List of countries in the Eurovision Song Contest

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Broadcasters from fifty-two countries have participated in the Eurovision Song Contest since it started in 1956, with winning songs coming from twenty-seven of those countries. The contest, organised by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), is held annually between members of the union who participate representing their countries. Broadcasters submit songs to the event where they are performed live by the performer(s) they had selected and cast votes to determine the winning song of the competition.

Participation in the contest is primarily open to all broadcasters with active EBU membership, with only one entrant per country allowed in any given year. To become an active member of the EBU, a broadcaster has to be from a country which is covered by the European Broadcasting Area—which is not limited only to the continent of Europe—or is a member state of the Council of Europe. Thus, eligibility is not determined by geographic inclusion within Europe, despite the "Euro" in "Eurovision", nor does it have a direct connection with the European Union. Several countries geographically outside the boundaries of Europe have been represented in the contest: Israel, Cyprus, and Armenia, in Western Asia, since 1973, 1981, and 2006 respectively; Morocco, in North Africa, in the 1980 competition alone; and Australia making a debut in the 2015 contest. In addition, several transcontinental countries with only part of their territory in Europe have been represented: Turkey, from 1975 to 2012; Russia, from 1994 to 2021; Georgia, since 2007; and Azerbaijan, since 2008. Two countries that have previously sought to enter the competition, Lebanon and Tunisia, in Western Asia and North Africa respectively, are also outside of Europe. Australia, where the contest has been broadcast since the 1970s, has been represented every year since its debut in 2015, as its broadcaster is an EBU associate member and had received special approval from the contest's Reference Group.

The number of countries represented each year has grown steadily, from seven in 1956 to over twenty in the late 1980s. A record forty-three countries participated in 2008, 2011, and 2018. As the number of contestants has risen, preliminary competitions and relegation have been introduced, to ensure that as many countries as possible get the chance to compete. In 1993, a preliminary show, Kvalifikacija za Millstreet ("Qualification for Millstreet"), was held to select three Eastern European countries to compete for the first time in the main contest. After the 1993 contest, a relegation rule was introduced: the six lowest-placed countries in the contest would not compete in the following year. In 1996, a new system was introduced. Audiotapes of all twenty-nine entrants were submitted to national juries. The twenty-two highest-placed songs after the juries voted reached the contest. Norway, as the host country, directly qualified for the final. From 1997 to 2001, a system was used whereby the countries with the lowest average scores over the previous five years were relegated.

The relegation system used in 1994 and 1995 was used again between 2001 and 2003. Since 1999, the winning country in the previous year's contest automatically qualifies for the following year's final, along with the "Big Four/Five" — those countries whose broadcasters are the largest financial contributors to the EBU. In 2004, a semi-final was introduced. In addition to the Big Four, the countries that were in the top 10 the previous year received a bye and qualified directly for the final. A further ten countries qualified from the semi-final, making a total of 24 in the final. Since 2008, two semi-finals are held with all countries, except the previous year's winner and the "Big Four/Five", participating in one of the semi-finals.

Some countries, such as Germany, France, Belgium, and the United Kingdom, have entered most years, while Morocco has only entered once. Two countries, Tunisia and Lebanon, have attempted to enter the contest but withdrew before making a debut.

Participants

Statistics by country

The following table lists the countries with a broadcaster that have participated in the contest at least once, up to 2025. Planned entries for the cancelled 2020 contest and entries that failed to qualify in the qualification rounds in 1993 or 1996 are not counted.

Shading indicates countries whose broadcaster have withdrawn from the contest or former participants that are unable to compete in future contests. Yugoslavia and Serbia and Montenegro were both dissolved, in 1991 and 2006 respectively. Serbia and Montenegro participated in the 1992 contest as the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, which consisted of only those two republics. Montenegro and Serbia have each competed as separate countries since 2007. The Belarusian broadcaster BTRC was expelled from the EBU in July 2021, preventing them from competing in future editions of the contest, or any EBU event indefinitely. Following the Russian invasion of Ukraine and subsequent exclusion of Russia from the 2022 contest, the Russian broadcasters VGTRK and Channel One announced their intention to withdraw their EBU membership in February 2022 and were suspended from the union in May, preventing Russia from competing in future editions of the contest, or any EBU event for an indefinite period of time. Two countries have made failed attempts to participate in the contest, but in both cases withdrew their planned appearances at a late stage: Tunisia in 1977; and Lebanon in 2005. A planned entry from Liechtenstein in 1976 was prevented, due to a lack of an EBU member broadcaster from the country with which to compete.

