# 1978 World Women's Handball Championship

The 1978 World Women's Handball Championship was the 7th edition of the tournament. It took place in Czechoslovakia from between 30 November-10 December 1978. East Germany won the tournament ahead of Soviet Union and Hungary.

## Qualification
### Host nation

* Czechoslovakia

### Qualified from the 1976 Summer Olympics

* East Germany
* Hungary
* Soviet Union

### Qualified from the 1977 World Championship B

* Netherlands
* Poland
* Romania
* West Germany
* Yugoslavia

### Qualified from the 1978 All-African Games

* Algeria

### Qualified from Asia

* South Korea

### Qualified from the Americas

* Canada

## Preliminary round
### Group A

| Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
| East Germany | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 57 | 35 | +22 | 6 |
| Yugoslavia | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 58 | 50 | +8 | 4 |
| Romania | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 43 | 41 | +2 | 2 |
| South Korea | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 45 | 77 | −32 | 0 |
| 30 November 1978 17:00 | Yugoslavia | 28–21 | South Korea | Gottwaldow |
| 30 November 1978 17:00 | | (14–10) | | Gottwaldow |
| 30 November 1978 18:30 | East Germany | 13–9 | Romania | Gottwaldow |
| 30 November 1978 18:30 | | (7–6) | | Gottwaldow |
| 1 December 1978 17:00 | Yugoslavia | 16–14 | Romania | Gottwaldow |
| 1 December 1978 17:00 | | (8–7) | | Gottwaldow |
| 1 December 1978 18:30 | East Germany | 29–12 | South Korea | Gottwaldow |
| 1 December 1978 18:30 | | (12–6) | | Gottwaldow |
| 2 December 1978 15:00 | Romania | 20–12 | South Korea | Gottwaldow |
| 2 December 1978 15:00 | | (11–6) | | Gottwaldow |
| 2 December 1978 17:15 | East Germany | 15–14 | Yugoslavia | Gottwaldow |
| 2 December 1978 17:15 | | (7–7) | | Gottwaldow |

### Group B

| Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
| Czechoslovakia | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 62 | 28 | +34 | 6 |
| Soviet Union | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 61 | 28 | +33 | 4 |
| Netherlands | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 51 | 52 | −1 | 2 |
| Algeria | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 14 | 80 | −66 | 0 |
| 30 November 1978 17:00 | Czechoslovakia | 31–5 | Algeria | Trnava |
| 30 November 1978 17:00 | | (19–1) | | Trnava |
| 30 November 1978 18:30 | Soviet Union | 26–12 | Netherlands | Trnava |
| 30 November 1978 18:30 | | (15–7) | | Trnava |
| 1 December 1978 17:00 | Czechoslovakia | 20–13 | Netherlands | Trnava |
| 1 December 1978 17:00 | | (12–4) | | Trnava |
| 1 December 1978 18:30 | Soviet Union | 23–5 | Algeria | Trnava |
| 1 December 1978 18:30 | | (13–1) | | Trnava |
| 2 December 1978 15:30 | Netherlands | 26–4 | Algeria | Trnava |
| 2 December 1978 15:30 | | (13–0) | | Trnava |
| 2 December 1978 17:15 | Czechoslovakia | 11–10 | Soviet Union | Trnava |
| 2 December 1978 17:15 | | (5–5) | | Trnava |

