List of IOC country codes

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The flag of the international Olympic movement
The flag of the international Paralympic movement

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 code 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, such as 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.

History[edit]

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.[2] 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., COR for Korea, from Corée). 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.[3][4]

Current NOCs[edit]

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 Link National Olympic Committee Other codes used
AFG [1]  Afghanistan
ALB [2]  Albania
ALG [3]  Algeria AGR (1964), AGL (1968 S)
AND [4]  Andorra
ANG [5]  Angola
ANT [6]  Antigua and Barbuda
ARG [7]  Argentina
ARM [8]  Armenia
ARU [9]  Aruba
ASA [10]  American Samoa
AUS [11]  Australia
AUT [12]  Austria
AZE [13]  Azerbaijan
BAH [14]  Bahamas
BAN [15]  Bangladesh
BAR [16]  Barbados BAD (1964)
BDI [17]  Burundi
BEL [18]  Belgium
BEN [19]  Benin DAY (1964), DAH (1968–1976)
BER [20]  Bermuda
BHU [21]  Bhutan
BIH [22]  Bosnia and Herzegovina BSH (1992 S)
BIZ [23]  Belize HBR (1968–1972)
BLR [24]  Belarus
BOL [25]  Bolivia
BOT [26]  Botswana
BRA [27]  Brazil
BRN [28]  Bahrain
BRU [29]  Brunei
BUL [30]  Bulgaria
BUR [31]  Burkina Faso VOL (1972–1984)
CAF [32]  Central African Republic AFC (1968)
CAM [33]  Cambodia CAB (1964), KHM (1972–1976)
CAN [34]  Canada
CAY [35]  Cayman Islands
CGO [36]  Congo
CHA [37]  Chad CHD (1964)
CHI [38]  Chile CIL (1956 W, 1960 S)
CHN [39]  China PRC (1952 S)
CIV [40]  Ivory Coast IVC (1964), CML (1968)
CMR [41]  Cameroon
COD [42]  Democratic Republic of the Congo COK (1968), ZAI (1972–1996)
COK [43]  Cook Islands
COL [44]  Colombia
COM [45]  Comoros
CPV [46]  Cape Verde
CRC [47]  Costa Rica COS (1964)
CRO [48]  Croatia
CUB [49]  Cuba
CYP [50]  Cyprus
CZE [51]  Czech Republic TCH (1984)
DEN [52]  Denmark DAN (1960 S, 1968 W), DIN (1968 S)
DJI [53]  Djibouti
DMA [54]  Dominica
DOM [55]  Dominican Republic
ECU [56]  Ecuador
EGY [57]  Egypt RAU (1960, 1968), UAR (1964)
ERI [58]  Eritrea
ESA [59]  El Salvador SAL (1964–1976)
ESP [60]  Spain SPA (1956–1964, 1968 W)
EST [61]  Estonia
ETH [62]  Ethiopia ETI (1960, 1968)
FIJ [63]  Fiji FIG (1960)
FIN [64]  Finland
FRA [65]  France
FSM [66]  Federated States of Micronesia
GAB [67]  Gabon
GAM [68]  The Gambia
GBR [69]  Great Britain GRB (1956 W–1960), GBI (1964)
GBS [70]  Guinea-Bissau
GEO [71]  Georgia
GEQ [72]  Equatorial Guinea
GER [73]  Germany ALL (1968 W), ALE (1968 S)
GHA [74]  Ghana
GRE [75]  Greece
GRN [76]  Grenada
GUA [77]  Guatemala GUT (1964)
GUI [78]  Guinea
GUM [79]  Guam
GUY [80]  Guyana GUA (1960), GUI (1964)
HAI [81]  Haiti
HKG [82]  Hong Kong HOK (1960–1968)
HON [83]  Honduras
HUN [84]  Hungary UNG (1956 W, 1960 S)
INA [85]  Indonesia INS (1960)
IND [86]  India
IRI [87]  Iran IRN (1956–1988), IRA (1968 W)
IRL [88]  Ireland
IRQ [89]  Iraq IRK (1960, 1968)
ISL [90]  Iceland ICE (1960 W, 1964 S)
ISR [91]  Israel
ISV [92]  Virgin Islands
ITA [93]  Italy
IVB [94]  British Virgin Islands
JAM [95]  Jamaica
JOR [96]  Jordan
JPN [97]  Japan GIA (1956 W, 1960 S), JAP (1960 W)
KAZ [98]  Kazakhstan
KEN [99]  Kenya
