 1949 to German reunification on 3 October 1990....
for the 1956–1964 Games. At the time, the team was simply known as Germany in the official reports for those six Games. - EUN was used in 1992 (both Summer and Winter Games) for the Unified TeamUnified TeamThe Unified Team was the name used for the sports team of the former Soviet Union at the 1992 Winter Olympics in Albertville and the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona. The IOC country code was EUN, after the French name, Équipe Unifiée...
, composed of athletes from most of the ex-republics of the Soviet UnionRepublics of the Soviet UnionThe Republics of the Soviet Union or the Union Republics of the Soviet Union were ethnically-based administrative units that were subordinated directly to the Government of the Soviet Union...
. Only the Baltic statesBaltic statesThe term Baltic states refers to the Baltic territories which gained independence from the Russian Empire in the wake of World War I: primarily the contiguous trio of Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania ; Finland also fell within the scope of the term after initially gaining independence in the 1920s.The...
were able to compete as independent teams in 1992; the other twelve new nations competed independently for the first time in 1994 and/or 1996. - IOP was used for Independent Olympic ParticipantsIndependent Olympic Participants at the 1992 Summer OlympicsDuring the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona, Spain, athletes from the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia and the Republic of Macedonia competed as Independent Olympic Participants. Macedonian athletes could not appear under their own flag because their NOC had not been formed...
in 1992, a designation used for athletes from Yugoslavia who could not compete as a team due to United NationsUnited NationsThe United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
sanctions. - IOA was used for Individual Olympic AthletesIndividual Olympic Athletes at the 2000 Summer OlympicsFour athletes from East Timor competed as Individual Olympic Athletes at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, Australia.-Results by event:- Weightlifting:Men-References:...
in 2000, a designation used for athletes from Timor-Leste prior to the formation of its NOC. - IOC was used as the country code for Athletes from KuwaitAthletes from Kuwait at the 2010 Asian GamesAthletes from Kuwait participated in the 16th Asian Games in Guangzhou, Guangdong, China from 12 November to 27 November 2010 under the Olympic flag due to the suspension of the country's Olympic Committee...
at the 2010 Asian Games2010 Asian GamesThe 2010 Asian Games, also known as the XVI Asiad, was a multi-sport event celebrated in Guangzhou, China from November 12 to November 27, 2010. Guangzhou was the second Chinese city to host the Games, after Beijing in 1990...
, as the Kuwait Olympic CommitteeKuwait Olympic CommitteeKuwait Olympic Committee is the National Olympic Committee representing Kuwait. The International Olympic Committee imposed a suspension on the committee with effect from 1 January 2010 due to alleged interference from the government...
was suspended. - ZZX is used to identify medals won by mixed teams of athletes from multiple nations (such as the combination of FranceFranceThe French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
and Great BritainUnited KingdomThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, for example), a situation that happened several times in the Games of 1896, 1900, and 1904.
See also
- Comparison of IOC, FIFA, and ISO 3166 country codesComparison of IOC, FIFA, and ISO 3166 country codesThis is a comparison of the IOC, FIFA, and ISO 3166-1 three-letter codes, combined into one table for easy reference. Highlighted rows indicate those entries in which the three-letter codes differ from column to column....
- List of FIFA country codes
- Lists of National Olympic CommitteeNational Olympic CommitteeNational Olympic Committees are the national constituents of the worldwide Olympic movement. Subject to the controls of the International Olympic Committee, they are responsible for organizing their people's participation in the Olympic Games...
s by continental association:- Association of National Olympic Committees of AfricaAssociation of National Olympic Committees of AfricaThe Association of National Olympic Committees of Africa is an international organization that unites the 53 National Olympic Committees of Africa...
- European Olympic CommitteesEuropean Olympic CommitteesThe European Olympic Committees is an organization based in Rome, Italy. Its European membership consists of 49 National Olympic Committees.- Member countries :...
- Oceania National Olympic CommitteesOceania National Olympic CommitteesThe Oceania National Olympic Committees is an international organisation that congregates the 17 National Olympic Committees of Oceania....
- Olympic Council of AsiaOlympic Council of AsiaThe Olympic Council of Asia is a governing body of sports in Asia, currently with 45 member National Olympic Committees. The current president is Sheikh Fahad Al-Sabah. The oldest NOC is from Japan and Philippines, recognized by the International Olympic Committee in 1911; whereas East Timor is...
- Pan American Sports Organization
- Association of National Olympic Committees of Africa
- List of participating nations at the Summer Olympic Games
- List of participating nations at the Winter Olympic Games