Looking at over 500 pageant winners, money.co.uk compared their birthplaces to find out if some countries appeared on our list more than others.
These famous names included winners of Miss World, Miss Universe, Mr Gay World, and many other pageants.
It is perhaps no surprise that the USA tops the list as the home of Hollywood and beauty pageants. However, Venezuela takes second, with 35, followed by Brazil (26), the UK (19), and the Philippines (23).
Rank | Country of birth | Number of pageant winners |
---|---|---|
1 | United States | 61 |
2 | Venezuela | 35 |
3 | Brazil | 26 |
4 | United Kingdom | 25 |
5 | Philippines | 23 |
6 | Australia | 19 |
6 | Colombia | 19 |
6 | Thailand | 19 |
9 | South Africa | 18 |
9 | Spain | 18 |
The most beautiful cities in the world
Next, money.co.uk looked at the individual cities that have produced the highest quota of winners, and while the USA may have taken the crown for nations, we did not find stateside the most beautiful city in the world.
1. Caracas, Venezuela – the birthplace of 10 pageant winners
Caracas in Venezuela is in the first place, with Venezuela known for taking beauty pageants seriously, having won more “Big Four” titles than any other nation. Some of the most famous beauties to come out of Caracas are Dayana Mendoza and Claudia Moreno.
2. Bangkok, Thailand – the birthplace of 7 pageant winners
In second place was Bangkok, the capital of Thailand, which has produced seven pageant winners. Interestingly, four of these were winners in LGBT+ pageants.
3. Sydney, Australia – the birthplace of 6 pageant winners
They tied two cities in third place, with six beauty pageant winners hailing from Sydney, Australia. Perhaps the most famous of these is Jessica Kahawaty, who has represented both her native Australia and the country of her descent, Lebanon.
3. Turku, Finland – the birthplace of 6 pageant winners
The other city to produce six pageant winners was a surprise, with the city of Turku in Finland tied for second place. The city is home to just under 200,000 people but has produced an exceptionally high number of beauty queens, given its small size.
5. Maracaibo, Venezuela – the birthplace of 5 pageant winners
Another Venezuela city is amongst those to have produced five pageant winners, again showing the country’s affinity with pageants. Maracaibo is the home of the likes of Jessica Barboza and Daniela Kosán.
5. Manila, Philippines – the birthplace of 5 pageant winners
We consider the Philippines another powerhouse of the beauty pageant world, which explains why the capital of Manila has produced the joint fifth-highest number of winners.
5. San Juan, Puerto Rico – the birthplace of 5 pageant winners
The Puerto Rican capital of San Juan is also home to give beauty pageant winners, with Stephanie Del Valle, who won Miss World in 2016, probably the best known of these.
Rank | City of birth | Country of birth | Number of pageant winners |
---|---|---|---|
1 | Caracas | Venezuela | 10 |
2 | Bangkok | Thailand | 7 |
3 | Sydney | Australia | 6 |
3 | Turku | Finland | 6 |
5 | Maracaibo | Venezuela | 5 |
5 | Manila | Philippines | 5 |
5 | San Juan | Puerto Rico | 5 |
8 | Barcelona | Spain | 4 |
8 | Johannesburg | South Africa | 4 |
8 | Valencia | Venezuela | 4 |
8 | Rio de Janeiro | Brazil | 4 |
8 | São Paulo | Brazil | 4 |
The most beautiful states in the USA
With the USA being revealed as the most beautiful country, we also decided to take a deeper look into the specific states that have produced the most beauty queens and kings.
The result was a tie between Texas and California with nine each, although Texas had a larger share of winners, compared to runner-ups.
Beauties from the Lone Star State include Alyssa Edwards (who appeared on RuPaul’s Drag Race) and Paola Turbay.
Rank | State | Number of pageant winners |
---|---|---|
1 | Texas | 9 |
1 | California | 9 |
3 | Hawaii | 5 |
4 | Florida | 4 |
4 | North Carolina | 4 |
6 | Virginia | 3 |
6 | Ohio | 3 |
6 | Illinois | 3 |
9 | South Carolina | 2 |
9 | Missouri | 2 |
9 | Mississippi | 2 |
9 | New York | 2 |
9 | Arizona | 2 |
14 | Pennsylvania | 1 |
14 | Rhode Island | 1 |
14 | Tennessee | 1 |
14 | Michigan | 1 |
14 | New Jersey | 1 |
14 | Oklahoma | 1 |
14 | District of Columbia | 1 |
The most common birthplaces of LGBTQ+ pageant winners
The pageant world has become much more inclusive in recent years, with several global LGBTQ+ pageants taking place, including Miss International Queen and Mister Gay World, but which are the countries that dominate in these events?
1. USA – the birthplace of 19 LGBTQ+ pageant winners
As with straight pageants, the USA was the country that produced the most LGBTQ+ pageant winners, including winners of Miss International Queen and International Mr. Gay.
2. Thailand – the birthplace of 14 LGBTQ+ pageant winners
Thailand came in second, with 14 LGBTQ+ pageant winners, and was also home to the city that produced the most beauty queens and kings, Bangkok.
3. Brazil – the birthplace of 11 LGBT+ pageant winners
In third place for LGBTQ+ pageants was Brazil, with 11 winners, including three winners of Miss Trans Star Internacional: Rafaela Manfrini, Lavine Holanda, and Bruna Geneve.
Rank | Country of Birth | Number of pageant winners |
---|---|---|
1 | USA | 19 |
2 | Thailand | 14 |
3 | Brazil | 11 |
4 | Philippines | 7 |
5 | Spain | 6 |
Birthplaces of the most popular beauty pageant winners
Winning a beauty pageant can catapult some into the limelight, giving them a new level of popularity that they wouldn’t have achieved without their crown. So, which beauty kings and queens are the most popular on Instagram?
1. Priyanka Chopra – 2000 Miss World winner
Instagram followers: 68.2 million
Birthplace: Jamshedpur, India
2. Pia Wurtzbach – 2015 Miss Universe winner
Instagram followers: 12.7 million
Birthplace: Stuttgart, Germany
3. Catriona Gray – 2018 Miss Universe winner
Instagram followers: 12.4 million
Birthplace: Cairns, Australia,
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Methodology
Money.co.uk compiled a list of some of the most beautiful people in the world, including winners of international beauty pageants and models, taken from the following sources:
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Wikipedia’s list of winners and runners up from the Big Four international pageants, (Miss World, Miss Universe, Miss International and Miss Earth) going back to 1951
Taking the birthplaces of each of these people, money.co.uk could discover the most common birth cities of the most beautiful people.
All social media follower data is correct as of 14th September 2021.
Edited by Stephen Morton