National team appearances in the Ice Hockey World Championships

This article lists the performances of each of the 62 national teams which have made at least one appearance in the Ice Hockey World Championships, an annual international men's ice hockey tournament organized by the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF), including the Olympic ice hockey tournament was also considered the World Championship for that year, and was held before the first Ice Hockey World Championship as an individual event in 1930. With the exception between 1940 and 1946, when no championships were held during World War II, nor were held during the Olympic years 1980, 1984, and 1988. In 2020, the IIHF announced that all World Championship tournaments have been cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic and travel restrictions-related issues.

Sweden has appeared in 82 out of 87 tournaments to date, with Canada, having participated in 77, and Finland in 70. The United States has appeared in 75 top division tournaments and five in lower divisions. Although the U.S. went winless at the 1969 World Championship, finishing in last place in Group A (now Top Division) after losing all ten games. This marks the first time in men's worlds history, the United States was relegated to Group B (now Division I) until the 1970 World Championship, the U.S. bounced back and finished in first place in Group B (7th overall) after winning all seven games and was promoted back to Group A.

Czechia is the current World Champion, defeating Switzerland in the gold medal game at the 2024 IIHF World Championship. Since the IIHF introduced a playoff system in 1992, Switzerland has appeared in the World Championship final three times, but they lost every game, including twice to Sweden. The United States has never reached a World Championship gold medal game, having lost in the semi-final round twelve times since the IIHF introduced a playoff system in 1992; including six semi-finals appearances in ten tournaments from 2013 through 2023, and three consecutive in 2021, 2022, and 2023.

Debut of teams
A total of 62 national teams have participated for at least one IIHF World Championship through the 2024 event, and two debuted in 2023. Each successive IIHF World Championships has had at least one team appearing for the first time, in alphabetical order per year. Teams in parentheses are considered successor teams by the IIHF.

Notes:
 * Between 1920 and 1968, the Olympic ice hockey tournament was also considered the World Championship for that year.
 * Each of the national teams have made their debut that participate in the lower division of the World Championship.

Key:
 * – The Summer Olympic Games Ice Hockey Tournament held that year counted as the World Championship
 * – The Winter Olympic Games Ice Hockey Tournament held that year counted as the World Championship

With 62 national teams to have participated through the 2023 event, the IIHF World Championships is the third most participated men's world championship, behind the FIFA World Cup (80), and the FIBA Basketball World Cup (65), and ahead of the FIVB Volleyball Men's World Championship (60), the IHF World Men's Handball Championship (58), the Rugby World Cup (26), the Men's FIH Hockey World Cup (25), the World Baseball Classic (23), and the Cricket World Cup (20).

Ranking of teams by number of appearances
*Including participation in official qualifying competition for 1964 World Championships/Olympics. **Including participation in Division III qualification 2013 Men's World Championships. ¶Not including participation in unofficial Group E 1997 Men's World Championships. ⸿Not including unofficial participation in Group D 1987 World Championships.


 * Breakdown of successor teams

*Including participation in 3 official qualifying competitions for World Championships/Olympics 1956, 1960, 1964 where United Team of Germany played. **Including participation in 2 official qualifying competitions for World Championships/Olympics 1960, 1964 where United Team of Germany played (1956 counted as usual as East Germany played in the Pool B at 1956 World Championships).

Also Switzerland "B" team played at the 1953 Ice Hockey World Championships in the Pool B, West Germany "B" team played at the 1955 Ice Hockey World Championships in the Pool B, Czechoslovakia "B" team played at the 1959 Ice Hockey World Championships in the Pool B, and Yugoslavia "B" team played at the 1966 Ice Hockey World Championships in the Pool C, but its results were not official and not counted in the final tables.

Droughts
This section is a list of droughts associated with the participation of men's national ice hockey teams in the IIHF World Championships, including final appearance and world champion droughts up to and including the 2023 IIHF World Championship. Those teams which have not participated in any World Championship are listed by the year that they entered the IIHF tournaments.

Note:
 * Does not include droughts between 1940 and 1946, when no championships were held during World War II, nor were held during the Olympic years 1980, 1984, and 1988, and 2020 championships were cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Longest active final droughts
Does not include two teams that made the 2024 Final: Czechia and Switzerland.

Longest all-time final droughts
Active final drought is highlighted

Longest active champion droughts
Does not include the most-recent World Champion: Czechia.

Longest all-time champion droughts
Active champion drought is highlighted

Longest active appearance droughts
''Does not include teams that have not made their first appearance. Does not include droughts when all lower division tournaments were cancelled for two years (2020–2021) due to the COVID-19 pandemic.''

Longest all-time appearance droughts
''Only includes droughts begun after a team's first appearance and until the team ceased to exist. Updated to include participation for the 2024 World Championships.''

Active appearance drought is highlighted

Teams with no IIHF World Championship appearances
21 out of 82 current IIHF members have not entered in any World Championship tournaments.

*IIHF associate member **IIHF affiliate member