# Water polo at the Summer World University Games

Water polo has been part of the Universiade program since the first games, in 1959. A women's water polo tournament was introduced for the 2009 Summer Universiade. Water polo was not included in 1975 and 1989.

## Medal winners
### Men

| Year | Gold | Silver | Bronze |
| 1959 | Yugoslavia | Hungary | Italy |
| 1961 | Yugoslavia | Soviet Union | Hungary |
| 1963 | Hungary | Soviet Union | Brazil |
| 1965 | Hungary | Soviet Union | Romania |
| 1967 | Japan | United States | Italy |
| 1970 | Soviet Union | Italy | Hungary |
| 1973 | Soviet Union | Cuba | United States |
| 1977 | Romania | Hungary | Italy |
| 1979 | United States | Soviet Union | Yugoslavia |
| 1981 | Cuba | United States | Romania |
| 1983 | Soviet Union | United States | Cuba |
| 1985 | Soviet Union | Yugoslavia | Cuba |
| 1987 | Italy | Cuba | Yugoslavia |
| 1991 | United States | China | Italy |
| 1993 | United States | Hungary | Italy |
| 1995 | Yugoslavia | Hungary | Australia |
| 1997 | Italy | Hungary | Australia |
| 1999 | Spain | Italy | Hungary |
| 2001 | Italy | Russia | Hungary |
| 2003 | Hungary | Serbia and Montenegro | Australia |
| 2005 | Serbia and Montenegro | Hungary | Turkey |
| 2007 | Montenegro | Italy | Hungary |
| 2009 | Australia | Croatia | Serbia |
| 2011 | Serbia | Russia | North Macedonia |
| 2013 | Hungary | Russia | Serbia |
| 2015 | Hungary | Italy | United States |
| 2017 | Serbia | Russia | Italy |
| 2019 | Italy | United States | Hungary |
| 2021 | Italy | Hungary | Georgia |

### Men's results

Last updated after the 2021 Summer World University Games
| Team | 1959 | 1961 | 1963 | 1965 | 1967 | 1970 | 1973 | 1977 | 1979 | 1981 | 1983 | 1985 | 1987 | 1991 | 1993 | 1995 | 1997 | 1999 | 2001 | 2003 | 2005 | 2007 | 2009 | 2011 | 2013 | 2015 | 2017 | 2019 | 2021 |
| Yugoslavia | 1st | 1st | - | - | - | - | 7th | 4th | 3rd | - | 5th | 2nd | 3rd | - | - | 1st | 8th | 6th | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Hungary | 2nd | 3rd | 1st | 1st | - | 3rd | 5th | 2nd | 6th | 6th | 8th | 8th | 7th | 2nd | - | 2nd | 2nd | 3rd | - | | | | - | | | | - | | |
| Italy | 3rd | 3rd | - | - | 3rd | 2nd | 4th | 3rd | 7th | 5th | 5th | 5th | 1st | 3rd | 3rd | 8th | 1st | 2nd | | | - | | | | - | | | | - |
| Netherlands | 4th | 5th | - | 6th | 5th | 5th | 11th | - | 8th | - | 8th | - | - | - | - | 6th | 11th | | | | - | | | | - | | | | - |
| West Germany | 5th | - | - | 8th | 4th | 6th | 6th | 10th | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | | - | | | | - | | | | - |
| Romania | 6th | 4th | - | 3rd | - | 7th | - | 1st | 4th | 3rd | 4th | 5th | - | - | 12th | - | - | | | | - | | | | - | | | | - |
| Ireland | 7th | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | | - | | | | | | - | | | | - |
| Soviet Union | - | 2nd | 2nd | 2nd | - | 1st | 1st | 7th | 2nd | 4th | 1st | 1st | 4th | | | | - | | | | - | | | | - | | | | - |
| Bulgaria | - | 6th | - | 4th | - | - | 9th | - | - | - | - | | - | | | | - | | | | - | | | | - | | | | - |
| Japan | - | 7th | 4th | 7th | 1st | - | - | 13th | 12th | 10th | 9th | 6th | 8th | 9th | 8th | 10th | 9th | | | | - | | | | - | | | | - |
| Indonesia | - | 8th | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | | - | | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Brazil | - | - | 3rd | - | - | - | - | 12th | 11th | 10th | - | - | - | - | - | 13th | 10th | 15th | | | - | | | | - | | | | - |
| South Africa | - | - | 5th | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 13th | - | - | - | - | | - | | | | - | | | | - |
| Czechoslovakia | - | - | - | 5th | - | - | 10th | - | - | - | - | - | - | 6th | | | - | - | | | - | | | | - | | | | - |
| Austria | - | - | - | 9th | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | | - | - | | | - | | | | - | | | | - | | | | - |
| Great Britain | - | - | - | 10th | - | 8th | 12th | - | 13th | - | - | - | 12th | 10th | | | - | | | | - | | | | - | | | | - |
| United States | - | - | - | - | 2nd | - | 3rd | 6th | 1st | 2nd | 2nd | 4th | 5th | 1st | 1st | 9th | 7th | 4th | | | - | | | | - | | | | - |
| Sweden | - | - | - | - | - | 4th | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | | | - | | | | - |
| Belgium | - | - | - | - | - | 9th | - | | - | - | | | - | | | | - | | | | - | | | | - | | | | - |
| Cuba | - | - | - | - | - | - | 2nd | 9th | 5th | 1st | 3rd | 3rd | 2nd | - | - | 4th | - | 5th | | | - | | | | - | | | | - |
| Mexico | - | - | - | - | - | - | 8th | 8th | 8th | 7th | 12th | | - | | | | - | | | | - | | | | - | | | | - |
| Canada | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 11th | 9th | 9th | 6th | 9th | 10th | 11th | 11th | 16th | - | 8th | | | - | | | | - | | | | - |
| China | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 10th | 8th | 7th | 7th | 6th | 2nd | 6th | 12th | - | | | | - | | | | - | | | | - |
| Greece | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 14th | - | - | | - | | - | 14th | - | 9th | | | - | | | | - | | | | - |
| Guatemala | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 15th | - | - | 11th | - | | | | - | | | | - | | | | - | | | | - |
| Spain | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 11th | - | - | - | - | - | - | 5th | 1st | | | - | | | | - | | | | - |
| Australia | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 11th | | 9th | 4th | 5th | 3rd | 3rd | 11th | | | - | | | | - | | | | - |
| South Korea | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 10th | 11th | - | | 15th | - | | | | - | | | | - | | | | - |
| France | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 13th | 12th | 10th | | 12th | 10th | | | - | | | | - | | | | - |
| Turkey | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 14th | 8th | 5th | | - | | | | - | | | | - | | | | - |
| Germany | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 7th | | | - | | | | - | | | | - | | | | - |
| Russia | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 4th | 4th | - | 7th | | | - | | | | - | | | | - |
| Kazakhstan | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 5th | 7th | 6th | 14th | | | - | | | | - | | | | - |
| Slovakia | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 9th | 11th | - | | | | - | | | | - | | | | - |
| Poland | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 13th | | | | - | | | | - | | | | - |
| Moldova | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 14th | | | | - | | | | - | | | | - |
| New Zealand | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 12th | | | - | | | | - | | | | - |

