View source for List of Olympic Games boycotts

{{improverefs|date=August 2023}}
{{Short description|none}}
{{Olympic Games infobox}}

The [[Olympic Games]] is a major international multi-sport event. 

[[Apartheid-era South Africa and the Olympics|South Africa]] were not invited to the [[1964 Summer Olympics|1964 Games]], while its invitation to the [[1968 Summer Olympics|1968 Games]] was withdrawn after several other African countries threatened to boycott the Games due to [[apartheid]]. South Africa would not be permitted to return to the Olympics until [[1992 Summer Olympics|1992]].

[[Rhodesia]] was also prevented from entering the [[1972 Summer Olympics]] when its invitation was withdrawn by the [[International Olympic Committee]] following protests by other African countries.

Possibly the most famous Olympic boycotts occurred in [[1980 Summer Olympics boycott|1980]] and [[1984 Summer Olympics boycott|1984]], due to the [[Soviet–Afghan War|Soviet invasion in Afghanistan]]. Iran and Albania are the only countries that boycotted both the 1980 and 1984 Olympics. Albania is also the only country that boycotted the 1976, 1980 and 1984 Olympics.

In 2021, several nations announced a diplomatic boycott of the [[2022 Winter Olympics]] to protest against [[Persecution of Uyghurs in China|Chinese mistreatment of the Uyghur population]], thus prohibiting many government officials from attending the games in an official capacity, while still permitting athletes to compete.<ref>{{Cite news|date=2021-12-08|title=2022 Beijing Winter Olympics: Australia joins US diplomatic boycott|language=en-GB|work=BBC News|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-australia-59573500|access-date=2021-12-08}}</ref> Later, [[India]] joined the boycott over China's decision to choose [[Qi Fabao]], a regimental commander in the [[People's Liberation Army]], as a torchbearer for the event.<ref>{{Cite news|date=2022-02-03|title=India announces diplomatic boycott of Beijing Winter Olympics|language=en-IN|work=The Hindu|url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/india-to-diplomatically-boycott-winter-olympics-over-chinas-decision-to-field-galwan-soldier-as-torchbearer/article38370876.ece|access-date=2022-02-03}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://edition.cnn.com/2022/02/03/china/india-diplomatic-boycott-beijing-olympics-intl-hnk/index.html|title=India launches last-minute diplomatic boycott of Beijing Olympics over Chinese soldier|date=4 February 2022 }}</ref>

