The Nobel Prize in Literature (Swedish: Nobelpriset i litteratur) is awarded annually by the Swedish Academy to authors for outstanding contributions in the field of literature. It is one of the five Nobel Prizes established by the 1895 will of Alfred Nobel, which are awarded for outstanding contributions in chemistry, physics, literature, peace, and physiology or medicine. As dictated by Nobel's will, the award is administered by the Nobel Foundation and awarded by the Swedish Academy. Each recipient receives a medal, a diploma and a monetary award prize that has varied throughout the years. In 1901, the first laureate Sully Prudhomme received 150,782 SEK, which is equivalent to 8,823,637 SEK in January 2018. The award is presented in Stockholm at an annual ceremony on December 10, the anniversary of Nobel's death.
As of 2025, the Nobel Prize in Literature has been awarded to 122 individuals. 18 women have been awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature, the second highest number of any of the Nobel Prizes behind the Nobel Peace Prize. As of 2024, there have been 29 English-speaking laureates of the Nobel Prize in Literature, followed by French with 16 laureates and German with 14 laureates. France has the highest number of Nobel laureates.
Tables
· Laureates
Multi-metric bars
World heat map
Image
Image
Year
Image
Laureate
Name
1901
1901
Year
1901
Laureate
Laureate
Sully Prudhomme
(1839–1907)
Country
& Language
France
(French)
Citation
"in special recognition of his poetic composition, which gives evidence of lofty idealism, artistic perfection and a rare combination of the qualities of both heart and intellect"
1902
1902
Year
1902
Laureate
Laureate
Theodor Mommsen
(1817–1903)
Country
& Language
Germany
(German)
Citation
"the greatest living master of the art of historical writing, with special reference to his monumental work A History of Rome"
1903
1903
Year
1903
Laureate
Laureate
Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson
(1832–1910)
Country
& Language
Norway
(Norwegian)
Citation
"as a tribute to his noble, magnificent and versatile poetry, which has always been distinguished by both the freshness of its inspiration and the rare purity of its spirit"
1904
1904
Year
1904
Laureate
Laureate
Frédéric Mistral
(1830–1914)
Country
& Language
France
(French and Provençal)
Citation
"in recognition of the fresh originality and true inspiration of his poetic production, which faithfully reflects the natural scenery and native spirit of his people, and, in addition, his significant work as a Provençal philologist"
1905
1905
Year
1905
Laureate
Laureate
Henryk Sienkiewicz
(1846–1916)
Country
& Language
Poland
(Polish)
Citation
"because of his outstanding merits as an epic writer"
1906
1906
Year
1906
Laureate
Laureate
Giosuè Carducci
(1835–1907)
Country
& Language
Italy
(Italian)
Citation
"not only in consideration of his deep learning and critical research, but above all as a tribute to the creative energy, freshness of style, and lyrical force which characterize his poetic masterpieces"
1907
1907
Year
1907
Laureate
Laureate
Rudyard Kipling
(1865–1936)
Country
& Language
United Kingdom
(English)
Citation
"in consideration of the power of observation, originality of imagination, virility of ideas and remarkable talent for narration that characterize the creations of this world-famous author"
1908
1908
Year
1908
Laureate
Laureate
Rudolf Christoph Eucken
(1846–1926)
Country
& Language
Germany
(German)
Citation
"in recognition of his earnest search for truth, his penetrating power of thought, his wide range of vision, and the warmth and strength in presentation with which in his numerous works he has vindicated and developed an idealistic philosophy of life"
1909
1909
Year
1909
Laureate
Laureate
Selma Lagerlöf
(1858–1940)
Country
& Language
