# List of world expositions

The Bureau International des Expositions (BIE) sanctions world expositions. Some have been recognised retrospectively because they took place before the BIE came into existence.
The designation "World Exposition" refers to a class of the largest, general scope exhibitions of up to 6 months' duration.
This list does not include BIE-recognised International Horticultural Exhibitions.

## Category

| World Expo | BIE-International Registered exhibitions that take place every five years and last up to 6 months. All exhibitions in this category which took place before 1928 were subsequently recognized by the BIE. |
| Specialised Expo | BIE-International Recognised exhibitions that take place between two World Expos and last up to 3 months. (This definition was adopted after 1988; prior to that, some longer running ones, including 1988 Brisbane, were classified as Specialised Expos.) |

## List by date

| Dates | Name of Exposition | Country | City | Category | Theme | Notables | Visitors in millions | Cost in millions (USD unless specified) | Area (ha) | Attending countries |
| 04/1851 – 10/1851 | The Great Exhibition | United Kingdom | London | World Expo | Industry of all Nations | The Crystal Palace | 6.00 | 1.65 | 10 | 25 |
| 05/1855 – 11/1855 | Exposition Universelle / Paris International | France | Paris | World Expo | Agriculture, Industry and Arts | Palais d'Industrie Bordeaux Wine classification | 5.00 | 2 | 15 | 25 |
| 05/1862 – 11/1862 | International Exhibition | United Kingdom | London | World Expo | Industry and Arts | | 6.00 | 2 | 15 | 39 |
| 04/1867 – 11/1867 | Exposition Universelle / Paris International | France | Paris | World Expo | Agriculture, Industry and Arts | Champ de Mars | 15.00 | 4.5 | 69 | 42 |
| 05/1873 – 10/1873 | Weltausstellung 1873 Wien / Austrian International Exposition | Austria-Hungary | Vienna | World Expo | Culture and Education | Rotunde | 7.25 | 9.5 | 233 | 35 |
| 05/1876 – 11/1876 | Centennial Exposition | United States | Philadelphia | World Expo | Arts, Manufactures and Products of the Soil and Mine | Centennial Arboretum Telephone Heinz Ketchup | 10.00 | 8 | 115 | 35 |
| 05/1878 – 11/1878 | Exposition Universelle / Paris International Exposition | France | Paris | World Expo | New Technologies | Statue of Liberty Telephone Braille | 16.00 | 11 | 75 | 36 |
| 10/1880 – 04/1881 | Melbourne International Exhibition | Colony of Victoria | Melbourne | World Expo | Arts, Manufacturing, Agriculture and Industrial Products of all Nations | Royal Exhibition Buildings & Carlton Gardens | 1.30 | 1.6 | 25 | 33 |
| 04/1888 – 12/1888 | Exposición Universal de Barcelona (1888) | Spain | Barcelona | World Expo | Fine and Industrial Art | Arc de Triomf Columbus Monument | 2.30 | 1.7 | 47 | 30 |
| 05/1889 – 10/1889 | Exposition Universelle / Paris International Exposition | France | Paris | World Expo | French Revolution | Eiffel Tower Annie Oakley | 32.00 | 0.3 | 96 | 35 |
| 05/1893 – 10/1893 | World's Columbian Exposition | United States | Chicago | World Expo | Discovery of America | Midway Plaisance Fine Arts Building Fluorescent lamp Ferris wheel | 27.50 | 27 | 279 | 19 |
| 05/1897 – 11/1897 | Brussels International Exposition | Belgium | Brussels | World Expo | Modern Life | | 7.80 | | 132 | 27 |
