Division Analytics
An IFBB Pro division is a class athletes compete in, judged against its own criteria and its own caps. This page counts what the contest record holds for each one: how many athletes competed, where they came from, how long careers ran, and how large the fields were.
11 of the 12 IFBB Pro divisions have a completed season on file through 2025. Across those, Men's Physique is the largest, with 1,043 athletes recorded in its 2025 season, ahead of Women's Bikini with 915 and Men's Classic Physique with 904.
Each ranked division is counted in its own most recent season on file through 2025, because the 2026 season is still running. That leaves out Women's Fit Model, which has no season on file through 2025. The 11 counts add up to 4,966, but an athlete who competed in two divisions is counted in each, so that figure is a sum of division counts rather than a headcount of people. Counts cover every contest the database holds for a division, amateur shows included, so they describe the size of the record rather than the size of the professional circuit. Database as of September 6, 2026.
How the divisions compare in size
Each division's most recent competitor count on file through 2025, set beside the highest count it has ever recorded. Peak years differ from one division to the next, and a peak is the busiest year in the database rather than a verdict on when the division was strongest.
| Division | Latest competitor count | Peak competitor count |
|---|---|---|
| Men's Physique | 1,043 in 2025 | 1,043 in 2025 |
| Women's Bikini | 915 in 2025 | 915 in 2025 |
| Men's Classic Physique | 904 in 2025 | 2,127 in 2017 |
| Women's Figure | 522 in 2025 | 3,595 in 2014 |
| Men's Open Bodybuilding | 506 in 2025 | 5,104 in 2012 |
| Women's Wellness | 373 in 2025 | 373 in 2025 |
| Women's Physique | 243 in 2025 | 1,133 in 2016 |
| Men's 212 Bodybuilding | 232 in 2025 | 232 in 2025 |
| Women's Bodybuilding | 126 in 2025 | 965 in 2003 |
| Women's Fitness | 83 in 2025 | 83 in 2025 |
| Men's Wheelchair | 19 in 2025 | 32 in 2016 |
Everything below covers Men's Open Bodybuilding alone. Total athletes and total contests count every record the database holds for this division. Average career length and contests per athlete cover only athletes with two or more contests, because someone who entered once and never came back says nothing about how long a career lasts. Average field size is all-time.
Men's Open Bodybuilding competitors by year
Distinct athletes with a result counted under Men's Open Bodybuilding in each of the most recent 15 years on file. A bar measures how much of that season the database holds, which is not the same as how many people competed.
Where Men's Open Bodybuilding athletes come from
The ten countries with the most distinct athletes holding a recorded result in this division. Athletes with no country on record are not counted.
Most wins in Men's Open Bodybuilding
The five athletes with the most recorded wins in this division, counting a win as a first place at any contest on record. Follow a name for the full career.
Men's Open Bodybuilding season by season
One row per year the database holds a result counted under Men's Open Bodybuilding. New entrants counts athletes appearing in this division for the first time. Growth is the change in athlete count against the year before, so it moves with how completely a season was recorded as well as with how many people competed.
| Year | Athletes | Contests | Avg Field | New Entrants | Growth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 152 | 21 | 14.4 | 41 | -70% |
| 2025 | 506 | 54 | 15.4 | 322 | +163.5% |
| 2024 | 192 | 25 | 13.8 | 65 | -4.5% |
| 2023 | 201 | 28 | 11.1 | 74 | +7.5% |
| 2022 | 187 | 32 | 10.6 | 47 | -19.4% |
| 2021 | 232 | 29 | 11.8 | 73 | -54.2% |
| 2020 | 507 | 21 | 30.4 | 176 | -55.5% |
| 2019 | 1,140 | 65 | 21.1 | 505 | -15.2% |
| 2018 | 1,344 | 68 | 24.4 | 539 | -56.3% |
