Did you know the first-ever Miss International pageant was held in Long Beach, California, not in Japan? The Miss International pageant is a primary global beauty contest organised by the Japan-based International Cultural Association. It began in 1960 and has been held almost every year since, though it skipped 2020 and 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The first winner was Stella Márquez of Colombia, crowned in 1960. The most recent winner (2025) is Catalina Duque, also from Colombia, who received the crown on 27 November 2025. In this article, we will take a look at all the Miss International winners from the very first to the current titleholder and follow how the crown has passed through the years.
Miss International Winners List
The Miss International pageant began in 1960 in Long Beach, California. Since then, it has grown into a significant global contest for beauty, culture, and goodwill. Over time, most competitions moved to Japan, often held in Tokyo. Below is a complete list of winners.
| Year | Represented | Titleholder | Date |
| 1960 | Colombia | Stella Márquez | Aug 12, 1960 |
| 1961 | Netherlands | Stanny van Baer | Jul 28, 1961 |
| 1962 | Australia | Tania Verstak | Aug 18, 1962 |
| 1963 | Iceland | Guðrún Bjarnadóttir | Aug 16, 1963 |
| 1964 | Philippines | Gemma Cruz | Aug 14, 1964 |
| 1965 | Germany | Ingrid Finger | Aug 13, 1965 |
| 1966 | — | No competition held | — |
| 1967 | Argentina | Mirta Massa | Apr 29, 1967 |
| 1968 | Brazil | Maria Carvalho | Oct 9, 1968 |
| 1969 | United Kingdom | Valerie Holmes | Sep 13, 1969 |
| 1970 | Philippines | Aurora Pijuan | May 16, 1970 |
| 1971 | New Zealand | Jane Hansen | May 26, 1971 |
| 1972 | United Kingdom | Linda Hooks | Oct 6, 1972 |
| 1973 | Finland | Anneli Björkling | Oct 13, 1973 |
| 1974 | United States | Brucene Smith | Oct 9, 1974 |
| 1975 | Yugoslavia | Lidija Manić | Nov 3, 1975 |
| 1976 | France | Sophie Perin | Jul 2, 1976 |
| 1977 | Spain | Pilar Medina | Jul 1, 1977 |
| 1978 | USA | Katherine Ruth | Nov 10, 1978 |
| 1979 | Philippines | Melanie Marquez | Nov 12, 1979 |
| 1980 | Costa Rica | Lorna Chávez | Nov 4, 1980 |
| 1981 | Australia | Jenny Derek | Sep 6, 1981 |
| 1982 | USA | Christie Claridge | Oct 13, 1982 |
| 1983 | Costa Rica | Gidget Sandoval | Oct 11, 1983 |
| 1984 | Guatemala | Ilma Urrutia | Oct 30, 1984 |
| 1985 | Venezuela | Nina Sicilia | Sep 15, 1985 |
| 1986 | England | Helen Fairbrother | Aug 31, 1986 |
| 1987 | Puerto Rico | Laurie Simpson | Sep 13, 1987 |
| 1988 | Norway | Catherine Gude | Jul 17, 1988 |
| 1989 | Germany | Iris Klein | Sep 17, 1989 |
| 1990 | Spain | Silvia de Esteban | Sep 16, 1990 |
| 1991 | Poland | Agnieszka Kotlarska | Oct 13, 1991 |
| 1992 | Australia | Kirsten Davidson | Oct 18, 1992 |
| 1993 | Poland | Agnieszka Pachałko | Oct 9, 1993 |
| 1994 | Greece | Christina Lekka | Sep 4, 1994 |
| 1995 | Norway | Anne Lena Hansen | Sep 10, 1995 |
| 1996 | Portugal | Fernanda Alves | Oct 26, 1996 |
| 1997 | Venezuela | Consuelo Adler | Sep 20, 1997 |
| 1998 | Panama | Lía Borrero | Sep 26, 1998 |
| 1999 | Colombia | Paulina Gálvez | Dec 14, 1999 |