Table key
† Inactive – countries which participated in the past but did not appear in the most recent contest, or will not appear in the upcoming contest
◇ Ineligible – countries whose broadcasters are no longer part of the EBU and are therefore ineligible to participate
‡ Former – countries which previously participated but no longer exist
Statistics (As of 2025)
Country Broadcaster(s) Debut year Latest entry Entries Finals Qualifying Latest final Best placement Wins
Amount Rate Pos Latest
 Albania RTSH 2004 2025 21 12 11/20 55% 2025 5th 2012 0
 Andorra † RTVA 2004 2009 6 0 0/6 0% N/A 12th (SF) 2007 0
 Armenia AMPTV 2006 2025 17 14 13/16 81% 2025 4th 2014 0
 Australia SBS 2015 2025 10 7 6/9 67% 2023 2nd 2016 0
 Austria ORF 1957 2025 57 50 8/15 53% 2025 1st 2025 3
 Azerbaijan İTV 2008 2025 17 13 12/16 75% 2022 1st 2011 1
 Belarus ◇ BTRC 2004 2019 16 6 6/16 38% 2019 6th 2007 0
 Belgium RTBF / VRT 1956 2025 66 54 8/20 40% 2023 1st 1986 1
 Bosnia and Herzegovina † BHRT 1993 2016 19 18 7/8 88% 2012 3rd 2006 0
 Bulgaria BNT 2005 2022 14 5 5/14 36% 2021 2nd 2017 0
 Croatia HRT 1993 2025 30 20 8/18 44% 2024 2nd 2024 0
 Cyprus CyBC 1981 2025 41 33 11/19 58% 2024 2nd 2018 0
 Czechia ČT 2007 2025 13 5 5/13 38% 2023 6th 2018 0
 Denmark DR 1957 2025 53 45 11/19 58% 2025 1st 2013 3
 Estonia ERR 1994 2025 30 20 11/21 52% 2025 1st 2001 1
 Finland Yle 1961 2025 58 50 12/20 60% 2025 1st 2006 1
 France France Télévisions 1956 2025 67 67 Permanent finalist 2025 1st 1977 5
 Georgia GPB 2007 2025 17 8 8/17 47% 2024 9th 2011 0
 Germany ARD (NDR) 1956 2025 68 68 Permanent finalist 2025 1st 2010 2
 Greece ERT 1974 2025 45 42 15/18 83% 2025 1st 2005 1
 Hungary † MTVA 1994 2019 17 14 10/13 77% 2018 4th 1994 0
 Iceland † RÚV 1986 2025 37 28 11/20 55% 2025 2nd 2009 0
 Ireland † RTÉ 1965 2025 58 46 7/19 37% 2024 1st 1996 7
 Israel IPBC 1973 2025 47 40 12/19 63% 2025 1st 2018 4
 Italy RAI 1956 2025 50 50 Permanent finalist 2025 1st 2021 3
 Latvia LSM 2000 2025 25 12 7/20 35% 2025 1st 2002 1
 Lithuania LRT 1994 2025 25 18 13/20 65% 2025 6th 2006 0
 Luxembourg RTL 1956 2025 39 39 2/2 100% 2025 1st 1983 5
 Malta PBS 1971 2025 37 27 9/19 47% 2025 2nd 2005 0
 Moldova TRM 2005 2024 19 13 12/18 67% 2023 3rd 2017 0
 Monaco † TMC 1959 2006 24 21 0/3 0% 1979 1st 1971 1
 Montenegro RTCG 2007 2025 13 2 2/13 15% 2015 13th 2015 0
 Morocco † RTM 1980 1 1 N/A 1980 18th 1980 0
 Netherlands † AVROTROS 1956 2025 65 54 10/20 50% 2025 1st 2019 5
 North Macedonia † MRT 1998 2022 21 9 6/18 33% 2019 7th 2019 0
 Norway NRK 1960 2025 63 60 15/18 83% 2025 1st 2009 3
 Poland TVP 1994 2025 27 17 8/18 44% 2025 2nd 1994 0
 Portugal RTP 1964 2025 56 47 9/18 50% 2025 1st 2017 1
 Romania TVR 1994 2023 23 19 11/15 73% 2022 3rd 2010 0
 Russia ◇ RTR / C1R 1994 2021 23 22 11/12 92% 2021 1st 2008 1
 San Marino SMRTV 2008 2025 15 4 4/15 27% 2025 19th 2019 0
 Serbia RTS 2007 2025 17 13 12/16 75% 2024 1st 2007 1
 Serbia and Montenegro ‡ UJRT 2004 2005 2 2 1/1 100% 2005 2nd 2004 0
 Slovakia † RTVS 1994 2012 7 3 0/4 0% 1998 18th 1996 0
 Slovenia † RTVSLO 1993 2025 30 17 8/21 38% 2024 7th 2001 0
 Spain † RTVE 1961 2025 64 64 Permanent finalist 2025 1st 1969 2
 Sweden SVT 1958 2025 64 63 14/15 93% 2025 1st 2023 7
  Switzerland SRG SSR 1956 2025 65 54 9/20 45% 2025 1st 2024 3
 Turkey † TRT 1975 2012 34 33 6/7 86% 2012 1st 2003 1
 Ukraine Suspilne 2003 2025 20 20 15/15 100% 2025 1st 2022 3
 United Kingdom BBC 1957 2025 67 67 Permanent finalist 2025 1st 1997 5
 Yugoslavia ‡ JRT 1961 1992 27 27 N/A 1992 1st 1989 1

Participating countries by year

Seven countries participated in the first contest. Since then, the number of entries has increased steadily. In 1961, three countries debuted, Finland, Spain, and Yugoslavia, joining the thirteen already included. Yugoslavia would become the only socialist country to participate in the following three decades. In 1970, a Nordic-led boycott of the contest reduced the number of countries entering to twelve. By the late 1980s, over twenty countries had become standard.