== List of full boycotts of an Olympic Games or full non-attendance ==
{| class="wikitable"
! scope="col" rowspan="2" | Olympiad
! scope="col" rowspan="2" | Year
! scope="col" rowspan="2" | Host Country
! scope="col" rowspan="2" | Host City
! scope="col" colspan="2" | Boycotting countries
|-
! scope="col" | List
! scope="col" | Map
|-
! scope="row" | [[1956 Summer Olympics|XVI]] 
| 1956
| {{AUS}}
| [[Melbourne]]
| {{Ordered list|{{EGY}}|{{IRQ}}|{{LIB}}|{{LIE}}|{{MON}}|{{NED}}|{{ANT}}|{{CAM}}|{{PAN}}|{{ESP}}|{{SUI}}|{{CHN}}}}
| [[File:1956 Summer Olympics (Melbourne) boycotting countries (blue).png|400px|Countries boycotting the 1956 Games are shaded blue]]
|-
! scope="row" | [[1964 Summer Olympics|XVIII]]
| 1964
| {{JPN}}
| [[Tokyo]]
| {{Ordered list|{{PRK}}|{{INA}}|{{CHN}}}}
| [[File:1964 Summer Olympics (Tokyo) boycotting countries (red).png|400px|Countries boycotting the 1964 Games are shaded red]]
|-
! scope="row" | [[1976 Summer Olympics|XXI]]
| 1976
| {{CAN}}
| [[Montreal]]
| {{Ordered list|{{flag|Afghanistan|2013}}|{{ALB}}|{{ALG}}|{{BEN}}|{{BUR}}|{{CMR}}|{{CAF}}|{{CHA}}|{{CGO}}|{{EGY}}|{{ETH}}|{{GAB}}|{{GAM}}|{{GHA}}|{{GUY}}|{{IRQ}}|{{KEN}}|{{LBA}}|{{LES}}|{{MAD}}|{{MAW}}|{{MLI}}|{{MAR}}|{{MYA}}|{{NIG}}|{{NGR}}|{{SOM}}|{{SRI}}|{{SUD}}|{{SWZ}}|{{SYR}}|{{TPE}}|{{TAN}}|{{TOG}}|{{TUN}}|{{UGA}}|{{ZAM}}}}
| [[Image:1976 Summer Olympics (Montréal) boycotting countries (blue).png|400px|Countries boycotting the 1976 Games are shaded blue]]
|-
! scope="row" | [[1980 Summer Olympics|XXII]]
| 1980
| {{URS}} (now part of {{RUS}})
| [[Moscow]]
| {{Ordered list|{{ALB}} (no reason given)|[[File:Flag of Antigua and Barbuda.svg|20px]][[Antigua and Barbuda]]|{{ARG}}|{{BAH}}|[[File:Flag of Bahrain.svg|20px]][[Bahrain]]|{{BAN}}|{{BAR}}|{{BLZ}}|{{BER}}|{{BOL}}|{{CAN}}|{{CAY}}|{{CAF}}|{{CHA}}|{{CHI}}|{{CHN}}|{{EGY}}|{{ESA}}|{{FIJ}}|{{GAB}}|{{GAM}}|{{GHA}}|{{HAI}}|{{HON}}|{{HKG}}|{{INA}}|{{IRI}}|{{ISR}}|{{CIV}}|{{JPN}}|{{KEN}}|{{KOR}}|{{LBR}}|{{LIE}}|{{MAW}}|{{MAS}}|{{MTN}}|{{MON}}|{{MRI}}|{{MAR}}|{{ANT}}|{{NIG}}|[[File:Flag of North Yemen.svg|20px]][[Yemen Arab Republic|North Yemen]]|{{NOR}}|{{PAK}}|{{PAN}}|{{PNG}}|{{PAR}}|{{PHI}}|{{QAT}}|{{KSA}}|{{SIN}}|{{SOM}}|{{SUD}}|{{SUR}}|{{SWZ}}|{{TPE}} (protesting the [[Republic of China at the Olympics#Nagoya Resolution|Nagoya Resolution]] designating it as "Chinese Taipei")|{{THA}}|{{TOG}}|{{TUN}}|{{TUR}}|{{UAE}}|{{USA}}|{{ISV}}|{{URU}}|{{FRG}}|{{ZAI}}}}
| [[File:1980 Summer Olympics (Moscow) boycotting countries (blue).svg|alt=|400x400px|Countries boycotting the 1980 Games are shaded blue]]
|-
! scope="row" | [[1984 Summer Olympics|XXIII]]
| 1984
| {{USA}}
| [[Los Angeles]]
| {{Ordered list|{{URS}}|[[People's Republic of Bulgaria|Bulgaria]]|[[East Germany]]|[[Mongolian People's Republic|Mongolia]]|[[Vietnam]]|[[Laos]]|[[Czechoslovak Socialist Republic|Czechoslovakia]]|[[Democratic Republic of Afghanistan|Afghanistan]]|[[Hungarian People's Republic|Hungary]]|[[Polish People's Republic|Poland]]|[[Cuba]]|[[South Yemen]]|[[North Korea]]|[[Derg|Ethiopia]]|[[People's Republic of Angola|Angola]]|[[People's Socialist Republic of Albania|Albania]] (no reason given)|[[Iran]]|[[Burkina Faso]]|[[Libyan Arab Jamahiriya|Libya]]}}
| [[Image:1984 Summer Olympics (Los Angeles) boycotting countries (blue).png|400px|Countries boycotting the 1984 Games are shaded blue]]
|-
! scope="row" | [[1988 Summer Olympics|XXIV]]
| 1988
| {{KOR}}
| [[Seoul]]
| {{Ordered list|[[People's Democratic Republic of Ethiopia|Ethiopia]] (did not respond to invitation)|[[Nicaragua]] (financial)|[[Madagascar]] (financial)|[[Cuba]]|[[People's Socialist Republic of Albania|Albania]] (did not respond to invitation)|[[North Korea]]|[[Seychelles]] (did not respond to invitation)}}
| [[File:1988 Summer Olympics Seoul boycotting countries blue.png|400px|Countries boycotting the 1988 Games are shaded blue]]
|-
|}

==List of non-attendance of government officials or diplomatic boycotts of the Olympic Games==
The following is the list of countries that did not send official delegations to the Games, but permitted their athletes to participate.