KGZ [100]  Kyrgyzstan
KIR [101]  Kiribati
KOR [102]  South Korea COR (1956 W, 1960 S, 1968 S, 1972 S)
KOS [103]  Kosovo
KSA [104]  Saudi Arabia ARS (1968–1976), SAU (1980–1984)
KUW [105]  Kuwait
LAO [106]  Laos
LAT [107]  Latvia
LBA [108]  Libya LYA (1964), LBY (1968 W)
LBN [109]  Lebanon LEB (1960 W, 1964 S), LIB (1964-2016)
LBR [110]  Liberia
LCA [111]  Saint Lucia
LES [112]  Lesotho
LIE [113]  Liechtenstein LIC (1956 W, 1964 S, 1968 W)
LTU [114]  Lithuania LIT (1992 W)
LUX [115]  Luxembourg
MAD [116]  Madagascar MAG (1964)
MAR [117]  Morocco MRC (1964)
MAS [118]  Malaysia MAL (1964–1988)
MAW [119]  Malawi
MDA [120]  Moldova MLD (1994)
MDV [121]  Maldives
MEX [122]  Mexico
MGL [123]  Mongolia MON (1968 W)
MHL [124]  Marshall Islands
MKD [125]  Macedonia
MLI [126]  Mali
MLT [127]  Malta MAT (1960–1964)
MNE [128]  Montenegro
MON [129]  Monaco
MOZ [130]  Mozambique
MRI [131]  Mauritius
MTN [132]  Mauritania
MYA [133]  Myanmar BIR (1960, 1968–1988), BUR (1964)
NAM [134]  Namibia
NCA [135]  Nicaragua NCG (1964), NIC (1968)
NED [136]  Netherlands OLA (1956 W), NET (1960 W), PBA (1960 S), NLD (1964 S), HOL (1968–1988)
NEP [137]  Nepal
NGR [138]  Nigeria NIG (1960 S), NGA (1964)
NIG [139]  Niger NGR (1964)
NOR [140]  Norway
NRU [141]  Nauru
NZL [142]  New Zealand NZE (1960, 1968 W)
OMA [143]  Oman
PAK [144]  Pakistan
PAN [145]  Panama
PAR [146]  Paraguay
PER [147]  Peru
PHI [148]  Philippines FIL (1960, 1968)
PLE [149]  Palestine
PLW [150]  Palau
PNG [151]  Papua New Guinea NGY (1976–1980), NGU (1984–1988)
POL [152]  Poland
POR [153]  Portugal
PRK [154]  North Korea NKO (1964 S, 1968 W), CDN (1968)
PUR [155]  Puerto Rico PRI (1960), PRO (1968)
QAT [156]  Qatar
ROU [157]  Romania ROM (1956–1960, 1972–2006), RUM (1964–1968)
RSA [158]  South Africa SAF (1960–1972)
RUS [159]  Russia OAR (2018 W)
RWA [160]  Rwanda
SAM [161]  Samoa
SEN [162]  Senegal SGL (1964)
SEY [163]  Seychelles
SGP [164]  Singapore SIN (1959–2016)
SKN [165]  Saint Kitts and Nevis
SLE [166]  Sierra Leone SLA (1968)
SLO [167]  Slovenia
SMR [168]  San Marino SMA (1960–1964)
SOL [169]  Solomon Islands
SOM [170]  Somalia
SRB [171]  Serbia
SRI [172]  Sri Lanka CEY (1960-1964, 1972), CEI (1968 S)
SSD [173]  South Sudan
STP [174]  São Tomé and Príncipe
SUD [175]  Sudan
SUI [176]  Switzerland SVI (1956 W, 1960 S), SWI (1960 W, 1964 S)
SUR [177]  Suriname
SVK [178]  Slovakia
SWE [179]  Sweden SVE (1956 W, 1960 S), SUE (1968 S)
SWZ [180]  Swaziland
SYR [181]  Syria RAU (1960), SIR (1968)
TAN [182]  Tanzania
TGA [183]  Tonga TON (1984)
THA [184]  Thailand
TJK [185]  Tajikistan
TKM [186]  Turkmenistan
TLS [187]  East Timor IOA (Individual Olympic Athletes, 2000)
TOG [188]  Togo
TPE [189]  Chinese Taipei[5] RCF (1960), TWN (1964–1968), ROC (1972–1976)
TTO [190]  Trinidad and Tobago TRT (1964–1968) TRI (1972–2012)
TUN [191]  Tunisia
TUR [192]  Turkey
TUV [193]  Tuvalu
UAE [194]  United Arab Emirates
UGA [195]  Uganda
UKR [196]  Ukraine
URU [197]  Uruguay URG (1968)
USA [198]  United States SUA (1960 S), EUA (1968 S)
UZB [199]  Uzbekistan
VAN [200]  Vanuatu
VEN [201]  Venezuela
VIE [202]  Vietnam VET (1964), VNM (1968–1976)
VIN [203]  Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
YEM [204]  Yemen
ZAM [205]  Zambia NRH (1964)
ZIM [206]  Zimbabwe RHO (1960–1972)

