2008 Olympic Results by GDP

China 2008 olympic medal tally by gross domestic product (GDP)

This page contains Olympic results standardised by GDP. The thinking is that the more money you make the more likely you are able to train a freak of nature that can win a medal. Economics is supposed to be a very large factor in gaining an olympic medal. Note that this statistic is by no means an accurate reflection of a country's performance. If you want to see a reasonably good predictive statistical model check out the paper by Bernard & Busse. Note that there are some wide variations on calculations of GDP so the measure appears to be moderately random depending upon your source of GDP information. Also note that per GDP mean $US million million of GDP (1E12).

Any queries or if you spot a problem contact me simon@neoporcupine.net

Three tables contain the following:: Gold medals per GDP*; Total medals per GDP*; Weighted medal score per GDP*

Last updated 2008-08-24 19:27:56.137119 (@+10GMT). The GDP data is stolen from the CIA World Fact Book. The medal data is filtered out of Official website. The program to calculate the data was written by me using Python.

Note that these results are accurate as at the ending of the Olympic Games event, however as time passes, certain competitors may be stripped of their medals which will definitely affect the country's ranking.

87 countries have won medals. 302 gold medals awarded.

Gold medals per GDP*
Rank Country Gold Silver Bronze Gold/Billion GDP

1 Zimbabwe 1 3 0 452.2840

2 Jamaica 6 3 2 290.2758

3 Mongolia 2 2 0 237.5297

4 Georgia 3 0 3 146.3415

5 Kenya 5 5 4 84.9185

6 Ethiopia 4 1 2 64.3190

7 DPR Korea 2 1 3 50.0000

8 Bahrain 1 0 0 40.8163

9 Cuba 2 11 11 39.1313

10 Belarus 4 5 10 38.0228

11 Estonia 1 1 0 34.0716

12 Panama 1 0 0 28.9771

13 Slovakia 3 2 1 27.3723

14 New Zealand 3 1 5 26.8577

15 Cameroon 1 0 0 25.4001

16 Latvia 1 1 1 25.1699

17 Ukraine 7 5 15 21.8682

18 Australia 14 15 17 18.4017

19 Slovenia 1 2 2 18.2916

20 Romania 4 1 3 16.2272

21 Dominican Rep. 1 1 0 16.1838

22 Hungary 3 5 2 15.6822

23 Uzbekistan 1 2 3 15.5885

24 Azerbaijan 1 2 4 15.2882

25 Tunisia 1 0 0 12.9870

26 Norway 3 5 2 12.1261

27 Czech Republic 3 3 0 12.0434

28 Kazakhstan 2 4 7 11.9332

29 Bulgaria 1 1 3 11.5848

30 Russian Fed. 23 21 28 11.0153

31 Netherlands 7 5 4 10.9461

32 Korea 13 10 8 10.8243

33 Denmark 2 2 3 9.8184

34 Great Britain 19 13 15 8.8910

35 China 51 21 28 7.2951

36 Switzerland 2 0 4 6.6622

37 Germany 16 10 15 5.6980

38 Finland 1 1 2 5.3908

39 Poland 3 6 1 4.8317

40 Italy 8 10 10 4.4793

41 Portugal 1 1 0 4.3384

42 Thailand 2 2 0 3.8506

43 Argentina 2 0 4 3.8190

44 Spain 5 10 3 3.6982

45 France 7 16 17 3.4196

46 Belgium 1 1 0 2.6596

47 United States 36 38 36 2.6012

48 Canada 3 9 6 2.3697

49 Japan 9 6 10 2.0979

50 Brazil 3 4 8 1.6340

51 Mexico 2 0 1 1.4859

52 Iran 1 0 1 1.3280

53 Indonesia 1 1 3 1.1936

54 Turkey 1 4 3 1.1261

55 India 1 0 2 0.3346

Total medals per GDP*
Rank Country Gold Silver Bronze Total
Medals Total Medals
/Billion GDP