Sweden
(Swedish)
Citation
"in appreciation of the lofty idealism, vivid imagination and spiritual perception that characterize her writings"
1910
1910
Year
1910
Laureate
Laureate
Paul von Heyse
(1830–1914)
Country
& Language
Germany
(German)
Citation
"as a tribute to the consummate artistry, permeated with idealism, which he has demonstrated during his long productive career as a lyric poet, dramatist, novelist and writer of world-renowned short stories"
1911
1911
Year
1911
Laureate
Laureate
Maurice Maeterlinck
(1862–1949)
Country
& Language
Belgium
(French)
Citation
"in appreciation of his many-sided literary activities, and especially of his dramatic works, which are distinguished by a wealth of imagination and by a poetic fancy, which reveals, sometimes in the guise of a fairy tale, a deep inspiration, while in a mysterious way they appeal to the readers' own feelings and stimulate their imaginations"
1912
1912
Year
1912
Laureate
Laureate
Gerhart Hauptmann
(1862–1946)
Country
& Language
Germany
(German)
Citation
"primarily in recognition of his fruitful, varied and outstanding production in the realm of dramatic art"
1913
1913
Year
1913
Laureate
Laureate
Rabindranath Tagore
(1861–1941)
Country
& Language
India (British Raj)
(Bengali and English)
Citation
"because of his profoundly sensitive, fresh and beautiful verse, by which, with consummate skill, he has made his poetic thought, expressed in his own English words, a part of the literature of the West"
1914
1914
Year
1914
Laureate
Not awarded
1915
1915
Year
1915
Laureate
Laureate
Romain Rolland
(1866–1944)
Country
& Language
France
(French)
Citation
"as a tribute to the lofty idealism of his literary production and to the sympathy and love of truth with which he has described different types of human beings"
1916
1916
Year
1916
Laureate
Laureate
Verner von Heidenstam
(1859–1940)
Country
& Language
Sweden
(Swedish)
Citation
"in recognition of his significance as the leading representative of a new era in our literature"
1917
1917
Year
1917
Laureate
Laureate
Karl Adolph Gjellerup
(1857–1919)
Country
& Language
Denmark
(Danish and German)
Citation
"for his varied and rich poetry, which is inspired by lofty ideals"
1918
1918
Year
1918
Laureate
Not awarded
1919
1919
Year
1919
Laureate
Laureate
Carl Spitteler
(1845–1924)
Country
& Language
Switzerland
(German)
Citation
"in special appreciation of his epic, Olympian Spring"
1920
1920
Year
1920
Laureate
Laureate
Knut Hamsun
(1859–1952)
Country
& Language
Norway
(Norwegian)
Citation
"for his monumental work, Growth of the Soil"
1921
1921
Year
1921
Laureate
Laureate
Anatole France
(1844–1924)
Country
& Language
France
(French)
Citation
"in recognition of his brilliant literary achievements, characterized as they are by a nobility of style, a profound human sympathy, grace, and a true Gallic temperament"
1922
1922
Year
1922
Laureate
Laureate
Jacinto Benavente
(1866–1954)
Country
& Language
Spain
(Spanish)
Citation
"for the happy manner in which he has continued the illustrious traditions of the Spanish drama"
1923
1923
Year
1923
Laureate
Laureate
William Butler Yeats
(1865–1939)
Country
& Language
Ireland
(English)
Citation
"for his always inspired poetry, which in a highly artistic form gives expression to the spirit of a whole nation"
1924
1924
Year
1924
Laureate
Laureate
Władysław Reymont
(1867–1925)
Country
& Language
Poland
(Polish)
Citation
"for his great national epic, The Peasants"
1925
1925
Year
1925
Laureate
Laureate
George Bernard Shaw
(1856–1950)
Country
& Language
United Kingdom
Ireland
(English)
Citation
"for his work which is marked by both idealism and humanity, its stimulating satire often being infused with a singular poetic beauty"
1926
1926
Year
1926
Laureate
Laureate
Grazia Deledda
(1871–1936)
Country
& Language
Italy
(Italian)
Citation