## Medal winners
### Woman's

| Year | Gold | Silver | Bronze |
| 2009 | China | Hungary | Russia |
| 2011 | China | United States | Russia |
| 2013 | Russia | Hungary | Italy |
| 2015 | Australia | Canada | Russia |
| 2017 | United States | Hungary | Japan |
| 2019 | Hungary | Italy | Russia |
| 2021 | China | Italy | Australia |

### Women's results

Last updated after the 2021 Summer World University Games
| Team | 2009 | 2011 | 2013 | 2015 | 2017 | 2019 | 2021 |
| China | 1st | 1st | - | 9th | - | 7th | 1st |
| Hungary | 2nd | - | 2nd | 6th | 2nd | 1st | - |
| Russia | 3rd | 3rd | 1st | 3rd | 4th | 3rd | - |
| Canada | 4th | 6th | 4th | 2nd | 5th | 4th | - |
| Australia | 5th | 5th | 5th | 1st | 6th | 5th | 3rd |
| Serbia | 6th | - | - | 10th | - | - | - |
| Italy | 7th | 4th | 3rd | 4th | 8th | 2nd | 2nd |
| Japan | 8th | - | 6th | 8th | 3rd | 6th | 4th |
| United States | - | 2nd | 8th | 5th | 1st | 8th | - |
| Great Britain | - | 7th | - | - | 10th | - | - |
| Mexico | - | 8th | - | - | - | - | - |
| France | - | 9th | 7th | 7th | 7th | 9th | - |
| Greece | - | - | - | - | 8th | - | - |
| New Zealand | - | - | - | - | 11th | - | - |
| Argentina | - | - | - | - | 12th | - | - |
| Czech Republic | - | - | - | - | - | 10th | - |
| South Africa | - | - | - | - | - | - | 5th |
| Singapore | - | - | - | - | - | - | 6th |
| Number of teams | 8 | 9 | 8 | 10 | 12 | 10 | 6 |

## Medal table

Last updated after the 2021 Summer World University Games
| Rank | Nation | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
| 1 | Hungary (HUN) | 6 | 10 | 6 | 22 |
| 2 | Italy (ITA) | 5 | 6 | 7 | 18 |
| 3 | United States (USA) | 4 | 5 | 2 | 11 |
| 4 | Soviet Union (URS) | 4 | 4 | 0 | 8 |
| 5 | Yugoslavia (YUG) | 3 | 1 | 2 | 6 |
| 6 | China (CHN) | 3 | 1 | 0 | 4 |
| 7 | Australia (AUS) | 2 | 0 | 4 | 6 |
| 8 | Serbia (SRB) | 2 | 0 | 2 | 4 |
| 9 | Russia (RUS) | 1 | 4 | 4 | 9 |
| 10 | Cuba (CUB) | 1 | 2 | 2 | 5 |
| 11 | Serbia and Montenegro (SCG) | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| 12 | Romania (ROU) | 1 | 0 | 2 | 3 |
| 13 | Japan (JPN) | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| 14 | Montenegro (MNE) | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 14 | Spain (ESP) | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 16 | Canada (CAN) | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 16 | Croatia (CRO) | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 18 | Brazil (BRA) | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 18 | Georgia (GEO) | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 18 | North Macedonia (MKD) | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 18 | Turkey (TUR) | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Totals (21 entries) | Totals (21 entries) | 36 | 36 | 36 | 108 |