If you’re joining us for the first time or need a refresher, you can view numbers 40-31 here and 50-41 here.
We are now halfway through this ranking! While we still haven’t reached any stellar achievements, the countries at the higher end of this list are at least in the upper half of the overall ranking.
30. Malta
Malta first joined the Eurovision Song Contest in 1971, and after being absent for the entire duration of the 1980s they returned in 1991 and have competed every year since then. Unfortunately, none of their 36 participations ever resulted in a win. But they did come close: Malta came in 3rd place in 1992 and 1998, then in 2nd place in 2002 and 2005. They have also placed in the Top 10 an additional eight times. Since the introduction of Semi Finals, Malta has only qualified for the Grand Final exactly 50% of the time (10 out of 20). They have been on an NQ streak since 2022, but it’s looking like they are set to break that streak this year. The average of all their final results is a little over 17.
Miriana Conte will represent Malta with the song “Serving” in May.
29. Estonia
You may be wondering: How is it possible that a country with a victory can rank so much lower than countries that have never won? Well, Estonia got off to a rocky start in Eurovision. When they competed for the first time in 1994, they placed 24th out of 25 songs. However, by 2001, they had already brought home their first win with Tanel Padar and Dave Benton and their song “Everybody.” Their only other Top 3 placement, though, was the year after their victory when they came in 3rd. In addition to these two, they have also earned nine other Top 10 placements. Like Malta, they have qualified for the Grand Final exactly 50% of the time. The average of all their final results is about 19.
Tommy Cash will represent Estonia with the song “Espresso Macchiato” in May.
28. Romania
After two participations in the 1990s, Romania started regularly competing in Eurovision in 2002. While they have yet to win the contest, they have achieved six Top 10 placements, including two 3rd places. Romania was considerably successful in the early days of Semi Finals, qualifying 12 years in a row. That streak was broken in 2018, though, and they have only qualified for the Grand Final once since then. Still, their overall qualification rate is a decent 78%. The average of all their final results is about 15.5.
Romania has not participated in the contest since 2023, and it is unknown if or when they will return.
27. Finland
Although Finland has competed in Eurovision 57 times, their sole victory so far has been Lordi with their song “Hard Rock Hallelujah” in 2006. They came extremely close to achieving their second win in 2023 with Käärijä and his song “Cha Cha Cha,” but they ultimately placed 2nd. These two entries are actually their only Top 3 placements to date, though they have 12 additional Top 10 placements. While they have enjoyed a qualifying streak since 2021, in total they have only qualified for the Grand Final 60% of the time. The average of all their final results is 17.
Erika Vikman will represent Finland with the song “Ich Komme” in May.
26. Armenia
Armenia is relatively new to the Eurovision family, competing for the first time in 2006. While they have yet to win the contest, 50% of their participations earned a Top 10 placement (though they have yet to breach the Top 3, their best result to date being 4th place in both 2008 and 2014). They also have an impressive Grand Final qualification rate of 81%. Perhaps their greatest accomplishment, however, is that their 2022 entry “SNAP” by Rosa Linn is the second most streamed Eurovision song of all time at over 1.2 billion streams on Spotify alone. The average of all Armenia’s final results is 15.
PARG will represent Armenia with the song “SURVIVOR” in May.
25. Bosnia & Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina started competing in Eurovision in 1993 and have participated a total of 19 times. Their best result (and only Top 3 placement) was 3rd place in 2006, though they also have five Top 10 placements in addition to that Top 3 spot. While these results may not seem all that impressive, Bosnia and Herzegovina lands in the upper half of this ranking due to a remarkable qualification rate of 9 out of 10. The average of all their final results is about 14.
Bosnia and Herzegovina has not competed in the contest since 2016 and is reportedly unable to return anytime soon due to financial restraints.
24. Belgium
Belgium was one of the seven countries to compete in the first ever Eurovision way back in 1956; however, they did not achieve their first victory until 1986. They have now competed a total of 66 times with only one win, though they have come in 2nd place five times in addition to 21 other Top 10 placements, meaning 40% of their results have been in the Top 10. They have qualified for the Grand Final just under 50% of the time (9 out of 20), and experienced a five-year NQ streak between 2005 and 2009. The average of all their final results is a little over 15.
Red Sebastian will represent Belgium with the song “Strobe Lights” in May.
23. Austria
Out of 56 total participations, Austria has brought home the gold twice: first in 1966, then again nearly 50 years later in 2014. These victories are two of the country’s 22 Top 10 placements (although one of these was 10th out of just 10 entries); however, excluding the two 1st places, the only other time they breached the Top 3 was when they came in 3rd in 2018. They have qualified for the Grand Final just a little over half of the time (9 out of 16, or about 56%). The average of all their final results is a little less than 16.
JJ will represent Austria with the song “Wasted Love” in May.
22. Australia
Australia is the newest addition to the Eurovision family, having been invited as a special guest in 2015 then continuing to participate every year since. Out of their nine participations, they have only failed to qualify for the Grand Final twice, giving them a qualification rate of 78%. They have also earned five Top 10 placements (including 2nd place in 2016, which was only their second year in the contest), meaning they have placed in the Top 10 over 50% of the time (about 56%, to be more precise). The average of all their final results is about 14.5.
Go-Jo will represent Australia with the song “Milkshake Man” later this month.
21. Turkey
After participating twice in the 1970s, Turkey began regularly competing in Eurovision in 1980. Out of 34 total participations, they achieved one win in 2003 with Sertab Erener and her song “Everyway That I Can.” They very nearly claimed a second victory in 2010 but ended up coming in 2nd place. They also came in 3rd place once, in addition to seven other Top 10 placements. They have an impressive Grand Final qualification rate of 89% with only one NQ out of nine contests. The average of all their final results is exactly 13.
Turkey’s has not participated in the contest since 2012 and is unlikely to return.