"for her idealistically inspired writings, which with plastic clarity picture the life on her native island and with depth and sympathy deal with human problems in general"
1927
1927
Year
1927
Laureate
Laureate
Henri Bergson
(1859–1941)
Country
& Language
France
(French)
Citation
"in recognition of his rich and vitalizing ideas and the brilliant skill with which they have been presented"
1928
1928
Year
1928
Laureate
Laureate
Sigrid Undset
(1882–1949)
Country
& Language
Norway
Denmark
(Norwegian)
Citation
"principally for her powerful descriptions of Northern life during the Middle Ages"
1929
1929
Year
1929
Laureate
Laureate
Thomas Mann
(1875–1955)
Country
& Language
Germany
(German)
Citation
"principally for his great novel, Buddenbrooks, which has won steadily increased recognition as one of the classic works of contemporary literature"
1930
1930
Year
1930
Laureate
Laureate
Sinclair Lewis
(1885–1951)
Country
& Language
United States
(English)
Citation
"for his vigorous and graphic art of description and his ability to create, with wit and humour, new types of characters"
1931
1931
Year
1931
Laureate
Laureate
Erik Axel Karlfeldt
(1864–1931)
Country
& Language
Sweden
(Swedish)
Citation
"The poetry of Erik Axel Karlfeldt"
1932
1932
Year
1932
Laureate
Laureate
John Galsworthy
(1867–1933)
Country
& Language
United Kingdom
(English)
Citation
"for his distinguished art of narration, which takes its highest form in The Forsyte Saga"
1933
1933
Year
1933
Laureate
Laureate
Ivan Bunin
(1870–1953)
Country
& Language
Stateless
(born in Russian Empire)
(Russian)
Citation
"for the strict artistry with which he has carried on the classical Russian traditions in prose writing"
1934
1934
Year
1934
Laureate
Laureate
Luigi Pirandello
(1867–1936)
Country
& Language
Italy
(Italian)
Citation
"for his bold and ingenious revival of dramatic and scenic art"
1935
1935
Year
1935
Laureate
Not awarded
1936
1936
Year
1936
Laureate
Laureate
Eugene O'Neill
(1888–1953)
Country
& Language
United States
(English)
Citation
"for the power, honesty and deep-felt emotions of his dramatic works, which embody an original concept of tragedy"
1937
1937
Year
1937
Laureate
Laureate
Roger Martin du Gard
(1881–1958)
Country
& Language
France
(French)
Citation
"for the artistic power and truth with which he has depicted human conflict as well as some fundamental aspects of contemporary life in his novel cycle Les Thibault"
1938
1938
Year
1938
Laureate
Laureate
Pearl Buck
(1892–1973)
Country
& Language
United States
(English)
Citation
"for her rich and truly epic descriptions of peasant life in China and for her biographical masterpieces"
1939
1939
Year
1939
Laureate
Laureate
Frans Eemil Sillanpää
(1888–1964)
Country
& Language
Finland
(Finnish)
Citation
"for his deep understanding of his country's peasantry and the exquisite art with which he has portrayed their way of life and their relationship with Nature"
1940
1940
Year
1940
Laureate
Not awarded
1941
1941
Year
1941
1942
1942
Year
1942
1943
1943
Year
1943
1944
1944
Year
1944
Laureate
Laureate
Johannes Vilhelm Jensen
(1873–1950)
Country
& Language
Denmark
(Danish)
Citation
"for the rare strength and fertility of his poetic imagination with which is combined an intellectual curiosity of wide scope and a bold, freshly creative style"
1945
1945
Year
1945
Laureate
Laureate
Gabriela Mistral
(1889–1957)
Country
& Language
Chile
(Spanish)
Citation
"for her lyric poetry, which inspired by powerful emotions, has made her name a symbol of the idealistic aspirations of the entire Latin American world"
1946
1946
Year
1946
Laureate
Laureate
Hermann Hesse
(1877–1962)
Country
& Language
Germany
Switzerland
(German)
Citation
"for his inspired writings, which while growing in boldness and penetration, exemplify the classical humanitarian ideals and high qualities of style"
