While the final figures are still to be confirmed, the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games will feature around 4,400 athletes from 168 delegations. This number includes 167 National Paralympic Committees (NPCs), an eight-member Refugee Paralympic Team (RPT) and up to 98 Neutral Paralympic Athletes (NPAs) (90 from Russia and 8 from Belarus). 

The total of 168 delegations beats the previous record of 164 at the London 2012 and Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games. The previous highest number of athletes was 4,393 at Tokyo 2020. Eritrea, Kiribati and Kosovo will be making their Paralympic debuts. 

A record 1,983 women are expected to be among the 4,400 athletes competing in 549 medal events across 22 sports. The new record of female athletes (45%) beats the previous best of 1,846 (42%) set at Tokyo 2020 and is more than double the 988 female athletes who competed at Sydney 2000. The Paris 2024 Paralympic Games will also feature more medal events for women than ever before, with 235.

IPC President Andrew Parsons said, "The IPC is constantly striving to work with our members to drive the Paralympic Movement forward, so to achieve both a record number of participating delegations and female athletes is fantastic news. Much credit must go to our National Paralympic Committees (NPCs) and International Federations, particularly the three NPCs that will be making their Paralympic debut. 

"To have 168 delegations at the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games represents a 24% increase on the 135 that took part at Athens 2004, while to be so close to achieving gender parity 64 years after the first Paralympic Games is rapid progress. What's most impressive is that as the number of participating delegations has increased, so has the number of female athletes and the quality of sport and competition. 

"Since 2016, the IPC has invested millions of euros each year in Para sport development programmes with our member organisations, with a focus on increasing female participation. These efforts and the excellent work of our National Para Federations and International Federations, are starting to pay off with record results. I am confident that Paris 2024 will be the best Paralympic Games yet," he concluded. 

China, who have topped the medals table at every Paralympic Games since Athens 2004, have the largest delegation with 282 athletes (124 male and 158 female). Rio 2016 hosts Brazil have the second largest delegation with 255 athletes (138 men and 117 women), followed by host nation France with 237 athletes (155 men and 82 women). For the first time in history, France will be represented in all 22 sports. 

With 82 women, the French team is the largest ever sent to a Paralympic Games and more than double the 37 who competed at Tokyo 2020. The youngest athlete in the French team is Marie N'Goussou, 15, in Para athletics. The USA is sending 220 athletes (110 men and 110 women), and the United Kingdom 201 (109 and 92). 

35 NPCs* have a record of women for the Paris 2024 Paralympics, while 27 NPC+ have more women than men. 15 Para sports - Para cycling, Para archery, Para athletics, Para badminton, Para canoeing, Para equestrian, Para judo, Para powerlifting, Para rowing, Para shooting, Para swimming, Para taekwondo, Para triathlon, Para table tennis, and wheelchair rugby - have more women competing than at Tokyo 2020.   

Para equestrian (17 men/61 women) and Para powerlifting (89/90) have more female competitors than males, while Para badminton, Para rowing, Goalball and Wheelchair basketball have gender parity. Boccia (68 men/57 women), Para judo (79/68), Para taekwondo (61/60), Para triathlon (66/55), Sitting volleyball (96 male 91 female) and Wheelchair fencing (49 male/48 female) are close to gender parity. 

Para Athletics will have the largest number of participants with 1,135 athletes competing in 164 medal events. Para swimming is the second with 608 athletes competing in 141 medal events. Para table tennis will have the third largest number of athletes with 182 competing in 31 medal events. The Paris 2024 Paralympic Games will be held between 28 August and 8 September and tickets are still on sale from at €15.

*: Argentina, Bangladesh, Brazil, Central African Republic, Chile, China, Cameroon, Colombia, Costa Rica, Croatia, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Ethiopia, Fiji, France, Georgia, Ghana, Indonesia, India, Ireland, Italy, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, South Korea, Morocco, Mongolia, Nigeria, Peru, Poland, Switzerland, Thailand, Türkiye, Uzbekistan and Venezuela. 

+: Canada, China, Ecuador, Fiji, Hong Kong China, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Kenya, Kyrgyzstan, Lithuania, Mexico, North Macedonia, Mozambique, Nigeria, Norway, Paraguay, Peru, Puerto Rico, Rwanda, Singapore, Switzerland, Sweden, Turkmenistan, Chinese Taipei, Türkiye and Venezuela.