| 04/1900 – 11/1900 | Paris International | France | Paris | World Expo | 19th Century: an overview | Motion Pictures Escalator Summer Olympics | 50.80 | 18.75 | 120 | 58 |
| 04/1904 – 12/1904 | Louisiana Purchase | United States | St. Louis | World Expo | Louisiana Purchase | Forest Park Palace of Fine Art Vulcan statue In conjunction with Summer Olympics | 19.69 | 31.5 | 515 | 63 |
| 04/1905 – 11/1905 | Liège International (1905) | Belgium | Liège | World Expo | Commemoration of the 75th anniversary of independence | | 7.00 | 2.9 | 70 | 31 |
| 04/1906 – 11/1906 | Milan International | Italy | Milan | World Expo | Transport | Electric Tramways | 10.00 | 2.6 | 100 | 25 |
| 04/1910 – 11/1910 | Brussels International Exhibition | Belgium | Brussels | World Expo | Works of Art and Science, Agricultural and Industrial Products of All Nations | | 13.00 | 3.5 | 90 | 26 |
| 04/1911 – 11/1911 | Esposizione internazionale dell'industria e del lavoro | Italy | Turin | World Expo | Exposition of Industry and Labor | | 7.00 | | 100 | 30 |
| 04/1913 – 11/1913 | Exposition universelle et international / Ghent International Exposition | Belgium | Ghent | World Expo | Peace, Industry and Arts | Gent-Sint-Pieters railway station | 9.50 | 3.3 | 130 | 24 |
| 02/1915 – 12/1915 | Panama–Pacific International Exposition | United States | San Francisco | World Expo | Inauguration of the Panama Canal | Tower of Jewels Palace of Fine Arts | 19.00 | 25.8 | 254 | 32 |
| 05/1929 – 01/1930 | Barcelona International Exposition | Spain | Barcelona | World Expo | Arts, Industry and Sport | Barcelona Pavilion Palau Nacional Montjuïc Stadium | 5.8 | 25 | 118 | 29 |
| 05/1933 – 10/1934 | Century of Progress | United States | Chicago | World Expo | The interdependence among Industry and scientific research | Sky Ride Graf Zeppelin Homes of Tomorrow First MLB All Star Game | 38.80 | 42.9 | 170 | 19 |
| 04/1935 – 11/1935 | Brussels International Exposition | Belgium | Brussels | World Expo | Transports | | 20.00 | 197 BEF | 152 | 30 |
| 05/1936 – 06/1936 | ILIS 1936 | Sweden | Stockholm | Specialised Expo | Aviation | Stockholm Bromma Airport | | | 0.5 | 8 |
| 05/1937 – 11/1937 | Exposition Internationale des Arts et Techniques dans la Vie Moderne / Paris International Exposition | France | Paris | World Expo | Arts and Technology in modern life | Arc de Triomphe | 31.00 | 1,400 FRF | 105 | 44 |
| 05/1938 – 05/1938 | Second International Aeronautic Exhibition | Finland | Helsinki | Specialised Expo | Aerospace | Malmi Airterminal | | | 0.08 | 25 |
| 04/1939 – 10/1940 | New York World's Fair | United States | New York City | World Expo | Building The World of Tomorrow | Flushing Park Bell Labs' Voder Magna Carta 1st World Science Fiction Convention | 45.00 | 500 | 54 | |
| 05/1939 – 09/1939 | Exposition internationale de l'eau (1939) | Belgium | Liège | Specialised Expo | Art of Water | Albert Canal | | | 50 | 8 |
| 07/1947 – 08/1947 | International Exhibition on Urbanism and Housing | France | Paris | Specialised Expo | Urbanism and Housing | Immeubles d’Etat | | | 6.35 | 14 |
| 07/1949 – 08/1949 | Universal Sport Exhibition (1949) | Sweden | Stockholm | Specialised Expo | Sport and physical culture | Pehr Henrik Ling | | | | 37 |