1947
1947
Year
1947
Laureate
Laureate
André Gide
(1869–1951)
Country
& Language
France
(French)
Citation
"for his comprehensive and artistically significant writings, in which human problems and conditions have been presented with a fearless love of truth and keen psychological insight"
1948
1948
Year
1948
Laureate
Laureate
Thomas Stearns Eliot
(1888–1965)
Country
& Language
United Kingdom
(born in the United States)
(English)
Citation
"for his outstanding, pioneer contribution to present-day poetry"
1949
1949
Year
1949
Laureate
Laureate
William Faulkner
(1897–1962)
Country
& Language
United States
(English)
Citation
"for his powerful and artistically unique contribution to the modern American novel"
1950
1950
Year
1950
Laureate
Laureate
Bertrand Russell
(1872–1970)
Country
& Language
United Kingdom
(English)
Citation
"in recognition of his varied and significant writings in which he champions humanitarian ideals and freedom of thought"
1951
1951
Year
1951
Laureate
Laureate
Pär Lagerkvist
(1891–1974)
Country
& Language
Sweden
(Swedish)
Citation
"for the artistic vigour and true independence of mind with which he endeavours in his poetry to find answers to the eternal questions confronting mankind"
1952
1952
Year
1952
Laureate
Laureate
François Mauriac
(1885–1970)
Country
& Language
France
(French)
Citation
"for the deep spiritual insight and the artistic intensity with which he has in his novels penetrated the drama of human life"
1953
1953
Year
1953
Laureate
Laureate
Winston Churchill
(1874–1965)
Country
& Language
United Kingdom
(English)
Citation
"for his mastery of historical and biographical description as well as for brilliant oratory in defending exalted human values"
1954
1954
Year
1954
Laureate
Laureate
Ernest Hemingway
(1899–1961)
Country
& Language
United States
(English)
Citation
"for his mastery of the art of narrative, most recently demonstrated in The Old Man and the Sea, and for the influence that he has exerted on contemporary style"
1955
1955
Year
1955
Laureate
Laureate
Halldór Laxness
(1902–1998)
Country
& Language
Iceland
(Icelandic)
Citation
"for his vivid epic power, which has renewed the great narrative art of Iceland"
1956
1956
Year
1956
Laureate
Laureate
Juan Ramón Jiménez
(1881–1958)
Country
& Language
Spain
(Spanish)
Citation
"for his lyrical poetry, which in Spanish language constitutes an example of high spirit and artistical purity"
1957
1957
Year
1957
Laureate
Laureate
Albert Camus
(1913–1960)
Country
& Language
France
(born in French Algeria)
French
Citation
"for his important literary production, which with clear-sighted earnestness illuminates the problems of the human conscience in our times"
1958
1958
Year
1958
Laureate
Laureate
Boris Pasternak
(1890–1960)
Country
& Language
Soviet Union
(Russian)
Citation
"for his important achievement both in contemporary lyrical poetry and in the field of the great Russian epic tradition"
1959
1959
Year
1959
Laureate
Laureate
Salvatore Quasimodo
(1901–1968)
Country
& Language
Italy
(Italian)
Citation
"for his lyrical poetry, which with classical fire expresses the tragic experience of life in our own times"
1960
1960
Year
1960
Laureate
Laureate
Saint-John Perse
(1887–1975)
Country
& Language
France
(born in Guadeloupe)
(French)
Citation
"for the soaring flight and the evocative imagery of his poetry, which in a visionary fashion reflects the conditions of our time"
1961
1961
Year
1961
Laureate
Laureate
Ivo Andrić
(1892–1975)
Country
& Language
Yugoslavia
(born in Austria-Hungary)
(Serbo-Croatian)
Citation
"for the epic force with which he has traced themes and depicted human destinies drawn from the history of his country"
1962
1962
Year
1962
Laureate
Laureate
John Steinbeck
(1902–1968)
Country
& Language
United States
(English)
Citation
