Olympic Summer Games 2008 - Per Capita Medal Ranking
Introduction
During the Olympic Summer Games 2008 in Beijing, China, much attention has been focused on medal counts. As is customary at Olympic Games, these awards are tallied on a per team basis (in most cases, this amounts to a per country basis). This ranking method does show us from where the Games's champions hail, but it fails to account for the various sizes of the world's countries, and so high rankings are biased towards larger countries, minimising the attention paid to the achievements of teams and athletes from smaller countries.
The following table presents a variation on such country rankings, offering an alternative measurement: a ranking based on medals won per capita by country.
Notable Elements
- The world's population has increased by more than 300 million people (4.9%, more than the population of the USA) since the previous Olympic Summer Games, in 2004 in Athens, Greece. The number of medals awarded also has increased, from 929 to 958 (3.1%), a slower increase, thus medals awarded per million people world-wide declined from 0.145 to 0.143.
- More of the world's population lives in medal-winning countries than was the case Athens; then 79.0% of the world's population lived in countries that won medals, this time 81.7%. This is partly because of above-world-average growth rates in the populations of some medal-winning countries, and also because more countries have won medals in 2008 (87 vs. 75).
- As in Athens, the Bahamas grabbed the top ranking with two medals, and Australia is the only country in both the top ten countries in medals per capita and in the top ten in total medals won. Mongolia, Ireland, India, Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago all more than doubled their performance, while South Africa, Egypt, Greece, Chile and Iran dropped by more than two-thirds.
- Canada has substantially out-performed its per capita medal achivement in Athens (0.542 vs. 0.373).
- A similar table for the Olympic Summer Games 2004 - Per Capita Medal Ranking is also available.
Sources
- Olympic Summer Games 2008 Overall Medal Standings; source: Official Website at 2008-08-24 14:40 GMT.
- Total Midyear Population, 2008; U.S. Census Bureau, International Data Base; 2008-08-13.
Chart of Medals Per Capita
Table of Countries Ranked by Medals per Capita
| Medals | Population | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | Country | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total | % | Rank | Pop(M) | % Pop | Medals / Pop(M) |
| World Total | 302 | 303 | 353 | 958 | 100.0% | 6707.0 | 81.7% | 0.143 | ||
| 1 | Bahamas | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0.2% | 57 | 0.3 | 0.0% | 6.505 | |
| 2 | Jamaica | 6 | 3 | 2 | 11 | 1.1% | 20 | 2.8 | 0.0% | 3.923 |
| 3 | Iceland | 1 | 1 | 0.1% | 69 | 0.3 | 0.0% | 3.286 | ||
| 4 | Slovenia | 1 | 2 | 2 | 5 | 0.5% | 38 | 2.0 | 0.0% | 2.490 |