| 09/1949 – 10/1949 | The International Exhibition of Rural Habitat in Lyon | France | Lyon | Specialised Expo | Rural Habitat | Foire de Lyon | | | 110 | |
| 12/1949 – 06/1950 | Exposition internationale du bicentenaire de Port-au-Prince | Haiti | Port-au-Prince | World Expo | The festival of Peace | Gulf of Gonâve | | | 24 | 15 |
| 04/1951 – 05/1951 | The International Textile Exhibition | France | Lille | Specialised Expo | Textile | Textile | 1.5 | | 15 | 22 |
| 07/1953 – 10/1953 | EA 53 | Italy | Rome | Specialised Expo | Agriculture | Esposizione Universale Roma Palazzo della Civiltà Italiana | 1.7 | | 12 | |
| 09/1953 – 10/1953 | Conquest of the Desert (exhibition) | Israel | Jerusalem | Specialised Expo | Conquest of the Desert | | | | 4.6 | 13 |
| 05/1954 – 10/1954 | The International Exhibition of Navigation (1954) | Italy | Naples | Specialised Expo | Navigation | | | | 100 | 25 |
| 05/1955 – 06/1955 | The International Expo of Sport (1955) | Italy | Turin | Specialised Expo | Sport | | | | | 11 |
| 06/1955 – 08/1955 | Helsingborg Exhibition 1955 | Sweden | Helsingborg | Specialised Expo | Modern Man in the Environment | | | | | 10 |
| 05/1956 – 06/1956 | Exhibition of Citriculture | Israel | Beit Dagan | Specialised Expo | Citrus | | | | 55 | |
| 07/1957 – 09/1957 | Interbau | West Germany | West Berlin | Specialised Expo | Reconstruction of Hansa District | Hansaviertel | 1.00 | | 53 | 13 |
| 07/1958 – 09/1958 | Brussels World's Fair | Belgium | Brussels | World Expo | A World View: A New Humanism | Heysel Atomium | 41.00 | 2,500 BEF | 200 | 42 |
| 05/1961 – 10/1961 | Expo 61 | Italy | Turin | Specialised Expo | Celebration of centennial of Italian unity | Palazzo del Lavoro | 5.00 | | 50 | 19 |
| 04/1962 – 10/1962 | Century 21 Exposition | United States | Seattle | World Expo | Man in the Space Age | Seattle Center Space Needle Seattle Monorail | 9.60 | 47 | 30 | 24 |
| 06/1965 – 10/1965 | IVA 65 | West Germany | Munich | Specialised Expo | Transport | E03 | 3.20 | | 50.20 | 36 |
| 04/1967 – 10/1967 | Expo '67 | Canada | Montreal | World Expo | Man and His World | Canadian Centennial IMAX Montreal Metro Habitat '67 Montreal Biosphère | 50.30 | 431 CAD | 365 | 62 |
| 04/1968 – 10/1968 | HemisFair '68 | United States | San Antonio | Specialised Expo | Confluence of Civilizations in the Americas | Tower of the Americas Institute of Texan Cultures HemisFair Arena | 6.40 | 156 | 37.64 | 23 |
| 03/1970 – 09/1970 | Expo '70 | Japan | Osaka | World Expo | Progress and Harmony for Mankind | Tower of the Sun Moon rock Electric Cars | 64.2 | 30 Profit | 329.82 | 75 |
| 08/1971 – 09/1971 | Expo 71 | Hungary | Budapest | Specialised Expo | The Hunt through the World | International Council for Game and Wildlife Conservation (CIC) | 1.90 | | 35.0 | 52 |
| 05/1974 – 11/1974 | Expo '74 | United States | Spokane | Specialised Expo | Celebrating Tomorrow's Fresh New Environment | IMAX | 5.60 | 78.4 | 41 | 10 |
| 07/1975 – 01/1976 | Expo '75 | Japan | Okinawa | Specialised Expo | The Sea We would like to See | Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium | 3.48 | | 100.0 | 35 |
| 06/1981 – 07/1981 | Expo 81 | Bulgaria | Plovdiv | Specialised Expo | Hunting | International Fair Plovdiv | | | | |
