1981 World Wrestling Championships Medal table Medal table

| Rank_ | Nation | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Soviet Union | 12 | 0 | 4 | 16 |
| 2 | West Germany | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| 3 | Bulgaria | 1 | 5 | 1 | 7 |
| 4 | Yugoslavia | 1 | 2 | 1 | 4 |
| 5 | Japan | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 |
| 5 | United States | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 |
| 7 | East Germany | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
| 7 | Hungary | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
| 9 | Finland | 0 | 2 | 2 | 4 |
| 9 | Poland | 0 | 2 | 2 | 4 |
| 11 | Czechoslovakia | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 11 | Iran | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 11 | South Korea | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 11 | Sweden | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 11 | Turkey | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |