# Miss Universe 1972

Miss Universe 1972 was the 21st Miss Universe pageant, held at the Cerromar Beach Hotel in Dorado, Puerto Rico on 29 July 1972. It was the first edition to be held outside the continental United States.
At the end of the event, Miss Universe 1970 Marisol Malaret crowned Kerry Anne Wells of Australia as Miss Universe 1972. It is the first victory of Australia in the pageant's history. Georgina Rizk of Lebanon, was not allowed to crown her successor due to government restrictions because of fears of a terrorist attack.
Contestants from sixty-one countries and territories participated in this year's pageant. The pageant was hosted by Bob Barker in his sixth consecutive year, while Helen O'Connell provided commentary and analysis throughout the event.

## Results
### Placements

| Placement | Contestant |
| Miss Universe 1972 | Australia – Kerry Anne Wells |
| 1st runner-up | Brazil – Rejane Costa |
| 2nd runner-up | Venezuela – María Antonieta Cámpoli |
| 3rd runner-up | Israel – Ilana Goren |
| 4th runner-up | England - Jennifer McAdam |
| Top 12 | Belgium – Anne-Marie Roger  West Germany – Heidemarie Weber  India – Roopa Satyan  Japan – Harumi Maeda  Peru – Carmen Amelia Ampuero  Philippines – Armi Barbara Crespo  United States – Tanya Wilson |

## Contestants

Sixty-one contestants competed for the title.
| Country/Territory | Contestant | Age | Hometown |
| Argentina | Norma Dudik | 22 | Buenos Aires |
| Aruba | Ivonne Dirksz | 18 | Oranjestad |
| Australia | Kerry Anne Wells | 20 | Perth |
| Austria | Uschi Pacher | 21 | Carinthia |
| Bahamas | Deborah Jane Taylor | 22 | Bimini |
| Belgium | Anne-Marie Roger | 24 | Brussels |
| Bermuda | Helen Brown | 18 | St. George's |
| Bolivia | María Alicia Vargas | 19 | Santa Cruz |
| Brazil | Rejane Vieira Costa | 18 | Cachoeira do Sul |
| Canada | Bonny Brady | 19 | Ontario |
| Chile | Consuelo Fernández | 18 | Santiago |
| Colombia | María Luisa Lignarolo | 19 | Atlántico |
| Costa Rica | Vicki Ross González | 22 | San José |
| Curaçao | Ingrid Prade | 19 | Willemstad |
| Denmark | Marianne Schmidt | 18 | Copenhagen |
| Dominican Republic | Ivonne Butler | – | La Romana |
| Ecuador | Susana Castro | 19 | Quito |
| El Salvador | Ruth Eugenia Romero | – | San Salvador |
| England | Jennifer McAdam | 24 | London |
| Finland | Maj-Len Eriksson | 19 | Helsinki |
| France | Claudine Cassereau | 19 | Poitou |
| West Germany | Heidemarie Weber | 24 | Brandenburg |
| Greece | Nansy Kapetanaki | 19 | Athens |
| Guam | Patricia Alvarez | 18 | Yigo |
| Holland | Jenny Ten Wolde | 25 | The Hague |
| Honduras | Doris Alicia Roca | 19 | Cortés |
| Hong Kong | Rita Leung | – | Hong Kong |
| Iceland | María Kristín Jóhannesdóttir | 19 | Reykjavík |
| India | Roopa Satyan | 18 | Bangalore |
| Iraq | Wijdan Burhan El-Deen Sulyman | 18 | Baghdad |
| Ireland | Maree McGlinchey | 22 | Donegal |
| Israel | Ilana Goren | 19 | Kiryat Motzkin |
| Italy | Isabela Specia | 20 | Milan |
| Jamaica | Grace Marilyn Wright | – | Kingston |
| Japan | Harumi Maeda | 21 | Tokyo |
| Luxembourg | Anita Heck | – | Esch-sur-Alzette |
| Malaysia | Helen Looi Eng | 22 | Georgetown |
| Malta | Doris Abdilla | 21 | Birżebbuġa |
| Mexico | María del Carmen Orozco | 18 | Chihuahua |
| New Zealand | Kristine Allen | 19 | Auckland |
| Norway | Liv Olsen | – | Oslo |
| Paraguay | María Stela Volpe | 19 | Asunción |
| Peru | Carmen Ampuero | 18 | Lima |
| Philippines | Armi Crespo | 18 | Manila |
| Portugal | Iris Maria Rosario Dos Santos | 18 | Portuguese Mozambique |
| Puerto Rico | Bárbara Torres | 18 | Santurce |
| Scotland | Elizabeth Stevely | 20 | Glasgow |
| Singapore | Jacqueline Han | 21 | Singapore |
| South Korea | Park Yeon-joo | 20 | Seoul |
| Spain | María del Carmen Muñoz | 18 | Madrid |
| Suriname | Carmen Muntslag | – | Paramaribo |
| Sweden | Britt Marie Johansson | 19 | Trångsund |
| Switzerland | Anneliese Weber | – | Zürich |
| Thailand | Nipapat Sudsiri | 21 | Kanchanaburi |
| Turkey | Neslihan Sunay | 18 | Eskişehir |
| United States | Tanya Wilson | 22 | Honolulu |
| United States Virgin Islands | Carol Krieger | 18 | Saint Croix |
| Uruguay | Christina Moller | 20 | Montevideo |
| Venezuela | María Antonieta Cámpoli | 18 | Nueva Esparta |
| Wales | Eileen Darroch | 21 | Caerwys |
| Zaire | Ombayi Mukuta | 18 | Kinshasa |