| 05/1982 – 10/1982 | 1982 World's Fair | United States | Knoxville | Specialised Expo | Energy Turns the World | Sunsphere | 11.00 | 42 | 30 | 16 |
| 05/1984 – 11/1984 | 1984 World's Fair | United States | New Orleans | Specialised Expo | The World of Rivers– Fresh Water as a source of life | Convention Center | 7.35 | 350 | 33.99 | 15 |
| 03/1985 – 09/1985 | Expo 85 (Tsukuba, Japan) | Japan | Tsukuba | Specialised Expo | Dwellings and Surroundings – Science and Technology for Man at Home | HSST Jumbotron | 20.3 | | 100 | 48 |
| 11/1985 – 11/1985 | Expo 85 (Plovdiv, Bulgaria) | Bulgaria | Plovdiv | Specialised Expo | Inventions | International Fair Plovdiv | 1.00 | | 5.80 | 73 |
| 05/1986 – 10/1986 | Expo '86 | Canada | Vancouver | Specialised Expo | Transportation and Communication: World in Motion - World in Touch | Science World Skytrain BC Place Canada Place | 22.11 | 311 CAD deficit | 70 | 55 |
| 04/1988 – 10/1988 | Expo '88 | Australia | Brisbane | Specialised Expo | Leisure in the Age of Technology | Sunsails, Nepal Peace Pagoda, Skyneedle | 18.50 | 625 AUD | 40 | 36 |
| 06/1991 – 07/1991 | Expo 91 | Bulgaria | Plovdiv | Specialised Expo | The activity of young people in the service of a World of Peace | World Intellectual Property Organization | | | | 8 |
| 04/1992 – 10/1992 | Expo '92 | Spain | Seville | World Expo | The Era of Discovery | Puente del Alamillo | 41.80 | | 215 | 108 |
| 05/1992 – 08/1992 | Expo Colombo '92 | Italy | Genoa | Specialised Expo | Christopher Columbus, The Ship and the Sea | Aquarium of Genoa | 0.8 | | 6 | 54 |
| 08/1993 – 11/1993 | Expo '93 | South Korea | Daejeon | Specialised Expo | The Challenge of a New Road of Development | Expo Science Park, Daejeon Museum of Art | 14.50 | | 90.10 | 141 |
| 05/1998 – 09/1998 | Expo '98 | Portugal | Lisbon | Specialised Expo | The Oceans: A Heritage for the Future | Pavilhão Atlântico Lisbon Oceanarium Pavilion of Portugal | 10.10 | | 50 | 143 |
| 06/2000 – 10/2000 | Expo 2000 | Germany | Hanover | World Expo | Man, Nature, Technology | Hannover Principles | 18.10 | 3,400 DEM | 160 | 155 |
| 03/2005 – 09/2005 | Expo 2005 | Japan | Aichi | World Expo | Nature's Wisdom | Satsuki and Mei's House ASIMO The Frozen Mammoth | 22.04 | | 173 | 121 |
| 06/2008 – 09/2008 | Expo 2008 | Spain | Zaragoza | Specialised Expo | Water and Sustainable development | Bridge Pavilion Water Tower | 5.650 | | 25 | 108 |
| 05/2010 – 10/2010 | Expo 2010 | People's Republic of China | Shanghai | World Expo | Better City, Better Life | Expo Axis Oriental Crown (Currently China Art Museum, Shanghai) | 73.08 | 4,200 (5,800 including infrastructure) | 523 | 192 |
| 05/2012 – 08/2012 | Expo 2012 | South Korea | Yeosu | Specialised Expo | The Living Ocean and Coast | The Big-O The Sky Tower | 8.20 | 176.9 | 25 | 103 |
| 05/2015 – 10/2015 | Expo 2015 | Italy | Milan | World Expo | Feeding the planet, Energy for life | The Tree of Life | 21.5 | | 110 | 145 |
| 06/2017 – 09/2017 | Expo 2017 | Kazakhstan | Astana | Specialised Expo | Future Energy | The Nur Alem Sphere | 4.1 | | 25 | 115 |
| 10/2021 – 03/2022 | Expo 2020 | United Arab Emirates | Dubai | World Expo | Connecting Minds, Creating the Future | Al Wasl Plaza | 24.103 | | 438 | 192 |