Current NPCs[edit]

Most National Paralympic Committees (NPC) cover a territory with an active NOC. In these cases the IPC codes matches the IOC codes shown above. The two current NPCs without a corresponding NOC use the following IPC codes.

Code Link National Paralympic Committee Other codes used
MAC Associação Recreativa dos Deficientes de Macau  Macau
FRO The Faroese Sport Organisation for Disabled  Faroe Islands

Historic NOCs and teams[edit]

Codes still in use[edit]

Fourteen historical NOCs or teams have codes that are still used in the IOC results database[6] to refer to past medal winners from these teams.

Code Nation/Team Other codes used
AHO Netherlands Antilles Netherlands Antilles
ANZ  Australasia
BOH  Bohemia
BWI  British West Indies ANT (1960, 1968), WID (1964)
EUA Germany United Team of Germany GER (1956–1964)
EUN International Olympic Committee Unified Team
FRG  West Germany ALL (1968 W), ALE (1968 S), GER (1972–1976)
GDR  East Germany ADE (1968)
RU1  Russian Empire
SCG  Serbia and Montenegro
TCH  Czechoslovakia CSL (1956 W), CZE (1960 W), CSV (1960 S), CZS (1964 S), CHE (1968 S)
URS  Soviet Union SOV (1968 W)
YUG  Yugoslavia JUG (1956–1960, 1968 W), YUS (1964 S)
ZZX International Olympic Committee Mixed teams

Obsolete codes[edit]

Code Nation (NOC) Years Notes
IHO  Dutch East Indies 1934–1938 Now  Indonesia (INA)
BIR  Burma 1948–1988 Now  Myanmar (MYA)
CEY  Ceylon 1948–1972 Now  Sri Lanka (SRI)
DAH  Dahomey 1964–1976 Now  Benin (BEN)
GUI  British Guiana 1948–1964 Now  Guyana (GUY)
HBR  British Honduras 1968–1972 Now  Belize (BIZ)
KHM  Khmer Republic 1972–1976 Now  Cambodia (CAM)
MAL  Malaya 1956–1960 Competed independently prior to the formation of Malaysia in 1963.
Now  Malaysia (MAS)
NBO  North Borneo 1956
NRH  Northern Rhodesia 1964 Now  Zambia (ZAM)
RAU  United Arab Republic 1960 Now  Egypt (EGY)
and  Syria (SYR)
RHO  Rhodesia 1960–1972 Now  Zimbabwe (ZIM)
ROC  Republic of China 1932–1976 Now competing under the name  Chinese Taipei (TPE)
SAA  Saar 1952 Competed independently prior to rejoining  West Germany (FRG) in 1957
UAR  United Arab Republic 1964–1968 Now  Egypt (EGY)
VOL  Upper Volta 1972–1984 Now  Burkina Faso (BUR)
YAR  North Yemen 1984–1988 Competed independently prior to Yemeni unification in 1990.
Now  Yemen (YEM)
YMD  South Yemen 1988
ZAI  Zaire 1972–1996 Now  Democratic Republic of the Congo (COD)
——  Gold Coast 1952 Now  Ghana (GHA)