"for his realistic and imaginative writings, combining as they do sympathetic humour and keen social perception"
1963
1963
Year
1963
Laureate
Laureate
Giorgos Seferis
(1900–1971)
Country
& Language
Greece
(born in the Ottoman Empire)
(Greek)
Citation
"for his eminent lyrical writing, inspired by a deep feeling for the Hellenic world of culture"
1964
1964
Year
1964
Laureate
Laureate
Jean-Paul Sartre
(1905–1980)
Country
& Language
France
(French)
Citation
"for his work, which rich in ideas and filled with the spirit of freedom and the quest for truth, has exerted a far-reaching influence on our age"
1965
1965
Year
1965
Laureate
Laureate
Mikhail Sholokhov
(1905–1984)
Country
& Language
Soviet Union
(Russian)
Citation
"for the artistic power and integrity with which, in his epic of the Don, he has given expression to a historic phase in the life of the Russian people"
1966
1966
Year
1966
Laureate
Laureate
Shmuel Yosef Agnon
(1888–1970)
Country
& Language
Israel
(born in Austria-Hungary)
(Hebrew)
Citation
"for his profoundly characteristic narrative art with motifs from the life of the Jewish people"
1967
1967
Year
1967
Laureate
Laureate
Miguel Ángel Asturias
(1899–1974)
Country
& Language
Guatemala
(Spanish)
Citation
"for his vivid literary achievement, deep-rooted in the national traits and traditions of Indian peoples of Latin America"
1968
1968
Year
1968
Laureate
Laureate
Yasunari Kawabata
(1899–1972)
Country
& Language
Japan
(Japanese)
Citation
"for his narrative mastery, which with great sensibility expresses the essence of the Japanese mind"
1969
1969
Year
1969
Laureate
Laureate
Samuel Beckett
(1906–1989)
Country
& Language
Ireland
(French and English)
Citation
"for his writing, which – in new forms for the novel and drama – in the destitution of modern man acquires its elevation"
1970
1970
Year
1970
Laureate
Laureate
Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn
(1918–2008)
Country
& Language
Soviet Union
(Russian)
Citation
"for the ethical force with which he has pursued the indispensable traditions of Russian literature"
1971
1971
Year
1971
Laureate
Laureate
Pablo Neruda
(1904–1973)
Country
& Language
Chile
(Spanish)
Citation
"for a poetry that with the action of an elemental force brings alive a continent's destiny and dreams"
1972
1972
Year
1972
Laureate
Laureate
Heinrich Böll
(1917–1985)
Country
& Language
West Germany
(German)
Citation
"for his writing, which through its combination of a broad perspective on his time and a sensitive skill in characterization has contributed to a renewal of German literature"
1973
1973
Year
1973
Laureate
Laureate
Patrick White
(1912–1990)
Country
& Language
Australia
(born in the United Kingdom)
(English)
Citation
"for an epic and psychological narrative art, which has introduced a new continent into literature"
1974
1974
Year
1974
Laureate
Laureate
Eyvind Johnson
(1900–1976)
Country
& Language
Sweden
(Swedish)
Citation
"for a narrative art, farseeing in lands and ages, in the service of freedom"
Ranked list
Year
Laureate
Country & Language
Citation
Image
Name
1901
Sully Prudhomme (1839–1907)
France (French)
"in special recognition of his poetic composition, which gives evidence of lofty idealism, artistic perfection and a rare combination of the qualities of both heart and intellect"
1902
Theodor Mommsen (1817–1903)
Germany (German)
"the greatest living master of the art of historical writing, with special reference to his monumental work A History of Rome"
1903
Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson (1832–1910)
Norway (Norwegian)
"as a tribute to his noble, magnificent and versatile poetry, which has always been distinguished by both the freshness of its inspiration and the rare purity of its spirit"
1904
Frédéric Mistral (1830–1914)
France (French and Provençal)
