Countries with the most beauty queens and kings in the world

It is true that traditional beauty pageants are receiving more and more scrutiny. But that doesn't stop them from existing and having a rather large following. In fact, a massive following in many countries. The website money.co.uk has analysed the results of 5,000 beauty pageants (Miss and Mister) around the world and these are the countries with the most victories.

(Image: Miss Australia, Maria Thattil, competing in the 2020 Miss Universe pageant)

The United States leads the list of male and female beauty pageant winners by a wide margin with a total of 61 victories. The Americans can boast the titles of Miss Universe 2012: Olivia Frances Culpo; and Miss World 2010, Alexandria Mills (pictured) as their all time biggest winners. On the men's side, their last Mister Universe was Joshua Day in 2009.

Venezuela has always been famous for the beauty it produces and the statistics prove it. They are the country with the second most winners of beauty pageants with a total of 35. In 2013, Venezuelan María Gabriela Isler won the Miss Universe contest, as did Ivian Sarcos in 2011 (pictured). The most recent male winners were Sandro Finoglio, Mister World 1998, and Juan Pablo Gómez, Mister Universe 2011.

In third place is Brazil, which has 26 beauty pageant winners. If you look at the Miss World competition, Brazil took the prize with Lúcia Tavares Petterle, although that was back in 1971. As for Miss Universe, Martha Vasconcellos last won the title in 1968. On the men's side, Gustavo Gianetti was Mister World in 2003 and Bruno Mooneyhan, Mister Universe 2014. In the picture, Julia Gama, who was runner up for Miss Universe 2020.

It has been a long time since the UK has had a beauty winner or winner at world level, yet its 25 victories keep it in fourth place. Sarah Hutt (pictured) was the UK's last Miss World in 1983. We also can't fail to remember Helen Morgan, who was eventually ousted in 1974 in favour of South Africa's Anneline Kriel.

The Asian country ranks fifth among the world leaders with the most beauty pageant winners; boasting no less than 23 titles. The Philippines' last Miss World was in 2013 with Megan Young (pictured) and its last Miss Universe, Catriona Gray was only recently, in 2018.

In sixth place are three countries with the same number of male and female winners: 19. The first of these is Australia, which crowned Belinda Green (pictured) as Miss World in 1972 and Jennifer Louis Hawkins as Miss Universe in 2004.

Sitting alongside Australia, we also find Colombia, with the same total of 19 winners in beauty pageants. In 2014 they won the Miss Universe title with Paulina Vega (pictured). She was the second to win the contest for her country, previously Luz Marina Zuluaga, won the same title in 1958. In 2012 a Colombian, Francisco Escobar, was also voted Mister World.

Also with 19 winners, we have Thailand. The Asian country's last Miss Universe winner was Porntip Nakhirunkanok in 1988, but other representatives have stood out more recently, such as Amanda Obdam (pictured) in 2020 and Apasra Hongsakula, Miss Universe in 1965.

After the triple tie for sixth place, with 18 titles, we find two other countries that complete the top ten. The first of these is South Africa, which had Rolene Strauss (pictured) as winner of Miss World in 2014 and Zozibini Tunzi as Miss Universe in 2019.

Joining South Africa in ninth place with 18 beauty pageant wins is Spain. Its last Miss World winner was Mireia Lalaguna (pictured) in 2015, while we have to go back to 1974 to remember Spain's Amparo Muñoz as the winner of Miss Universe. In the male field we find Juan García Postigo, Mister World 2007, and Iván Cabrero, Mister Universe 2008.

In its analysis of the countries leading in the rankings of beauty contests, money.co.uk wanted to go further. Having analysed these initial countries, the website also showed us which cities are leading in this field, i.e. from which cities the most winners have emerged.

Despite the United States being the undisputed leader in terms of victories in beauty pageants, the truth is that the winners are very dispersed within the expansive country. So it is the Venezuelan city of Caracas that has the largest number of winners. This is the case for Dayana Mendoza (pictured), Claudia Moreno, Cynthia Lander, winner of Miss Universe 2002 and Peggy Kopp Arenas, winner of Miss Universe 1968.

Thailand is in the 'top ten' of leading countries in beauty and, of course, its capital, Bangkok, is its main factory. So much so, that a total of seven winners have emerged from this city. Among them are Paweensuda Drouin (in the picture), Porntip Nakhirunkanok and Apasra Hongsakula; and, interestingly, four of them were winners in LGBT+ pageants.

In the third place of the ranking of cities, we find a tie with 6 winners. The first of these is Australia's Sydney, which produced beauties such as Francesca Hung (pictured), Renae Ayris and Jessica Kahawaty, who also represented Lebanon.

The great beauty that the Scandinavians behold is represented in third place by Finland and, specifically, by the city of Turku. This small Finnish city has produced winners such as model Jenni Dahlman (pictured), also known by her married name, Jenni Maria Räikkönen, after her marriage to racing driver Kimi Räikkönen.

The list of the top ten cities with the most beauty pageant victories is completed with a three-way tie of five wins each. The first of these is another Venezuelan city, Maracaibo, which produced stars such as Ninibeth Leal, Mariángel Villasmil, Jessica Barboza and Daniela Kosán.

Tied with the previous, we come across another Asian city. In this case, Manila, the capital of the Philippines. A beautiful capital, where 5 beauty pageant winners came from, as was the case of Margie Moran (in the picture).

The final city to make the list is the Caribbean city of San Juan, Puerto Rico. It has also had five winners in beauty pageants throughout its history. Winners included Stephanie del Valle (pictured), Miss World in 2016. A shout out to those worthy of a mention: the cities of Barcelona (Spain), Johannesburg (South Africa), Valencia (Venezuela) and Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo (Brazil) are also on the list with four winners each.

The pageant world has become much more inclusive in recent years, with a number of global LGBTQ+ pageants, including Miss International Queen and Mister Gay World. These are dominated by the United States, with 19 winners; Thailand with 14; Brazil with 11; the Philippines with 7; and Spain with 6 winners.