EUROVISION RECORDS

Countries with the most Eurovision second places

Winning gets the trophy, but repeated runner-up finishes tell another story of long-term Eurovision strength. This leaderboard is calculated directly from our verified Grand Final results archive rather than maintained as a hand-written list.

CURRENT RECORD

🇬🇧 United Kingdom16 runner-up finishes

United Kingdom currently tops the database for Eurovision Grand Final second places. Its runner-up years are 1959, 1960, 1961, 1964, 1965, 1968, 1970, 1972, 1975, 1977, 1988, 1989, 1992, 1993, 1998, 2022.

United Kingdom at Eurovision →

Eurovision runner-up leaderboard

RankCountrySecond placesYears
1🇬🇧 United Kingdom161959, 1960, 1961, 1964, 1965, 1968, 1970, 1972, 1975, 1977, 1988, 1989, 1992, 1993, 1998, 2022
2🇫🇷 France51957, 1976, 1990, 1991, 2021
3🇩🇪 Germany41980, 1981, 1985, 1987
4🇮🇪 Ireland41967, 1984, 1990, 1997
5🇮🇱 Israel41982, 1983, 2025, 2026
6🇷🇺 Russia42000, 2006, 2012, 2015
7🇪🇸 Spain41971, 1973, 1979, 1995
8🇮🇹 Italy31974, 2011, 2019
9🇨🇭 Switzerland31958, 1963, 1986
10🇧🇪 Belgium21978, 2003
11🇮🇸 Iceland21999, 2009
12🇲🇹 Malta22002, 2005
13🇺🇦 Ukraine22007, 2008
14🇦🇺 Australia12016
15🇦🇿 Azerbaijan12013
16🇧🇬 Bulgaria12017
17🇭🇷 Croatia12024
18🇨🇾 Cyprus12018
19🇩🇰 Denmark12001
20🇫🇮 Finland12023
21🇲🇨 Monaco11962
22🇳🇱 Netherlands12014
23🇳🇴 Norway11996
24🇵🇱 Poland11994
25🇷🇸 Serbia & Montenegro12004
26🇸🇪 Sweden11966
27🇹🇷 Türkiye12010

Every runner-up performance

The detailed list below keeps the song, artist, year and points attached to every second-place finish in the database.