| 5 | Australia | 14 | 15 | 17 | 46 | 4.8% | 5 | 21.0 | 0.3% | 2.190 |
| 6 | New Zealand | 3 | 1 | 5 | 9 | 0.9% | 24 | 4.2 | 0.1% | 2.156 |
| 7 | Norway | 3 | 5 | 2 | 10 | 1.0% | 21 | 4.6 | 0.1% | 2.153 |
| 8 | Cuba | 2 | 11 | 11 | 24 | 2.5% | 12 | 11.4 | 0.2% | 2.101 |
| 9 | Armenia | 6 | 6 | 0.6% | 30 | 3.0 | 0.0% | 2.021 | ||
| 10 | Belarus | 4 | 5 | 10 | 19 | 2.0% | 13 | 9.7 | 0.1% | 1.962 |
| 11 | Trinidad and Tobago | 2 | 2 | 0.2% | 57 | 1.0 | 0.0% | 1.910 | ||
| 12 | Estonia | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0.2% | 57 | 1.3 | 0.0% | 1.530 | |
| 13 | Lithuania | 2 | 3 | 5 | 0.5% | 38 | 3.6 | 0.1% | 1.402 | |
| 14 | Bahrain | 1 | 1 | 0.1% | 69 | 0.7 | 0.0% | 1.392 | ||
| 15 | Latvia | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 0.3% | 51 | 2.2 | 0.0% | 1.336 |
| 16 | Mongolia | 2 | 2 | 4 | 0.4% | 44 | 3.0 | 0.0% | 1.335 | |
| 17 | Georgia | 3 | 3 | 6 | 0.6% | 30 | 4.6 | 0.1% | 1.296 | |
| 18 | Denmark | 2 | 2 | 3 | 7 | 0.7% | 27 | 5.5 | 0.1% | 1.276 |
| 19 | Croatia | 2 | 3 | 5 | 0.5% | 38 | 4.5 | 0.1% | 1.113 | |
| 20 | Slovakia | 3 | 2 | 1 | 6 | 0.6% | 30 | 5.5 | 0.1% | 1.100 |
| 21 | Hungary | 3 | 5 | 2 | 10 | 1.0% | 21 | 9.9 | 0.1% | 1.007 |
| 22 | Netherlands | 7 | 5 | 4 | 16 | 1.7% | 16 | 16.6 | 0.2% | 0.961 |
| 23 | Azerbaijan | 1 | 2 | 4 | 7 | 0.7% | 27 | 8.2 | 0.1% | 0.856 |
| 24 | Kazakhstan | 2 | 4 | 7 | 13 | 1.4% | 19 | 15.3 | 0.2% | 0.847 |
| 25 | Switzerland | 2 | 4 | 6 | 0.6% | 30 | 7.6 | 0.1% | 0.791 | |
| 26 | Mauritius | 1 | 1 | 0.1% | 69 | 1.3 | 0.0% | 0.785 | ||
| 27 | United Kingdom | 19 | 13 | 15 | 47 | 4.9% | 4 | 60.9 | 0.9% | 0.771 |
| 28 | Finland | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 0.4% | 44 | 5.2 | 0.1% | 0.763 |
| 29 | Ireland | 1 | 2 | 3 | 0.3% | 51 | 4.2 | 0.1% | 0.722 | |
| 30 | Bulgaria | 1 | 1 | 3 | 5 | 0.5% | 38 | 7.3 | 0.1% | 0.688 |
| 31 | Korea, South | 13 | 10 | 8 | 31 | 3.2% | 8 | 48.4 | 0.7% | 0.641 |
| 32 | France | 7 | 16 | 17 | 40 | 4.2% | 7 | 64.1 | 1.0% | 0.624 |
| 33 | Czech Republic | 3 | 3 | 6 | 0.6% | 30 | 10.2 | 0.2% | 0.587 | |
| 34 | Ukraine | 7 | 5 | 15 | 27 | 2.8% | 10 | 46.0 | 0.7% | 0.587 |
| 35 | Sweden | 4 | 1 | 5 | 0.5% | 38 | 9.0 | 0.1% | 0.553 | |
| 36 | Canada | 3 | 9 | 6 | 18 | 1.9% | 14 | 33.2 | 0.5% | 0.542 |
| 37 | Russia | 23 | 21 | 28 | 72 | 7.5% | 3 | 140.7 | 2.1% | 0.512 |
| 38 | Germany | 16 | 10 | 15 | 41 | 4.3% | 6 | 82.4 | 1.2% | 0.498 |
| 39 | Italy | 8 | 10 | 10 | 28 | 2.9% | 9 | 58.1 | 0.9% | 0.482 |
| 40 | Spain | 5 | 10 | 3 | 18 | 1.9% | 14 | 40.5 | 0.6% | 0.445 |
| 41 | Kyrgyzstan | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0.2% | 57 | 5.4 | 0.1% | 0.373 | |
| 42 | Greece | 2 | 2 | 4 | 0.4% | 44 | 10.7 | 0.2% | 0.373 | |
| 43 | Kenya | 5 | 5 | 4 | 14 | 1.5% | 18 | 38.0 | 0.6% | 0.369 |
| 44 | Austria | 1 | 2 | 3 | 0.3% | 51 | 8.2 | 0.1% | 0.366 | |
| 45 | United States | 36 | 38 | 36 | 110 | 11.5% | 1 | 303.8 | 4.5% | 0.362 |
| 46 | Romania | 4 | 1 | 3 | 8 | 0.8% | 25 | 22.2 | 0.3% | 0.360 |