"in recognition of the fresh originality and true inspiration of his poetic production, which faithfully reflects the natural scenery and native spirit of his people, and, in addition, his significant work as a Provençal philologist"
José Echegaray (1832–1916)
Spain (Spanish)
"in recognition of the numerous and brilliant compositions which, in an individual and original manner, have revived the great traditions of the Spanish drama"
1905
Henryk Sienkiewicz (1846–1916)
Poland (Polish)
"because of his outstanding merits as an epic writer"
1906
Giosuè Carducci (1835–1907)
Italy (Italian)
"not only in consideration of his deep learning and critical research, but above all as a tribute to the creative energy, freshness of style, and lyrical force which characterize his poetic masterpieces"
1907
Rudyard Kipling (1865–1936)
United Kingdom (English)
"in consideration of the power of observation, originality of imagination, virility of ideas and remarkable talent for narration that characterize the creations of this world-famous author"
1908
Rudolf Christoph Eucken (1846–1926)
Germany (German)
"in recognition of his earnest search for truth, his penetrating power of thought, his wide range of vision, and the warmth and strength in presentation with which in his numerous works he has vindicated and developed an idealistic philosophy of life"
1909
Selma Lagerlöf (1858–1940)
Sweden (Swedish)
"in appreciation of the lofty idealism, vivid imagination and spiritual perception that characterize her writings"
1910
Paul von Heyse (1830–1914)
Germany (German)
"as a tribute to the consummate artistry, permeated with idealism, which he has demonstrated during his long productive career as a lyric poet, dramatist, novelist and writer of world-renowned short stories"
1911
Maurice Maeterlinck (1862–1949)
Belgium (French)
"in appreciation of his many-sided literary activities, and especially of his dramatic works, which are distinguished by a wealth of imagination and by a poetic fancy, which reveals, sometimes in the guise of a fairy tale, a deep inspiration, while in a mysterious way they appeal to the readers' own feelings and stimulate their imaginations"
1912
Gerhart Hauptmann (1862–1946)
Germany (German)
"primarily in recognition of his fruitful, varied and outstanding production in the realm of dramatic art"
1913
Rabindranath Tagore (1861–1941)
India (British Raj) (Bengali and English)
"because of his profoundly sensitive, fresh and beautiful verse, by which, with consummate skill, he has made his poetic thought, expressed in his own English words, a part of the literature of the West"
1914
Not awarded
1915
Romain Rolland (1866–1944)
France (French)
"as a tribute to the lofty idealism of his literary production and to the sympathy and love of truth with which he has described different types of human beings"
1916
Verner von Heidenstam (1859–1940)
Sweden (Swedish)
"in recognition of his significance as the leading representative of a new era in our literature"
1917
Karl Adolph Gjellerup (1857–1919)
Denmark (Danish and German)
"for his varied and rich poetry, which is inspired by lofty ideals"
Henrik Pontoppidan (1857–1943)
Denmark (Danish)
"for his authentic descriptions of present-day life in Denmark"
1918
Not awarded
1919
Carl Spitteler (1845–1924)
Switzerland (German)
"in special appreciation of his epic, Olympian Spring"
1920
Knut Hamsun (1859–1952)
Norway (Norwegian)
"for his monumental work, Growth of the Soil"
1921
Anatole France (1844–1924)
France (French)
"in recognition of his brilliant literary achievements, characterized as they are by a nobility of style, a profound human sympathy, grace, and a true Gallic temperament"
1922
Jacinto Benavente (1866–1954)
Spain (Spanish)
"for the happy manner in which he has continued the illustrious traditions of the Spanish drama"
1923
William Butler Yeats (1865–1939)
Ireland (English)