1 Zimbabwe 1 3 0 4 1809.1361

2 Jamaica 6 3 2 11 532.1722

3 Mongolia 2 2 0 4 475.0594

4 Cuba 2 11 11 24 469.5754

5 Armenia 0 0 6 6 349.8542

6 Georgia 3 0 3 6 292.6829

7 Bahamas 0 1 1 2 240.0384

8 Kenya 5 5 4 14 237.7717

9 Kyrgyzstan 0 1 1 2 192.6782

10 Togo 0 0 1 1 192.0123

11 Belarus 4 5 10 19 180.6084

12 Tajikistan 0 1 1 2 169.2047

13 DPR Korea 2 1 3 6 150.0000

14 Ethiopia 4 1 2 7 112.5583

15 Azerbaijan 1 2 4 7 107.0173

16 Rep. of Moldova 0 0 1 1 101.8226

17 Uzbekistan 1 2 3 6 93.5308

18 Slovenia 1 2 2 5 91.4578

19 Ukraine 7 5 15 27 84.3486

20 Trinidad/Tobago 0 2 0 2 84.0689

21 Lithuania 0 2 3 5 83.8364

22 Iceland 0 1 0 1 82.3723

23 New Zealand 3 1 5 9 80.5730

24 Kazakhstan 2 4 7 13 77.5656

25 Latvia 1 1 1 3 75.5097

26 Croatia 0 2 3 5 72.4848

27 Mauritius 0 0 1 1 71.1238

28 Estonia 1 1 0 2 68.1431

29 Australia 14 15 17 46 60.4627

30 Bulgaria 1 1 3 5 57.9240

31 Slovakia 3 2 1 6 54.7445

32 Hungary 3 5 2 10 52.2739

33 Bahrain 1 0 0 1 40.8163

34 Norway 3 5 2 10 40.4204

35 Serbia 0 1 2 3 38.8199

36 Russian Fed. 23 21 28 72 34.4828

37 Denmark 2 2 3 7 34.3643

38 Romania 4 1 3 8 32.4544

39 Dominican Rep. 1 1 0 2 32.3677

40 Panama 1 0 0 1 28.9771

41 Afghanistan 0 0 1 1 28.5714

42 Korea 13 10 8 31 25.8118

43 Cameroon 1 0 0 1 25.4001

44 Netherlands 7 5 4 16 25.0195

45 Czech Republic 3 3 0 6 24.0867

46 Great Britain 19 13 15 47 21.9934

47 Finland 1 1 2 4 21.5633

48 Switzerland 2 0 4 6 19.9867

49 France 7 16 17 40 19.5408

50 Ireland 0 1 2 3 16.1117

51 Poland 3 6 1 10 16.1057

52 Morocco 0 1 1 2 15.9617

53 Italy 8 10 10 28 15.6775

54 Sweden 0 4 1 5 14.9432

55 Germany 16 10 15 41 14.6011

56 China 51 21 28 100 14.3041

57 Canada 3 9 6 18 14.2180

58 Nigeria 0 1 3 4 13.6659

59 Spain 5 10 3 18 13.3136

60 Tunisia 1 0 0 1 12.9870

61 Sudan 0 1 0 1 12.3900

62 Greece 0 2 2 4 12.3229

63 Argentina 2 0 4 6 11.4569

64 Ecuador 0 1 0 1 10.1225

65 Austria 0 1 2 3 9.4399

66 Turkey 1 4 3 8 9.0090

67 Algeria 0 1 1 2 8.9008

68 Portugal 1 1 0 2 8.6768

69 Brazil 3 4 8 15 8.1699

70 United States 36 38 36 110 7.9480

71 Thailand 2 2 0 4 7.7012

72 Colombia 0 1 1 2 6.2598

73 Indonesia 1 1 3 5 5.9680

74 Japan 9 6 10 25 5.8275

75 Chinese Taipei 0 0 4 4 5.7521

76 Israel 0 0 1 1 5.3792

77 Belgium 1 1 0 2 5.3191

78 Vietnam 0 1 0 1 4.5167

79 Singapore 0 1 0 1 4.3840

80 Chile 0 1 0 1 4.3271

81 Venezuela 0 0 1 1 2.9886

82 Malaysia 0 1 0 1 2.7980

83 Iran 1 0 1 2 2.6560

84 Mexico 2 0 1 3 2.2288

85 Egypt 0 0 1 1 2.2026

86 South Africa 0 1 0 1 2.1409

87 India 1 0 2 3 1.0037

Weighted medal score per GDP*
(Gold=4 Silver=2 Bronze=1)
Rank Country Gold Silver Bronze Weighted
Medals Weighted Medals
/Billion GDP