🇬🇧 United Kingdom16

2022Sam Ryder, “SPACE MAN” · 466 points

1998Imaani, “Where Are You?” · 166 points

1993Sonia, “Better The Devil You Know” · 164 points

1992Michael Ball, “One Step Out Of Time” · 139 points

1989Live Report, “Why Do I Always Get It Wrong” · 130 points

1988Scott Fitzgerald, “Go” · 136 points

1977Lynsey de Paul & Mike Moran, “Rock Bottom” · 121 points

1975The Shadows, “Let Me Be The One” · 138 points

1972The New Seekers, “Beg, Steal Or Borrow” · 114 points

1970Mary Hopkin, “Knock, Knock (Who's There?)” · 26 points

1968Cliff Richard, “Congratulations” · 28 points

1965Kathy Kirby, “I Belong” · 26 points

1964Matt Monro, “I Love the Little Things” · 17 points

1961The Allisons, “Are You Sure?” · 24 points

1960Bryan Johnson, “Looking High, High, High” · 25 points

1959Pearl Carr and Teddy Johnson, “Sing Little Birdie” · 16 points

🇫🇷 France5

2021Barbara Pravi, “Voilà” · 499 points

1991Amina, “C'est Le Dernier Qui A Parlé Qui A Raison” · 146 points

1990Joelle Ursull, “White And Black Blues” · 132 points

1976Catherine Ferry, “Un, Deux, Trois” · 147 points

1957Paule Desjardins, “La Belle Amour” · 17 points

🇩🇪 Germany4

1987Wind, “Laß Die Sonne In Dein Herz” · 141 points

1985Wind, “Für Alle” · 105 points

1981Lena Valaitis, “Johnny Blue” · 132 points

1980Katja Ebstein, “Theater” · 128 points

🇮🇪 Ireland4

1997Marc Roberts, “Mysterious Woman” · 157 points

1990Liam Reilly, “Somewhere In Europe” · 132 points

1984Linda Martin, “Terminal '3'” · 137 points

1967Sean Dunphy, “If I Could Choose” · 22 points

🇮🇱 Israel4

2026Noam Bettan, “Michelle” · 343 points

2025Yuval Raphael, “New Day Will Rise” · 357 points

1983Ofra Haza, “Hi” · 136 points

1982Avi Toledano, “Hora” · 100 points

🇷🇺 Russia4

2015Polina Gagarina, “A Million Voices” · 303 points

2012Buranovskiye Babushki, “Party For Everybody” · 259 points

2006Dima Bilan, “Never Let You Go” · 248 points

2000Alsou, “Solo” · 155 points

🇪🇸 Spain4

1995Anabel Conde, “Vuelve Conmigo” · 119 points

1979Betty Missiego, “Su Canción” · 116 points

1973Mocedades, “Eres Tú” · 125 points

1971Karina, “En Un Mundo Nuevo” · 116 points

🇮🇹 Italy3

2019Mahmood, “Soldi” · 472 points

2011Raphael Gualazzi, “Madness Of Love” · 189 points

1974Gigliola Cinquetti, “Si” · 18 points

🇨🇭 Switzerland3

1986Daniela Simons, “Pas Pour Moi” · 140 points

1963Esther Ofarim, “T'en Va Pas” · 40 points

1958Lys Assia, “Giorgio” · 24 points

🇧🇪 Belgium2

2003Urban Trad, “Sanomi” · 165 points

1978Jean Vallée, “L'amour ça Fait Chanter La Vie” · 125 points

🇮🇸 Iceland2

2009Yohanna, “Is It True?” · 218 points

1999Selma, “All Out Of Luck” · 146 points

🇲🇹 Malta2

2005Chiara, “Angel” · 192 points

2002Ira Losco, “7th Wonder” · 164 points

🇺🇦 Ukraine2

2008Ani Lorak, “Shady Lady” · 230 points

2007Verka Serduchka, “Dancing Lasha Tumbai” · 235 points

🇦🇺 Australia1

2016Dami Im, “Sound of Silence” · 511 points

🇦🇿 Azerbaijan1

2013Farid Mammadov, “Hold Me” · 234 points

🇧🇬 Bulgaria1

2017Kristian Kostov, “Beautiful Mess” · 615 points

🇭🇷 Croatia1

2024Baby Lasagna, “Rim Tim Tagi Dim” · 547 points

🇨🇾 Cyprus1

2018Eleni Foureira, “Fuego” · 436 points

🇩🇰 Denmark1

2001Rollo & King, “Never Ever Let You Go” · 177 points

🇫🇮 Finland1

2023Käärijä, “Cha Cha Cha” · 526 points

🇲🇨 Monaco1

1962François Deguelt, “Dis Rien” · 13 points

🇳🇱 Netherlands1

2014The Common Linnets, “Calm After The Storm” · 238 points

🇳🇴 Norway1

1996Elisabeth Andreasson, “I Evighet” · 114 points

🇵🇱 Poland1

1994Edyta Górniak, “To Nie Ja!” · 166 points

🇷🇸 Serbia & Montenegro1

2004Željko Joksimović and Ad-Hoc Orchestra, “Lane Moje” · 263 points

🇸🇪 Sweden1

1966Lill Lindfors and Svante Thuresson, “Nygammal Vals Eller Hip Man Svinaherde” · 16 points

🇹🇷 Türkiye1

2010maNga, “We Could Be The Same” · 170 points

How the ranking is calculated

We count entries whose verified Grand Final placement is exactly second. The archive covers every completed Contest from 1957 through 2026, using the same result data that powers the individual year pages.

Eurovision 1956 is excluded because only the winner was officially announced and the rest of the final ranking was never published. Eurovision 2020 is excluded because the Contest was cancelled.

The official Eurovision 70th-anniversary facts page independently confirms the United Kingdom record of 16 second-place finishes after Sam Ryder's runner-up result in 2022.

Official Eurovision: 70 fabulous facts ↗

Runner-up FAQ

Which country has finished second at Eurovision the most times?

United Kingdom leads this Grand Final runner-up table with 16 second-place finishes in the verified 1957–2026 results archive.

Why does this table start in 1957?

Only the winner of the first Eurovision Song Contest in 1956 was publicly announced. The complete ranking was not published, so Song Contest Radar does not invent a 1956 runner-up.

Is Eurovision 2020 included?

No. Eurovision 2020 was cancelled and therefore had no Grand Final result or runner-up.

Do Semi-Final second places count?

No. This page counts second-place finishes in the Eurovision Grand Final only.

How is the 1969 four-way tie treated?

The four countries tied for first in 1969 are treated as winners, not runner-up finishes.

Explore more Eurovision records

Countries with the most Eurovision wins →

Eurovision records hub →

Every Eurovision winner 1956–2026 →

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