"for his always inspired poetry, which in a highly artistic form gives expression to the spirit of a whole nation"
1924
Władysław Reymont (1867–1925)
Poland (Polish)
"for his great national epic, The Peasants"
1925
George Bernard Shaw (1856–1950)
United Kingdom Ireland (English)
"for his work which is marked by both idealism and humanity, its stimulating satire often being infused with a singular poetic beauty"
1926
Grazia Deledda (1871–1936)
Italy (Italian)
"for her idealistically inspired writings, which with plastic clarity picture the life on her native island and with depth and sympathy deal with human problems in general"
1927
Henri Bergson (1859–1941)
France (French)
"in recognition of his rich and vitalizing ideas and the brilliant skill with which they have been presented"
1928
Sigrid Undset (1882–1949)
Norway Denmark (Norwegian)
"principally for her powerful descriptions of Northern life during the Middle Ages"
1929
Thomas Mann (1875–1955)
Germany (German)
"principally for his great novel, Buddenbrooks, which has won steadily increased recognition as one of the classic works of contemporary literature"
1930
Sinclair Lewis (1885–1951)
United States (English)
"for his vigorous and graphic art of description and his ability to create, with wit and humour, new types of characters"
1931
Erik Axel Karlfeldt (1864–1931)
Sweden (Swedish)
"The poetry of Erik Axel Karlfeldt"
1932
John Galsworthy (1867–1933)
United Kingdom (English)
"for his distinguished art of narration, which takes its highest form in The Forsyte Saga"
1933
Ivan Bunin (1870–1953)
Stateless (born in Russian Empire) (Russian)
"for the strict artistry with which he has carried on the classical Russian traditions in prose writing"
1934
Luigi Pirandello (1867–1936)
Italy (Italian)
"for his bold and ingenious revival of dramatic and scenic art"
1935
Not awarded
1936
Eugene O'Neill (1888–1953)
United States (English)
"for the power, honesty and deep-felt emotions of his dramatic works, which embody an original concept of tragedy"
1937
Roger Martin du Gard (1881–1958)
France (French)
"for the artistic power and truth with which he has depicted human conflict as well as some fundamental aspects of contemporary life in his novel cycle Les Thibault"
1938
Pearl Buck (1892–1973)
United States (English)
"for her rich and truly epic descriptions of peasant life in China and for her biographical masterpieces"
1939
Frans Eemil Sillanpää (1888–1964)
Finland (Finnish)
"for his deep understanding of his country's peasantry and the exquisite art with which he has portrayed their way of life and their relationship with Nature"
1940
Not awarded
1941
1942
1943
1944
Johannes Vilhelm Jensen (1873–1950)
Denmark (Danish)
"for the rare strength and fertility of his poetic imagination with which is combined an intellectual curiosity of wide scope and a bold, freshly creative style"
1945
Gabriela Mistral (1889–1957)
Chile (Spanish)
"for her lyric poetry, which inspired by powerful emotions, has made her name a symbol of the idealistic aspirations of the entire Latin American world"
1946
Hermann Hesse (1877–1962)
Germany Switzerland (German)
"for his inspired writings, which while growing in boldness and penetration, exemplify the classical humanitarian ideals and high qualities of style"
· Nobel laureates by country
Multi-metric bars
World heat map
France
France
Country
France
Number
16
United Kingdom
United Kingdom
Country
United Kingdom
Number
13
United States
United States
Country
United States
Number
12
Germany
Germany
Country
Germany
Number
9
Sweden
Sweden
Country
Sweden
Number
8
Poland
Poland
Country
Poland
Number
6
Spain
Spain
Country
Spain
Number
6
Italy
Italy
Country
Italy
Number
6
Russia/ Soviet Union
Russia/ Soviet Union
Country
Russia/ Soviet Union
Number
5
Ireland
Ireland
Country
Ireland
Number
4
Norway