1 Zimbabwe 1 3 0 10 4522.8403

2 Jamaica 6 3 2 32 1548.1374

3 Mongolia 2 2 0 12 1425.1781

4 Cuba 2 11 11 41 802.1914

5 Georgia 3 0 3 15 731.7073

6 Kenya 5 5 4 34 577.4457

7 Bahamas 0 1 1 3 360.0576

8 Armenia 0 0 6 6 349.8542

9 Belarus 4 5 10 36 342.2053

10 DPR Korea 2 1 3 13 325.0000

11 Ethiopia 4 1 2 20 321.5951

12 Kyrgyzstan 0 1 1 3 289.0173

13 Tajikistan 0 1 1 3 253.8071

14 Estonia 1 1 0 6 204.4293

15 Togo 0 0 1 1 192.0123

16 Azerbaijan 1 2 4 12 183.4582

17 Slovenia 1 2 2 10 182.9157

18 Latvia 1 1 1 7 176.1893

19 Uzbekistan 1 2 3 11 171.4731

20 New Zealand 3 1 5 19 170.0985

21 Trinidad/Tobago 0 2 0 4 168.1379

22 Ukraine 7 5 15 53 165.5733

23 Iceland 0 1 0 2 164.7446

24 Bahrain 1 0 0 4 163.2653

25 Slovakia 3 2 1 17 155.1095

26 Kazakhstan 2 4 7 23 137.2315

27 Australia 14 15 17 103 135.3838

28 Hungary 3 5 2 24 125.4574

29 Lithuania 0 2 3 7 117.3709

30 Panama 1 0 0 4 115.9084

31 Bulgaria 1 1 3 9 104.2632

32 Rep. of Moldova 0 0 1 1 101.8226

33 Cameroon 1 0 0 4 101.6002

34 Croatia 0 2 3 7 101.4787

35 Dominican Rep. 1 1 0 6 97.1031

36 Norway 3 5 2 24 97.0089

37 Romania 4 1 3 21 85.1927

38 Russian Fed. 23 21 28 162 77.5862

39 Denmark 2 2 3 15 73.6377

40 Czech Republic 3 3 0 18 72.2601

41 Mauritius 0 0 1 1 71.1238

42 Korea 13 10 8 80 66.6112

43 Netherlands 7 5 4 42 65.6763

44 Great Britain 19 13 15 117 54.7496

45 Tunisia 1 0 0 4 51.9481

46 Serbia 0 1 2 4 51.7598

47 Finland 1 1 2 8 43.1267

48 Poland 3 6 1 25 40.2641

49 Switzerland 2 0 4 12 39.9734

50 China 51 21 28 274 39.1932

51 France 7 16 17 77 37.6160

52 Germany 16 10 15 99 35.2564

53 Italy 8 10 10 62 34.7144

54 Spain 5 10 3 43 31.8047

55 Afghanistan 0 0 1 1 28.5714

56 Canada 3 9 6 36 28.4360

57 Sweden 0 4 1 9 26.8978

58 Portugal 1 1 0 6 26.0304

59 Sudan 0 1 0 2 24.7801

60 Morocco 0 1 1 3 23.9425

61 Thailand 2 2 0 12 23.1036

62 Argentina 2 0 4 12 22.9139

63 Ireland 0 1 2 4 21.4823

64 Ecuador 0 1 0 2 20.2450

65 United States 36 38 36 256 18.4971

66 Greece 0 2 2 6 18.4843

67 Nigeria 0 1 3 5 17.0823

68 Turkey 1 4 3 15 16.8919