### Group C

| Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
| Hungary | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 70 | 39 | +31 | 6 |
| Poland | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 58 | 52 | +6 | 4 |
| West Germany | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 50 | 45 | +5 | 2 |
| Canada | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 32 | 74 | −42 | 0 |
| 30 November 1978 17:00 | Poland | 28–16 | Canada | Cheb |
| 30 November 1978 17:00 | | (14–4) | | Cheb |
| 30 November 1978 18:30 | Hungary | 23–15 | West Germany | Cheb |
| 30 November 1978 18:30 | | (10–5) | | Cheb |
| 1 December 1978 17:00 | Poland | 16–15 | West Germany | Cheb |
| 1 December 1978 17:00 | | (5–8) | | Cheb |
| 1 December 1978 18:30 | Hungary | 26–10 | Canada | Cheb |
| 1 December 1978 18:30 | | (15–6) | | Cheb |
| 2 December 1978 15:30 | West Germany | 20–6 | Canada | Cheb |
| 2 December 1978 15:30 | | (10–2) | | Cheb |
| 2 December 1978 17:15 | Hungary | 21–14 | Poland | Cheb |
| 2 December 1978 17:15 | | (12–9) | | Cheb |

## Final round
### Group 7-9

| Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
| Romania | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 35 | 26 | +9 | 4 |
| West Germany | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 27 | 27 | 0 | 2 |
| Netherlands | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 36 | 45 | −9 | 0 |
| 5 December 1978 | Romania | 10–7 | West Germany | Bratislava |
| 5 December 1978 | | (6–3) | | Bratislava |
| 6 December 1978 14:30 | West Germany | 20–17 | Netherlands | Bratislava |
| 6 December 1978 14:30 | | (13–8) | | Bratislava |
| 7 December 1978 | Romania | 25–19 | Netherlands | Bratislava |
| 7 December 1978 | | (14–8) | | Bratislava |

### Final Group

| Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
| East Germany | 5 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 82 | 55 | +27 | 8 |
| Soviet Union | 5 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 75 | 52 | +23 | 8 |
| Hungary | 5 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 67 | 73 | −6 | 6 |
| Czechoslovakia | 5 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 72 | 60 | +12 | 5 |
| Yugoslavia | 5 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 68 | 71 | −3 | 3 |
| Poland | 5 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 50 | 103 | −53 | 0 |
| 5 December 1978 15:30 | East Germany | 25–10 | Poland |
| 5 December 1978 15:30 | | (11–4) | |
| 5 December 1978 18:30 | Czechoslovakia | 13–13 | Yugoslavia |
| 5 December 1978 18:30 | | (8–7) | |
| 5 December 1978 20:00 | Soviet Union | 19–13 | Hungary |
| 5 December 1978 20:00 | | (9–5) | |
| 6 December 1978 16:00 | Yugoslavia | 18–14 | Poland |
| 6 December 1978 16:00 | | (8–4) | |
| 6 December 1978 18:30 | Hungary | 14–13 | Czechoslovakia |
| 6 December 1978 18:30 | | (9–5) | |
| 6 December 1978 20:00 | Soviet Union | 14–12 | East Germany |
| 6 December 1978 20:00 | | (10–5) | |
| 8 December 1978 16:00 | East Germany | 14–5 | Hungary |
| 8 December 1978 16:00 | | (7–2) | |
| 8 December 1978 18:30 | Czechoslovakia | 22–7 | Poland |
| 8 December 1978 18:30 | | (10–4) | |
| 8 December 1978 20:00 | Soviet Union | 15–11 | Yugoslavia |
| 8 December 1978 20:00 | | (10–5) | |
| 10 December 1978 10:30 | Hungary | 14–12 | Yugoslavia |
| 10 December 1978 10:30 | | (8–7) | |
| 10 December 1978 15:00 | Soviet Union | 17–5 | Poland |
| 10 December 1978 15:00 | | (7–1) | |
| 10 December 1978 16:30 | East Germany | 16–12 | Czechoslovakia |
| 10 December 1978 16:30 | | (8–5) | |

## Final standings

| # | Team |
| | East Germany |
| | Soviet Union |
| | Hungary |
| 4 | Czechoslovakia |
| 5 | Yugoslavia |
| 6 | Poland |
| 7 | Romania |
| 8 | West Germany |
| 9 | Netherlands |
| 10-12 | South Korea |
| 10-12 | Canada |
| 10-12 | Algeria |
* Qualified for the 1980 Summer Olympics