| 2017 | 3,075 | 117 | 31.7 | 1,366 | -32.1% |
| 2016 | 4,529 | 166 | 33.5 | 2,144 | -0.6% |
| 2015 | 4,555 | 158 | 35.2 | 2,099 | -5.3% |
| 2014 | 4,808 | 165 | 36.3 | 2,233 | -1.9% |
| 2013 | 4,903 | 161 | 37.8 | 2,313 | -3.9% |
| 2012 | 5,104 | 169 | 38.1 | 2,520 | +10.9% |
| 2011 | 4,604 | 152 | 38.4 | 2,091 | +2.7% |
| 2010 | 4,483 | 146 | 38.2 | 2,019 | +1.1% |
| 2009 | 4,435 | 144 | 39.5 | 2,035 | +11.6% |
| 2008 | 3,973 | 133 | 38.6 | 1,780 | +4.5% |
| 2007 | 3,802 | 132 | 36.7 | 1,747 | +7.3% |
| 2006 | 3,544 | 137 | 33.2 | 1,611 | +2.5% |
| 2005 | 3,459 | 128 | 34.7 | 1,668 | +4.4% |
| 2004 | 3,312 | 127 | 33.2 | 1,603 | +2.7% |
| 2003 | 3,225 | 125 | 32.4 | 1,688 | +11.7% |
| 2002 | 2,887 | 120 | 30.1 | 1,593 | +13.3% |
| 2001 | 2,549 | 100 | 31.3 | 1,474 | +26.3% |
| 2000 | 2,018 | 81 | 29.2 | 1,150 | +29.8% |
| 1999 | 1,555 | 62 | 29.8 | 788 | +0.6% |
| 1998 | 1,545 | 71 | 26 | 863 | +9% |
| 1997 | 1,417 | 76 | 23.1 | 788 | +24% |
| 1996 | 1,143 | 67 | 21.2 | 585 | +6.5% |
| 1995 | 1,073 | 64 | 21 | 554 | +10.1% |
| 1994 | 975 | 67 | 18.7 | 487 | -3.8% |
| 1993 | 1,014 | 67 | 19.6 | 512 | -12.9% |
| 1992 | 1,164 | 68 | 21.1 | 612 | +6.5% |
| 1991 | 1,093 | 73 | 19.1 | 590 | +19.7% |
| 1990 | 913 | 64 | 18.1 | 467 | -13.1% |
| 1989 | 1,051 | 77 | 17.9 | 600 | +5.6% |
| 1988 | 995 | 74 | 17.5 | 564 | +12.2% |
| 1987 | 887 | 67 | 16.2 | 477 | +21.2% |
| 1986 | 732 | 52 | 17 | 375 | +5.5% |
| 1985 | 694 | 43 | 18.8 | 325 | +8.6% |
| 1984 | 639 | 55 | 13.8 | 281 | -30.5% |
| 1983 | 920 | 65 | 18.2 | 461 | -5.3% |
| 1982 | 971 | 63 | 19.7 | 537 | +47.1% |
| 1981 | 660 | 65 | 14.5 | 320 | +2.3% |
| 1980 | 645 | 68 | 13.2 | 355 | +17.5% |
| 1979 | 549 | 60 | 12.8 | 266 | +14.9% |
| 1978 | 478 | 47 | 13.8 | 219 | +6.2% |
| 1977 | 450 | 48 | 12.6 | 201 | +7.7% |
| 1976 | 418 | 51 | 11.6 | 187 | -1.6% |
| 1975 | 425 | 44 | 14 | 183 | +1.9% |
| 1974 | 417 | 46 | 12.9 | 206 | +47.9% |
| 1973 | 282 | 41 | 10.7 | 122 | -27.7% |
| 1972 | 390 | 46 | 12.3 | 196 | +26.2% |
| 1971 | 309 | 43 | 10.9 | 130 | -7.8% |
| 1970 | 335 | 43 | 12 | 165 | +28.4% |
| 1969 | 261 | 38 | 9.6 | 122 | +1.2% |
| 1968 | 258 | 32 | 10.5 | 118 | +17.8% |
| 1967 | 219 | 37 | 8.6 | 104 | -13.4% |
| 1966 | 253 | 39 | 9.5 | 114 | -16.2% |
| 1965 | 302 | 42 | 10.3 | 156 | +14% |
| 1964 | 265 | 36 | 10.2 | 144 | +3.9% |
| 1963 | 255 | 29 | 10.8 | 140 | +44.1% |
| 1962 | 177 | 25 | 7.9 | 96 | +18% |
| 1961 | 150 | 20 | 9.2 | 69 | -26.5% |
| 1960 | 204 | 29 | 8.6 | 118 | 0% |
| 1959 | 204 | 29 | 8.8 | 110 | +14.6% |
| 1958 | 178 | 27 | 8.4 | 112 | +9.2% |
| 1957 | 163 | 25 | 7.4 | 92 | +4.5% |
| 1956 | 156 | 27 | 7.3 | 77 | +11.4% |
| 1955 | 140 | 27 | 7 | 52 | -23.9% |
| 1954 | 184 | 32 | 7.9 | 101 | +15% |
| 1953 | 160 | 28 | 8.5 | 81 | -5.9% |
| 1952 | 170 | 22 | 10.3 | 95 | -9.1% |
| 1951 | 187 | 27 | 8.9 | 126 | +52% |
| 1950 | 123 | 24 | 7.2 | 59 | +4.2% |
| 1949 | 118 | 21 | 7.4 | 60 | +4.4% |
| 1948 | 113 | 20 | 8.2 | 54 | -17.5% |
| 1947 | 137 | 18 | 9.4 | 101 | +6.2% |
| 1946 | 129 | 11 | 14.7 | 102 | +316.1% |
| 1945 | 31 | 5 | 7.6 | 26 | +138.5% |
| 1944 | 13 | 2 | 8.5 | 9 | -31.6% |
| 1943 | 19 | 3 | 6.7 | 14 | +35.7% |
| 1942 | 14 | 4 | 4.8 | 10 | -30% |
| 1941 | 20 | 3 | 7.3 | 10 | +11.1% |
| 1940 | 18 | 2 | 10 | 10 | -41.9% |
| 1939 | 31 | 6 | 6.5 | 20 | -6.1% |
| 1938 | 33 | 4 | 10 | 27 | +120% |
| 1937 | 15 | 2 | 11 | 11 | +150% |
| 1936 | 6 | 1 | 6 | 3 | -14.3% |
| 1935 | 7 | 2 | 4.5 | 7 | +250% |
| 1934 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 2 | – |
Competitiveness Index
The average number of placed competitors in a contest counted under Men's Open Bodybuilding, across every contest on record rather than a recent window. A higher number means larger fields and more athletes to beat for the same placing.
IFBB Pro Division Analytics
Track athlete participation, geographic distribution, career longevity, competitive field sizes, and year-over-year trends across IFBB Pro League divisions.