In 1993, the collapse of the USSR in Eastern Europe and the subsequent merger of EBU and the International Radio and Television Organisation (OIRT) gave numerous broadcasters from new countries the opportunity to compete. Three countries—Croatia, Slovenia, and Bosnia and Herzegovina, all of them former Yugoslav republics—went through a pre-qualifier round to compete. After the 1993 event, a relegation system was introduced, allowing more Eastern European countries to compete, with seven more making their debut in 1994.

In 2003, broadcasters from four countries applied to make their debut: Albania, Belarus, Bulgaria, and Ukraine. In addition, Serbia and Montenegro, who had not competed since 1992 when they competed as Yugoslavia, applied to debut. The EBU, having originally accepted the five countries' applications, later rejected all but Ukraine; allowing five further countries to compete would have meant relegating too many countries. The semi-final was introduced in 2004 in an attempt to prevent situations like this. The EBU set a limit of forty countries, but by 2005, thirty-nine were competing. In 2007, the EBU lifted the limit, allowing forty-two countries to compete. Two semi-finals were held for the first time in 2008.

Amount of countriesYear0102030405019561966197619861996200620162026Number of countries participatingNumber of qualified countries competing in the finalNumber of countries participating including pre-contest qualification roundsParticipants of the Eurovision Song Contest by year
Line graph showing the number of countries participating in each Eurovision Song Contest. View source data.

Participating countries by decade

The following table lists the participating countries in each year since the first Eurovision Song Contest was held in 1956, sorted by each decade:

Table key
#
 Debutant The country made its debut during the decade.
1
 Winner The country won the contest.
2
 Second place The country was ranked second.
3
 Third place The country was ranked third.
X
 Remaining places The country placed from fourth to second last in the final.
◁
 Last place The country was ranked last in the final.
W/D
 Withdrawn/disqualified before the contest The country was to participate in the contest but either withdrew or got disqualified before the contest took place.
Ӿ
 Disqualified during the contest The country had already participated in at least one show but was disqualified before the completion of the contest.
†
 Non-qualified for the final The country did not qualify for the final (2004–present).
‡
 Non-qualified for the contest The country did not qualify from the pre-qualifying round (1993, 1996).
?
 Unknown The country's placing in the contest is unknown (1956).
R
 Relegated The country was relegated from the contest due to poor results in the previous years (1994–1995; 1997–2003).
C
 Cancelled The contest was cancelled after the deadline for submitting songs had passed (2020).
U
 Upcoming The country has confirmed participation for the next contest, however, the contest has yet to take place.
No entry The country did not enter the contest.
1956–1959
1960–1969
1970–1979
1980–1989
1990–1999
2000–2009
2010–2019
2020–2026

Other potential participants

For any broadcaster wishing to take part in the Eurovision Song Contest, it must be an active member of the EBU. Associate members can be invited by the EBU in order to take part since 2015, with only one associate broadcaster, Australia's SBS, being invited into the competition to date.

Among the countries which have been discussed as potential new entrants are Canada, China, the Faroe Islands, Kazakhstan, Kosovo, New Zealand, and Qatar, some of which are ineligible to participate due to a lack of an active or associate member broadcaster of the EBU.

Current EBU members

As of 2025, the following broadcasters have never taken part in the contest, despite being eligible to compete as current members of the EBU:

  • Algeria – ENRS, EPTV, TDA
  • Egypt – ERTU
  • Jordan – JRTV
  •  Lebanon – TL
  • Libya – LNC
  • Tunisia – RT, TT (RTT)
  • Vatican City – RV

Past attempts

In 1977, Tunisia's former broadcaster ERTT was set to take part and perform in position 4 in the final, but later withdrew with no reason given. In 2005, Lebanese broadcaster TL was set to take part in the semi-final with the song "Quand tout s'enfuit" by Aline Lahoud. The country withdrew in March 2005 due to Lebanese law restricting Israeli content being aired on television, with Israel also set to take part in the semi-final. Following a three-year ban from the contest incurred by the late withdrawal, TL has not made another attempt since.

See also

  • List of countries in the Eurovision Young Dancers
  • List of countries in the Eurovision Young Musicians
  • List of countries in the Junior Eurovision Song Contest

Works cited

  • O'Connor, John Kennedy (2005). The Eurovision Song Contest: 50 Years – The Official History. London, United Kingdom: Carlton Books. ISBN 9781844425860.
  • O'Connor, John Kennedy (2007). The Eurovision Song Contest: The Official History. London, United Kingdom: Carlton Books. ISBN 9781844429943.

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