69 Belgium 1 1 0 6 15.9574

70 Brazil 3 4 8 28 15.2505

71 Japan 9 6 10 58 13.5198

72 Algeria 0 1 1 3 13.3511

73 Austria 0 1 2 4 12.5865

74 Indonesia 1 1 3 9 10.7424

75 Colombia 0 1 1 3 9.3897

76 Vietnam 0 1 0 2 9.0334

77 Singapore 0 1 0 2 8.7681

78 Chile 0 1 0 2 8.6543

79 Mexico 2 0 1 9 6.6865

80 Iran 1 0 1 5 6.6401

81 Chinese Taipei 0 0 4 4 5.7521

82 Malaysia 0 1 0 2 5.5960

83 Israel 0 0 1 1 5.3792

84 South Africa 0 1 0 2 4.2817

85 Venezuela 0 0 1 1 2.9886

86 Egypt 0 0 1 1 2.2026

87 India 1 0 2 6 2.0074

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Rank	Country	Gold	Silver	Bronze	Gold/Billion GDP
1	Zimbabwe	1	3	0	452.2840
2	Jamaica	6	3	2	290.2758
3	Mongolia	2	2	0	237.5297
4	Georgia	3	0	3	146.3415
5	Kenya	5	5	4	84.9185
6	Ethiopia	4	1	2	64.3190
7	DPR Korea	2	1	3	50.0000
8	Bahrain	1	0	0	40.8163
9	Cuba	2	11	11	39.1313
10	Belarus	4	5	10	38.0228
11	Estonia	1	1	0	34.0716
12	Panama	1	0	0	28.9771
13	Slovakia	3	2	1	27.3723
14	New Zealand	3	1	5	26.8577
15	Cameroon	1	0	0	25.4001
16	Latvia	1	1	1	25.1699
17	Ukraine	7	5	15	21.8682
18	Australia	14	15	17	18.4017
19	Slovenia	1	2	2	18.2916
20	Romania	4	1	3	16.2272
21	Dominican Rep.	1	1	0	16.1838
22	Hungary	3	5	2	15.6822
23	Uzbekistan	1	2	3	15.5885
24	Azerbaijan	1	2	4	15.2882
25	Tunisia	1	0	0	12.9870
26	Norway	3	5	2	12.1261
27	Czech Republic	3	3	0	12.0434
28	Kazakhstan	2	4	7	11.9332
29	Bulgaria	1	1	3	11.5848
30	Russian Fed.	23	21	28	11.0153
31	Netherlands	7	5	4	10.9461
32	Korea	13	10	8	10.8243
33	Denmark	2	2	3	9.8184
34	Great Britain	19	13	15	8.8910
35	China	51	21	28	7.2951
36	Switzerland	2	0	4	6.6622
37	Germany	16	10	15	5.6980
38	Finland	1	1	2	5.3908
39	Poland	3	6	1	4.8317
40	Italy	8	10	10	4.4793
41	Portugal	1	1	0	4.3384
42	Thailand	2	2	0	3.8506
43	Argentina	2	0	4	3.8190
44	Spain	5	10	3	3.6982
45	France	7	16	17	3.4196
46	Belgium	1	1	0	2.6596
47	United States	36	38	36	2.6012
48	Canada	3	9	6	2.3697
49	Japan	9	6	10	2.0979
50	Brazil	3	4	8	1.6340
51	Mexico	2	0	1	1.4859
52	Iran	1	0	1	1.3280
53	Indonesia	1	1	3	1.1936
54	Turkey	1	4	3	1.1261
55	India	1	0	2	0.3346