This article lists the performances of each of the 22 national teams which have made at least one appearance in the IHF World Men's Outdoor Handball Championship finals. [1]
Each successive World Women's Handball Championship has had at least one team appearing for the first time. Teams in parentheses are considered successor teams by IHF.
| Year | Debutants | Total |
|---|---|---|
| 1938 | 10 | |
| 1948 | 5 | |
| 1952 | 2 | |
| 1955 | 2 | |
| 1959 | 0 | |
| 1963 | 4 | |
| 1966 | 0 |
For each tournament, the number of teams in each finals tournament (in brackets) are shown.
| Team | 1938 (10) | 1948 (12) | 1952 (10) | 1955 (17) | 1959 (7) | 1963 (8) | 1966 (6) | Total |
| | IR | 4th | 7th | 4th | 5th | 3rd | 6 | |
| × | PR | • | PR | • | × | × | 2 | |
| 6th | × | × | 3rd | × | × | × | 2 | |
| 8th | 2nd | 5th | PR | 6th | × | × | 5 | |
| × | PR | × | PR | × | × | × | 2 | |
| × | 4th | PR | 8th | • | × | × | 3 | |
| | 1st | × | 1st | 1st | 1st | 2nd | 1st | 6 |
| | × | × | × | | 1st | 2nd | 2 | |
| 3rd | PR | × | PR | 7th | × | × | 4 | |
| × | × | × | × | × | 7th | × | 1 | |
| 10th | PR | • | PR | × | × | × | 3 | |
| 9th | IR | 6th | PR | × | 6th | 6th | 5 | |
| × | × | • | PR | × | × | × | 1 | |
| 7th | IR | × | × | • | 4th | 4th | 4 | |
| × | IR | • | PR | × | × | × | 2 | |
| 5th | × | × | × | 2nd | × | × | 2 | |
| | | PR | 6th | | | 2 | ||
| × | × | PR | PR | •• | × | × | 2 | |
| 4th | 1st | 2nd | 4th | 3rd | × | × | 5 | |
| 2nd | 3rd | 3rd | 2nd | 5th | 3rd | 5th | 7 | |
| × | × | × | × | × | 8th | × | 1 | |
| × | × | • | 5th | • | × | × | 1 | |
| Year | Host nation | Finish |
|---|---|---|
| 1938 | Champions | |
| 1948 | Fourth Place | |
| 1952 | Third Place | |
| 1955 | Champions | |
| 1959 | Fourth Place | |
| 1963 | Third Place | |
| 1966 | Third Place |
| Year | Defending champions | Finish |
|---|---|---|
| 1938 | — | — |
| 1948 | Did not enter | |
| 1952 | Runners-up | |
| 1955 | Champions | |
| 1959 | (United team of East and West Germany) | Champions |
| 1963 | Champions | |
| Runners-up | ||
| 1966 | Runners-up |