A beauty pageant or beauty contest is a competition that has traditionally focused on judging and ranking the physical attributes of contestants. Pageants have now evolved to include other criteria, such as personality, intelligence, talent, character, causes, and charitable involvement, through closed-door interviews with judges, or the conventional question-and-answer round(s) in the finals. The term "beauty pageant" originally refers to the Big Four international beauty pageants.
Pageant titles are divided into Miss, Mrs., Mister, and Teen, as well as international, regional, and nationalâÂÂto clearly identify the differences among these categories. Similar events for male pageants are usually called by other names, some are likely to be bodybuilding competitions.
Women's pageants
International competitions
Major
The following are list of the world's Big Four beauty pageants (the original Big Four) considered the most important in the world.
Minor
The following are minor beauty pageants. These lists are based on the year they were established.
Continental, regional, sub-regional, and cultural
The following are continental and regional pageants:
- Miss Europe (1927; 1929–1939; 1948–2006; 2016–present)
- Reinado Internacional del Café (1957–present)
- Miss Asia Pacific International (1965, 1968–2005, 2016–2019, 2024âÂÂpresent)
- Miss América Latina (1981–present)
- Miss Asian America (1985–present)
- Reina Mundial del Banano (1985–2019, 2022, 2025âÂÂpresent)
- Miss Africa (1987–present)
- Miss Pacific Islands (1987–present)
- Miss India Worldwide (1990–present)
- Reina Hispanoamericana (1991–present)
- Miss European Global (2000–present)
- Miss Chinese World (2005, 2011, 2017, 2021, 2023–present)
- Miss European Union (2006, 2021–present)
- Mrs. Europe (2009–present)
- World Muslimah (2011–present)
- Miss Filipina International (2013–present)
- Miss Europe Continental (2013–present)
- Miss South East Asia Tourism Ambassadress (2015–present)
- Miss Europe World (2015–present)
- Miss & Mrs Europe Global (2015–present)
- Miss Europe (Austria) (2019–present)
- Reina Internacional de la Paz Petite (2020–present)
- (2020–present)
Teen
List of teen beauty pageants:
Marital
List of international marital beauty pageants:
Senior
List of senior women (aged 40+) beauty pageants:
Discontinued
- Miss Globe International (1925–2021)
- International Pageant of Pulchritude (1926–1935)
- Miss Subways (1941–1976, 2004, 2017–2019)
- Miss Scandinavia (1961–1974, 1976–1981, 1986–2005, 2007–2008, 2021)
- International Teen Princess (1966–1974)
- Miss Maja International (1966–1989)
- Miss Young International (1970–1981, 1983, 2002, 2006–2008)
- Miss Charming International (1972)
- Miss Globe (1974–2018)
- Miss Asia Pageant (1985–2022)
- Miss Wonderland (1987–1989)
- Miss Chinese International Pageant (1988–2019)
- Miss All Nations (1989–1990, 2010–2019)
- Miss Charm International (1989–1990)
- Miss Flower Queen (1990)
- Miss Global Beauty Queen (1998–2009, 2011, 2015–2017)
- Miss Arab World (2006–2021)
- Miss United Continents (2006–2022)
- Nuestra Belleza Latina (2007–2016, 2018, 2021)
- ECOWAS Peace Pageant (2008–2012)
- Miss University Africa (2010âÂÂ2012, 2017–2018; 2021)
- Miss Asia Pacific World (2011–2014)
- Miss Heritage Global (2013–2016, 2019, 2022)
- Miss Crystal Angel International (2018)
- Reina Mundial de los Carnavales (2020–2021)
National
Africa
Asia
Europe
North America
Oceania
South America
Former states
Men's pageants
International competitions
Major
The following is a list of the world's premier male beauty pageants, known as major male pageants. Six male beauty pageants are considered major competitions:
Minor
The following is a list of minor male beauty pageants. This list is based on the year they were established.
- (2013–present)
- Mister Universe International (2015–present)
- (2016–present)
- Mister Planet (2016–present)
- (2016–present)
- Mister Grand International
- (2016–present)
- Asia (2017–present)
- (2017–present)
- (2017–present)
- Mister Earth World (2018–present)
- Man of the Globe International (2019–present)
- Mister Continental World (2019–present)
- Mister Glam International (2019–present)
- Mister Tourism Globe (2019–present)
- Caballero Universal (2021–present)
- (2021–present)
- Man Hot Star International (2022–present)
- Mister Heritage (2022–present)
- Mister Universe
- (2022–present)
- (2024–present)
- (2022–present)
- Great Man of the Universe (2023–present)
- Mister Celebrity International (2023–present)
- (2023–present)
- Mister Culture International (2023–present)
- (2023–present)
- Mister Fashion Model (2023–present)
- (2023–present)
- Mister Tourism Intercontinental (2024–present)
- Masters of the World (2025–present)
Continental and regional
- Mister Asian International (2011–present)
- Mister Global Asian (2022–2023, 2025–present)
- Mr. Latinoamérica Internacional (2023–present)
Teen
List of teen beauty pageants:
Discontinued
- Mr. Europe (1993–1998)
- Mr. Joven Internacional (1993–1999)
- Mr. Scandinavia (1997–2003)
- Hombre Internacional (1998–2002)
- Male International Model (1998–2005)
- Mister Handsome International (1998–2019)
- (1998–2005, 2007–2009, 2011)
- Mr. International (1998–2003)
- Mister Continents (1999–2003)
- Mister Young International (2000–2014)
- Mister Tourism International (2001–2002, 2010–2015)
- Mister Latino International (2002–2004)
- Mister Model Millenium (2003)
- Mister Teen Continents (2002–2003)
- Mister Tourism Universe (2002–2005)
- International Best Male Model of the World (2003)
- Axe Men World Male Model (2004)
- Mister Teen Model World (2004)
- Zeus of the World (2004)
- Mister Continentes del Mundo (2005–2016)
- Mister Expo World (2005–2020)
- Mister Mundial (2005–2014)
- Mister Pacific of the World (2006–2018)
- World Most Beautiful Bum (2007–2008)
- Mister Sea World (2008–2019)
- (2008–2019)
- Fresh Faces (2010–2013)
- Mister Teen Jade Universe (2010–2018)
- Mister Jade Universe (2010–2018)
- Mister PacÃÂfico y el Caribe (2012–2015)
- Mister Universo Mundial (2012–2019)
- Mister América Internacional (2013–2019)
- Mister Mesoamérica International (2013–2019)
- Mister Teen Mesoamérica Universe (2013–2017)
- Mr. Joven Mesoamérica International (2014–2019)
- Mister Real Universe (2014–2019)
- Mister Teen América International (2014–2019)
- Mister Teen Earth (2014âÂÂ2022)
- Mister Global Teen (2015âÂÂ2018)
- Mister United Continents (2015–2018)
- (2015–2019)
- Mister Model Universe (2015–2019)
- Mister Globe (2015–2021)
- (2017–2018)
- Mister Trifinio Mundo Internacional (2017–2019)
- Mister Tourism and Culture Universe (2018–2019)
- (2018–2019)
- (2019)
- Man of the Earth (2021–2022)
National
Africa
Asia
Europe
North America
South America
LGBTQIA+ & Deaf pageants
International
Here is the following list of the largest international LGBTQIA+ competitions in pageantry.
Here is the following list of the largest international deaf competitions in pageantry.
Continental and regional
Discontinued
National
Africa
Asia
Europe
Americas
Oceania
See also
References