### Planned expositions

| Date | Name of Exposition | Country | City | Category | Theme or symbol |
| 2025 | Expo 2025 | Japan | Osaka | World Expo | Designing Future Society for Our Lives |
| 2027 | Expo 2027 | Serbia | Belgrade | Specialised Expo | Play for Humanity: Sport and Music for All |
| 2030 | Expo 2030 | Saudi Arabia | Riyadh | World Expo | The Era of Change: Together for a Foresighted Tomorrow |

### Proposed expositions
## List by country

Bold text denotes World Expo.
| Country | City | Name of Exposition | Attending Countries | Year |
| Argentina | Buenos Aires | Expo 2023 | – | 2023 |
| Australia | Melbourne Brisbane | Melbourne International World Expo 88 | 33 36 | 1880−81 1988 |
| Austria-Hungary | Vienna | Austrian International | 35 | 1873 |
| Belgium | Brussels Ghent Liège | Brussels International Brussels International Brussels International Brussels World's Fair Ghent International Liège International | 27 26 30 42 26 31 | 1897 1910 1935 1958 1913 1905 |
| Canada | Montreal Vancouver | Expo 67 Expo 86 | 62 54 | 1967 1986 |
| China | Shanghai | Expo 2010 | 192 | 2010 |
| France | Paris Lille | Paris International Paris International Paris International Paris International Paris International Paris International International Textile Exhibition | 25 42 36 35 58 44 22 | 1855 1867 1878 1889 1900 1937 1951 |
| Germany | Hanover | Expo 2000 | 155 | 2000 |
| Haiti | Port-au-Prince | Exposition internationale du bicentenaire de Port-au-Prince | 15 | 1949−50 |
| Italy | Genoa Milan Milan Rome Naples Turin Turin | Expo Colombo '92 Milan International Expo 2015 EA 53 The International Exhibition of Navigation (1954) The International Expo of Sport (1955) Expo 61 | 54 31 145 | 1992 1906 2015 1953 1954 1955 1961 |
| Japan | Aichi Tsukuba Okinawa Osaka | Expo 2005 Expo '85 Expo '75 Expo '70 Expo 2025 | 121 111 40 75 TBD | 2005 1985 1975 1970 2025 |
| Kazakhstan | Astana | Expo 2017 | 115 | 2017 |
| Portugal | Lisbon | Expo '98 | 146 | 1998 |
| Saudi Arabia | Riyadh | Expo 2030 | TBD | 2030 |
| Serbia | Belgrade | Expo 2027 | TBD | 2027 |
| South Korea | Daejeon Yeosu | Expo '93 Expo 2012 | 108 103 | 19932012 |
| Spain | Barcelona Barcelona Seville Zaragoza | Exposición Universal de Barcelona Barcelona International Seville Expo '92 Expo Zaragoza 2008 | 30 20 108 104 | 1888 1929 1992 2008 |
| United Arab Emirates | Dubai | Expo 2020 | 192 | 2021−22 |
| United Kingdom | London | The Great Exhibition International | 25 39 | 1851 1862 |
| United States | Chicago Knoxville New Orleans New York Philadelphia San Antonio San Francisco Seattle Spokane St. Louis | World's Columbian Century of Progress Energy Expo '82 1984 World's Fair New York World's Fair Centennial Exposition HemisFair '68 Panama–Pacific Century 21 Exposition Expo '74 Louisiana Purchase | 19 21 21 26 60 35 23 32 24 11 63 | 1893 1933 1982 1984 1939 1876 1968 1915 1962 1974 1904 |