| 47 | Zimbabwe | 1 | 3 | 4 | 0.4% | 44 | 11.4 | 0.2% | 0.352 | |
| 48 | Panama | 1 | 1 | 0.1% | 69 | 3.3 | 0.0% | 0.302 | ||
| 49 | Serbia | 1 | 2 | 3 | 0.3% | 51 | 10.2 | 0.2% | 0.295 | |
| 50 | Tajikistan | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0.2% | 57 | 7.2 | 0.1% | 0.277 | |
| 51 | Poland | 3 | 6 | 1 | 10 | 1.0% | 21 | 38.5 | 0.6% | 0.260 |
| 52 | Korea, North | 2 | 1 | 3 | 6 | 0.6% | 30 | 23.5 | 0.4% | 0.256 |
| 53 | Moldova | 1 | 1 | 0.1% | 69 | 4.3 | 0.1% | 0.231 | ||
| 54 | Uzbekistan | 1 | 2 | 3 | 6 | 0.6% | 30 | 27.3 | 0.4% | 0.219 |
| 55 | Singapore | 1 | 1 | 0.1% | 69 | 4.6 | 0.1% | 0.217 | ||
| 56 | Dominican Republic | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0.2% | 57 | 9.5 | 0.1% | 0.210 | |
| 57 | Japan | 9 | 6 | 10 | 25 | 2.6% | 11 | 127.3 | 1.9% | 0.196 |
| 58 | Belgium | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0.2% | 57 | 10.4 | 0.2% | 0.192 | |
| 59 | Portugal | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0.2% | 57 | 10.7 | 0.2% | 0.187 | |
| 60 | Taiwan | 4 | 4 | 0.4% | 44 | 22.9 | 0.3% | 0.175 | ||
| 61 | Togo | 1 | 1 | 0.1% | 69 | 5.9 | 0.1% | 0.171 | ||
| 62 | Argentina | 2 | 4 | 6 | 0.6% | 30 | 40.5 | 0.6% | 0.148 | |
| 63 | Israel | 1 | 1 | 0.1% | 69 | 7.1 | 0.1% | 0.141 | ||
| 64 | Turkey | 1 | 4 | 3 | 8 | 0.8% | 25 | 71.9 | 1.1% | 0.111 |
| 65 | Tunisia | 1 | 1 | 0.1% | 69 | 10.4 | 0.2% | 0.096 | ||
| 66 | Ethiopia | 4 | 1 | 2 | 7 | 0.7% | 27 | 82.5 | 1.2% | 0.085 |
| 67 | Brazil | 3 | 4 | 8 | 15 | 1.6% | 17 | 196.3 | 2.9% | 0.076 |
| 68 | China | 51 | 21 | 28 | 100 | 10.4% | 2 | 1330.0 | 19.8% | 0.075 |
| 69 | Ecuador | 1 | 1 | 0.1% | 69 | 13.9 | 0.2% | 0.072 | ||
| 70 | Thailand | 2 | 2 | 4 | 0.4% | 44 | 65.5 | 1.0% | 0.061 | |
| 71 | Chile | 1 | 1 | 0.1% | 69 | 16.5 | 0.2% | 0.061 | ||
| 72 | Algeria | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0.2% | 57 | 33.8 | 0.5% | 0.059 | |
| 73 | Morocco | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0.2% | 57 | 34.3 | 0.5% | 0.058 | |
| 74 | Cameroon | 1 | 1 | 0.1% | 69 | 18.5 | 0.3% | 0.054 | ||
| 75 | Colombia | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0.2% | 57 | 45.0 | 0.7% | 0.044 | |
| 76 | Malaysia | 1 | 1 | 0.1% | 69 | 25.3 | 0.4% | 0.040 | ||
| 77 | Venezuela | 1 | 1 | 0.1% | 69 | 26.4 | 0.4% | 0.038 | ||
| 78 | Afghanistan | 1 | 1 | 0.1% | 69 | 32.7 | 0.5% | 0.031 | ||
| 79 | Iran | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0.2% | 57 | 65.9 | 1.0% | 0.030 | |
| 80 | Nigeria | 1 | 3 | 4 | 0.4% | 44 | 146.3 | 2.2% | 0.027 | |
| 81 | Mexico | 2 | 1 | 3 | 0.3% | 51 | 110.0 | 1.6% | 0.027 | |
| 82 | Sudan | 1 | 1 | 0.1% | 69 | 40.2 | 0.6% | 0.025 | ||
| 83 | Indonesia | 1 | 1 | 3 | 5 | 0.5% | 38 | 237.5 | 3.5% | 0.021 |
| 84 | South Africa | 1 | 1 | 0.1% | 69 | 48.8 | 0.7% | 0.020 | ||
| 85 | Egypt | 1 | 1 | 0.1% | 69 | 81.7 | 1.2% | 0.012 | ||
| 86 | Vietnam | 1 | 1 | 0.1% | 69 | 86.1 | 1.3% | 0.012 | ||
| 87 | India | 1 | 2 | 3 | 0.3% | 51 | 1148.0 | 17.1% | 0.003 | |
