Neither Venezuela nor the Philippines: This is the most successful country in Miss Universe history

This week, the 74th edition of Miss Universe is taking place in Thailand. More than 100 delegates are competing for the crown and the chance to succeed Victoria Kjær, who won the 2024 pageant held in Mexico.

Year after year, certain countries stand out in this prestigious beauty competition - like the United States, Venezuela, Puerto Rico, and the Philippines. Still, there are times when unexpected nations rise to the occasion and take home the crown. Here’s a look at the countries with the most Miss Universe titles.

The U.S. leads the all-time Miss Universe rankings with nine crowns. The first American winner was Miriam Jacqueline Stevenson, crowned Miss Universe in 1954, while the most recent is R’Bonney Gabriel, who claimed the 2022 title at the 71st edition of Miss Universe, held in January 2023 in Louisiana. Gabriel was the first American to win since Olivia Culpo in 2012.

Here’s the full list of the U.S.’s Miss Universe winners:

• 1954 – Miriam Jacqueline Stevenson
• 1956 – Carol Ann Laverne
• 1960 – Linda Jeanne Bement
• 1967 – Sylvia Louise Hitchcock
• 1980 – Shawn Nichols Weatherly
• 1995 – Chelsi Mariam-Pearl Smith
• 1997 – Brook Antoinette Mahealani
• 2012 – Olivia Frances Culpo
• 2022 – R’Bonney Gabriel

Which countries follow the U.S. in the all-time Miss Universe ranking?

The second most successful country is Venezuela, which has claimed the crown seven times - in 1979, 1981, 1986, 1996, 2008, 2009, and 2013 - thanks to Maritza Sayalero, Irene Sáez, Bárbara Palacios, Alicia Machado, Dayana Mendoza, Stefanía Fernández, and Gabriela Isler.

Puerto Rico ranks third in Miss Universe history with five titles. The first Puerto Rican Miss Universe was Marisol Malaret Contreras in 1970. In 1985 and 1993, Deborah Fátima Carthy Deu and Dayanara Yari Torres Delgado won the crown, respectively. The next victory came in 2001 with Denise Marie Quiñones August, and the most recent was Zuleyka Jerris Rivera Mendoza in 2006.

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