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 Netherlands for the 1992 Games, reflecting the change in designation from Holland.
  • IRN was changed to IRI for Iran for the 1992 Games, reflecting the change in designation to Islamic Republic of Iran.

Special codes for Olympics[edit]

Code Nation/Team Years Notes
ANZ  Australasia 1908–1912 Used in the IOC's medal database[6] to identify the team from Australasia, composed of athletes from both Australia and New Zealand for the 1908 and 1912 Games. By 1920, both nations competed separately.
COR  Korea 2018 Used for a unified Korean ice hockey team at the 2018 Winter Olympics. Also used when the delegations of the two Korean NOCs enter together during the opening ceremony.[7]
EUA  United Team of Germany 1956–1964 Used in the IOC's medal database[6] 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. At the time, the team was simply known as Germany in the official reports for those six Games.
EUN  Unified Team 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. Only the Baltic states 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  Independent Olympic Participants 1992 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  Independent Olympic Athletes 2000, 2012, 2016 Used for Individual Olympic Athletes in 2000, a designation used for athletes from Timor-Leste prior to the formation of its NOC. IOA was used again in the 2012 Games, when it stood for Independent Olympic Athletes, 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 has not formed an NOC. IOA was used again in 2016 for athletes from Kuwait as a result of the suspension of its National Olympic Committee.
IOC  Athletes from Kuwait 2010 Used as the country code for Athletes from Kuwait at the 2010 Asian Games, as the Kuwait Olympic Committee was suspended.
MIX  Mixed-NOCs 2010–2016 Used as the country code for Mixed NOCs at the Youth Olympics.[8]
OAR  Olympic Athletes from Russia 2018 Used for Olympic Athletes from Russia competing as neutral athletes due to the state-sponsored doping scandal.[9]
ROT  Refugee Olympic Team 2016 Used for the Refugee Olympic Team at the 2016 Summer Olympics for athletes to compete who have been displaced from their home countries.[10]
ZZX  Mixed team 1896–1904 Used in the IOC's medal database[6] 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.

Special codes for Paralympics[edit]

Code Nation/Team Years Notes
IPP  Independent Paralympic Participants
IPA  Individual Paralympic Athletes
NPA  Neutral Paralympic Athletes 2018

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ http://www.olympic.org/Documents/Commissions_PDFfiles/Olympic_Solidarity/2011_report_Moving_Forward.pdf
  2. ^ Mallon, Bill; Ove Karlsson (May 2004). "IOC and OCOG Abbreviations for NOCs" (PDF). Journal of Olympic History. 12 (2): 25–28. Retrieved 2008-02-08. 
  3. ^ Faroe Islands Archived 2012-12-04 at Archive.is
  4. ^ Macau, China Archived 2013-01-03 at Archive.is
  5. ^ Official name given to the Republic of China for Olympic competition
  6. ^ a b c d "Olympic Medal Winners". International Olympic Committee. Retrieved 2008-02-08. 
  7. ^ IOC. "Olympic Korean Peninsula Declaration" (PDF). Retrieved 20 January 2018. 
  8. ^ "Mixed NOCs". Archived from the original on 2014-02-25. 
  9. ^ "IOC suspends Russian NOC and creates a path for clean individual athletes to compete in PyeongChang 2018 under the Olympic Flag". 24 January 2018. 
  10. ^ Rio2016.org, 3 June 2016 Archived 2016-08-05 at the Wayback Machine.