The Real Medal Table

The Olympic Medal Table is unfair, many would say. Britain and Northern Ireland currently lay third - a creditable score but we are a tiny country compared to China and the US.

And they have a point. So in order to restore us to our proper place in the world, I have factored in the population of each country. And so now if we look at the number of People per Gold Medal in the different countries that have won a gold medal, we find a very different view of the world.

Rank	Country	Gold	Silver	Bronze	Total	Population	People / Gold M
1	New Zealand	3	0	4	7	4,028,000	1,342,667
2	Slovenia	1	0	2	3	1,967,000	1,967,000
3	Kazakhstan	5	0	0	5	14,825,000	2,965,000
4	Lithuania	1	0	0	1	3,431,000	3,431,000
5	United Kingdom	14	7	8	29	59,668,000	4,262,000
6	Georgia	1	0	0	1	4,474,000	4,474,000
7	Croatia	1	1	0	2	4,551,000	4,551,000
8	Hungary	2	1	2	5	10,098,000	5,049,000
9	Denmark	1	2	2	5	5,431,000	5,431,000
10	Netherlands	3	1	4	8	16,299,000	5,433,000
11	South Korea	9	3	5	17	50,000,000	5,555,556
12	North Korea	4	0	1	5	22,488,000	5,622,000
13	Cuba	2	2	1	5	11,269,000	5,634,500
14	Switzerland	1	0	0	1	7,252,000	7,252,000
15	France	8	6	8	22	65,446,000	8,180,750
16	Belarus	1	2	3	6	9,755,000	9,755,000
17	Czech Republic	1	2	1	4	10,220,000	10,220,000
18	United States	26	12	15	53	298,213,000	11,469,731
19	Italy	5	5	3	13	58,093,000	11,618,600
20	South Africa	3	1	0	4	48,432,000	16,144,000
21	Germany	5	10	6	21	82,689,000	16,537,800
22	Poland	2	1	1	4	38,530,000	19,265,000
23	Australia	1	12	7	20	20,155,000	20,155,000
24	Romania	1	4	2	7	21,711,000	21,711,000
25	Ukraine	2	0	5	7	46,481,000	23,240,500
26	Venezuela	1	0	0	1	26,749,000	26,749,000
27	Canada	1	3	6	10	32,268,000	32,268,000
28	Russia	3	15	10	28	143,202,000	47,734,000
29	China	25	16	12	53	1,307,593,000	52,303,720
30	Japan	2	10	12	24	128,085,000	64,042,500
31	Ethiopia	1	0	1	2	77,431,000	77,431,000
32	Brazil	1	1	4	6	186,405,000	186,405,000

Yes, that is right. New Zealand is the best athletic country in the world.  And Britain has slipped to fifth. Although, on the bright side, way ahead of China.

But, I hear you all cry - that is only golds. Surely a better measure is the number of people for each medal - regardless of colour? This will truly show us the spread of athletic endeavour.

Well, fear not. I have done this also.

Rank	Country	Gold	Silver	Bronze	Total	Population	People / Medal
1	New Zealand	3	0	4	7	4,028,000	575,429
2	Slovenia	1	0	2	3	1,967,000	655,667
3	Qatar	0	0	1	1	813,000	813,000
4	Australia	1	12	7	20	20,155,000	1,007,750
5	Denmark	1	2	2	5	5,431,000	1,086,200
6	Mongolia	0	1	1	2	2,646,000	1,323,000
7	Slovakia	0	1	3	4	5,401,000	1,350,250
8	Belarus	1	2	3	6	9,755,000	1,625,833
9	Hungary	2	1	2	5	10,098,000	2,019,600
10	Netherlands	3	1	4	8	16,299,000	2,037,375
11	United Kingdom	14	7	8	29	59,668,000	2,057,517
12	Moldova	0	0	2	2	4,206,000	2,103,000
13	Cuba	2	2	1	5	11,269,000	2,253,800
14	Croatia	1	1	0	2	4,551,000	2,275,500
15	Norway	0	1	1	2	4,620,000	2,310,000
16	Czech Republic	1	2	1	4	10,220,000	2,555,000
17	South Korea	9	3	5	17	50,000,000	2,941,176
18	Kazakhstan	5	0	0	5	14,825,000	2,965,000
19	France	8	6	8	22	65,446,000	2,974,818
20	Sweden	0	3	0	3	9,041,000	3,013,667
21	Romania	1	4	2	7	21,711,000	3,101,571
22	Canada	1	3	6	10	32,268,000	3,226,800
23	Lithuania	1	0	0	1	3,431,000	3,431,000
24	Germany	5	10	6	21	82,689,000	3,937,571
25	Singapore	0	0	1	1	4,326,000	4,326,000
26	Italy	5	5	3	13	58,093,000	4,468,692
27	Georgia	1	0	0	1	4,474,000	4,474,000
28	North Korea	4	0	1	5	22,488,000	4,497,600
29	Serbia	0	1	1	2	9,778,991	4,889,496
30	Russia	3	15	10	28	143,202,000	5,114,357
31	Belgium	0	1	1	2	10,419,000	5,209,500
32	Japan	2	10	12	24	128,085,000	5,336,875
33	Greece	0	0	2	2	11,120,000	5,560,000
34	United States	26	12	15	53	298,213,000	5,626,660
35	Ukraine	2	0	5	7	46,481,000	6,640,143
36	Hong Kong(China)	0	0	1	1	7,041,000	7,041,000
37	Switzerland	1	0	0	1	7,252,000	7,252,000
38	Azerbaijan	0	0	1	1	8,411,000	8,411,000
39	Poland	2	1	1	4	38,530,000	9,632,500
40	Tunisia	0	0	1	1	10,102,000	10,102,000
41	South Africa	3	1	0	4	48,432,000	12,108,000
42	Guatemala	0	1	0	1	12,599,000	12,599,000
43	Spain	0	2	1	3	43,064,000	14,354,667
44	Colombia	0	2	1	3	45,600,000	15,200,000
45	Kenya	0	1	1	2	34,256,000	17,128,000
46	Taiwan	0	1	0	1	22,894,384	22,894,384
47	China	25	16	12	53	1,307,593,000	24,671,566
48	Uzbekistan	0	0	1	1	26,593,000	26,593,000
49	Venezuela	1	0	0	1	26,749,000	26,749,000
50	Mexico	0	3	1	4	107,029,000	26,757,250
51	Brazil	1	1	4	6	186,405,000	31,067,500
52	Ethiopia	1	0	1	2	77,431,000	38,715,500
53	Thailand	0	1	0	1	64,233,000	64,233,000
54	Iran	0	0	1	1	69,515,000	69,515,000
55	Egypt	0	1	0	1	74,033,000	74,033,000
56	Indonesia	0	1	1	2	222,781,000	111,390,500
57	India	0	1	2	3	1,103,371,000	367,790,333

No, the New Zealanders really are that good. The UK has now slipped to 11th - behind even the Aussies. Shall we stick to doing things properly?