{| class="wikitable"
! scope="col" rowspan="2" | Games
! scope="col" rowspan="2" | Year
! scope="col" rowspan="2" | Host Country
! scope="col" rowspan="2" | Host City
! scope="col" colspan="2" | Boycotting countries
|-
! scope="col" | List
! scope="col" | Map
|-
![[2020 Summer Olympics|XXXII Olympic Summer Olympics]]
|2020
|{{JPN}}
|[[Tokyo]]
|
# [[North Korea]] (medical)<ref>{{Cite news |date=2021-04-06 |title=Tokyo Olympics: North Korea to skip Games over Covid-19 fears |language=en-GB |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-56645611 |access-date=2022-07-17}}</ref>
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|-
! scope="row" | [[2022 Winter Olympics|XXIV Olympic Winter Games]]
| 2022
| {{CHN}}
| [[Beijing]]
| {{Ordered list|[[Lithuania]]<ref>{{Cite news |title=Lithuania confirms diplomatic boycott of Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics |url=https://www.aninews.in/news/world/asia/lithuania-confirms-diplomatic-boycott-of-beijing-2022-winter-olympics20211203200952/ |website=ANI News |access-date=8 December 2021 |date=3 December 2021}}</ref>|[[United States]]<ref>{{Cite news|author=Allie Malloy and Kate Sullivan|title=White House announces US diplomatic boycott of 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing|url=https://www.cnn.com/2021/12/06/politics/us-diplomatic-boycott-winter-olympics/index.html|access-date=8 December 2021|website=CNN}}</ref>|[[Australia]]<ref>{{Cite news|date=7 December 2021|title=Australia joins diplomatic boycott of Beijing Winter Olympics|language=en-AU|work=ABC News|url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-12-08/australia-joins-diplomatic-boycott-of-beijing-winter-olympics/100678660|access-date=8 December 2021}}</ref>|[[United Kingdom]]<ref>{{Cite web|title=UK 'effectively' plans a diplomatic boycott of Beijing Winter Olympics, joining the United States, Australia and Lithuania|url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/olympics/ct-beijing-olympics-boycott-20211208-ulkmscjcgvfnhhserfuuyyokiy-story.html|access-date=8 December 2021|website=chicagotribune.com|date=8 December 2021 }}</ref>|[[Canada]]<ref>{{cite news |last1=Tasker |first1=John Paul |title=Trudeau announces diplomatic boycott of Beijing Olympics |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/trudeau-diplomatic-boycott-winter-olympic-games-1.6277773 |access-date=8 December 2021 |publisher=CBC/Radio-Canada. |date=8 December 2021}}</ref>|[[Kosovo]]<ref>{{Cite news |title=Kosovo boycotts Beijing Winter Olympics|url=https://alsat.mk/kosova-bojkoton-lojrat-olimpike-ne-pekin/ |website=Alsat News |access-date=8 December 2021 |date=8 December 2021}}</ref>|[[Belgium]]<ref>{{Cite news|title=Which Countries Are Boycotting China's Winter Olympics? Full List|url=https://www.newsweek.com/every-country-staging-diplomatic-boycott-chinas-winter-olympics-1657177|website=Newsweek|access-date=18 December 2021|date=8 December 2021}}</ref>|[[Estonia]]<ref>{{Cite web|title=Estonian government officials in no mood to attend Beijing Olympics|url=https://bnn-news.com/estonian-government-officials-in-no-mood-to-attend-beijing-olympics-231890|access-date=18 January 2022|date=18 January 2022|work=Baltic News Network|archive-date=29 January 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220129161408/https://bnn-news.com/estonian-government-officials-in-no-mood-to-attend-beijing-olympics-231890|url-status=live}}</ref>
|[[Taiwan]]<ref>{{Cite web|title=Taiwan to boycott Beijing Winter Olympics: source|url=https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archives/2022/01/26/2003772092|access-date=26 January 2022|date=26 January 2022|work=taipeitimes.com}}</ref>
|[[Denmark]]<ref>{{Cite web|title=Denmark to join diplomatic boycott of Beijing Olympics over human rights|url=https://www.reuters.com/lifestyle/sports/denmark-join-diplomatic-boycott-beijing-olympics-over-human-rights-2022-01-14/|access-date=14 January 2022|date=14 January 2022|work=Reuters}}</ref>|[[India]]<ref>{{Cite news|last=IndiaToday|first=Geeta Mohan 3rd Feb'22|title=Indian diplomats to boycott Beijing Winter Olympics after China makes Galwan PLA soldier torchbearer|url=https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/indian-diplomats-in-china-to-boycott-beijing-winter-olympics-after-galwan-hurt-pla-officer-made-torch-bearer-1908335-2022-02-03|access-date=3 February 2022|website=IndiaToday}}</ref>}}
| [[File:2022 Winter Olympics (Beijing) diplomatic boycotting countries (blue).svg|400px|]]
|}

==Other==
During the [[2014 Winter Paralympics]] in Russia, the United States and United Kingdom diplomatically boycotted the event, and the entire Ukrainian delegation except for their flagbearer boycotted the opening ceremony due to [[Annexation of Crimea by the Russian Federation|Russia's annexation of Crimea]] and the violation of the [[Olympic Truce]].

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

{{Olympic Games controversies}}

[[Category:Olympic Games controversies|Olympic Game boycotts]]
[[Category:International sports boycotts|*Olympic Game boycotts]]
[[Category:Lists of controversies]]
[[Category:Olympics-related lists|boycotts]]