| 2000 | Venezuela | Vivian Urdaneta | Oct 4, 2000 |
| 2001 | Poland | Małgorzata Rożniecka | Oct 4, 2001 |
| 2002 | Lebanon | Christina Sawaya | Sep 30, 2002 |
| 2003 | Venezuela | Goizeder Azúa | Oct 8, 2003 |
| 2004 | Colombia | Jeymmy Vargas | Oct 16, 2004 |
| 2005 | Philippines | Lara Quigaman | Sep 26, 2005 |
| 2006 | Venezuela | Daniela di Giacomo | Nov 11, 2006 |
| 2007 | Mexico | Priscila Perales | Oct 15, 2007 |
| 2008 | Spain | Alejandra Andreu | Nov 8, 2008 |
| 2009 | Mexico | Anagabriela Espinoza | Nov 28, 2009 |
| 2010 | Venezuela | Elizabeth Mosquera | Nov 7, 2010 |
| 2011 | Ecuador | Fernanda Cornejo | Nov 6, 2011 |
| 2012 | Japan | Ikumi Yoshimatsu | Oct 21, 2012 |
| 2013 | Philippines | Bea Santiago | Dec 17, 2013 |
| 2014 | Puerto Rico | Valerie Hernández | Nov 11, 2014 |
| 2015 | Venezuela | Edymar Martínez | Nov 5, 2015 |
| 2016 | Philippines | Kylie Verzosa | Oct 27, 2016 |
| 2017 | Indonesia | Kevin Lilliana | Nov 14, 2017 |
| 2018 | Venezuela | Mariem Velazco | Nov 9, 2018 |
| 2019 | Thailand | Sireethorn Leearamwat | Nov 12, 2019 |
| 2020 | — | No competition (COVID-19) | — |
| 2021 | — | — | — |
| 2022 | Germany | Jasmin Selberg | Dec 13, 2022 |
| 2023 | Venezuela | Andrea Rubio | Oct 26, 2023 |
| 2024 | Vietnam | Huỳnh Thị Thanh Thủy | Nov 12, 2024 |
| 2025 | Colombia | Catalina Duque | Nov 27, 2025 |
Which Country Has Won the Most Miss International titles?
The Miss International pageant has crowned women from many countries since its first edition in 1960. Below is a summary of how many times each country or territory has won, along with the years of their victories, showing which nations have dominated over the years.
Who Won Miss International 2025?

Catalina Duque of Colombia won Miss International 2025. She was crowned on 27 November 2025 in Tokyo, Japan. At age 26, Catalina became the fourth Colombian woman to hold the Miss International crown. Her victory came after competing against around 80 candidates from across the globe, reflecting the pageant's global scale and prominence.
Event Details
- Date: November 27, 2025
- Venue: Yoyogi National Gymnasium, Second Gymnasium, Shibuya, Tokyo, Japan.
- Contestants: About 80 delegates from around the world.
Miss International 2025: List of Top 10 Finalists
Here are the full Top 10 finalists with their countries:
- Catalina Duque – Colombia (Winner)
- Yollanda Chimbarami – Zimbabwe (1st Runner-Up)
- Paola Guzmán – Bolivia (2nd Runner-Up)
- Melliza Xaviera Yulian – Indonesia (3rd Runner-Up)
- Myrna Esguerra – Philippines (4th Runner-Up)
- Rachel Murgel – Canada
- Anita Maspons – Dominican Republic
- Nan Inzali – Myanmar
- Verónica Iglesias – Nicaragua
- Sheneli Romaya – Sri Lanka
The first runner-up was Yollanda Chimbarami of Zimbabwe, followed by Paola Guzmán of Bolivia as the second runner-up. Melliza Xaviera Yulian of Indonesia placed third runner-up, and Myrna Esguerra of the Philippines finished as fourth runner-up. The event highlighted diversity, global representation, and cultural exchange, making it one of the most celebrated Miss International editions in recent years.
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