Norway
Country
Norway
Number
4
Denmark
Denmark
Country
Denmark
Number
3
Austria
Austria
Country
Austria
Number
2
Canada
Canada
Country
Canada
Number
2
Chile
Chile
Country
Chile
Number
2
Greece
Greece
Country
Greece
Number
2
Hungary
Hungary
Country
Hungary
Number
2
Japan
Japan
Country
Japan
Number
2
South Africa
South Africa
Country
South Africa
Number
2
Switzerland
Switzerland
Country
Switzerland
Number
2
China
China
Country
China
Number
2
Australia
Australia
Country
Australia
Number
1
Belarus
Belarus
Country
Belarus
Number
1
Belgium
Belgium
Country
Belgium
Number
1
Bulgaria
Bulgaria
Country
Bulgaria
Number
1
Colombia
Colombia
Country
Colombia
Number
1
Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia
Country
Czechoslovakia
Number
1
Egypt
Egypt
Country
Egypt
Number
1
Finland
Finland
Country
Finland
Number
1
Guatemala
Guatemala
Country
Guatemala
Number
1
Iceland
Iceland
Country
Iceland
Number
1
India
India
Country
India
Number
1
Israel
Israel
Country
Israel
Number
1
Mauritius
Mauritius
Country
Mauritius
Number
1
Mexico
Mexico
Country
Mexico
Number
1
Nigeria
Nigeria
Country
Nigeria
Number
1
Peru
Peru
Country
Peru
Number
1
Portugal
Portugal
Country
Portugal
Number
1
Romania
Romania
Country
Romania
Number
1
Saint Lucia
Saint Lucia
Country
Saint Lucia
Number
1
South Korea
South Korea
Country
South Korea
Number
1
Tanzania
Tanzania
Country
Tanzania
Number
1
Turkey
Turkey
Country
Turkey
Number
1
Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia
Country
Yugoslavia
Number
1
Ranked list
Country
Number
France
16
United Kingdom
13
United States
12
Germany
9
Sweden
8
Poland
6
Spain
6
Italy
6
Russia/ Soviet Union
5
Ireland
4
Norway
4
Denmark
3
Austria
2
Canada
2
Chile
2
Greece
2
Hungary
2
Japan
2
South Africa
2
Switzerland
2
China
2
Australia
1
Belarus
1
Belgium
1
Bulgaria
1
Colombia
1
Czechoslovakia
1
Egypt
1
Finland
1
Guatemala
1
Iceland
1
India
1
Israel
1
Mauritius
1
Mexico
1
Nigeria
1
Peru
1
Portugal
1
Romania
1
Saint Lucia
1
South Korea
1
Tanzania
1
Turkey
1
Yugoslavia
1
· Nobel laureates by language
Multi-metric bars
World heat map
English
English
Language
English
Number
29 (32)
French
French
Language
French
Number
16
German
German
Language
German
Number
14 (15)
Spanish
Spanish
Language
Spanish
Number
11
Swedish
Swedish
Language
Swedish
Number
7
Italian
Italian
Language
Italian
Number
6
Russian
Russian
Language
Russian
Number
6
Polish
Polish
Language
Polish
Number
5
Norwegian
Norwegian
Language
Norwegian
Number
4
Danish
Danish
Language
Danish
Number
3
Chinese
Chinese
Language
Chinese
Number
2
Greek
Greek
Language
Greek
Number
2
Hungarian
Hungarian
Language
Hungarian
Number
2
Japanese
Japanese
Language
Japanese
Number
2
Arabic
Arabic
Language
Arabic
Number
1
Bengali
Bengali
Language
Bengali
Number
1
Czech
Czech
Language
Czech
Number
1
Finnish
Finnish
Language
Finnish
Number
1
Hebrew
Hebrew
Language
Hebrew
Number
1
Icelandic
Icelandic
Language
Icelandic
Number
1
Korean
Korean
Language
Korean
Number
1
Provençal (Occitan)
Provençal (Occitan)
Language
Provençal (Occitan)
Number
1
Portuguese
Portuguese
Language
Portuguese
Number
1
Serbo-Croatian
Serbo-Croatian
Language
Serbo-Croatian
Number
1
Turkish
Turkish
Language
Turkish
Number
1
Yiddish
Yiddish
Language
Yiddish
Number
1
Ranked list
Language
Number
English
29 (32)
French
16
German
14 (15)
Spanish
11
Swedish
7
Italian
6
Russian
6
Polish
5
Norwegian
4
Danish
3
Chinese
2
Greek
2
Hungarian
2
Japanese
2
Arabic
1
Bengali
1
Czech
1
Finnish
1
Hebrew
1
Icelandic
1
Korean
1
Provençal (Occitan)
1
Portuguese
1
Serbo-Croatian
1
Turkish
1
Yiddish
1
· Nobel laureates by gender
Multi-metric bars
World heat map
1900–1909
1900–1909
Decade
1900–1909
Male
9
Female
1
1910–1919
1910–1919
Decade
1910–1919
Male
9
Female
0
1920–1929
1920–1929
Decade
1920–1929
Male
8
Female
2
1930–1939
1930–1939
Decade
1930–1939
Male
8
Female
1
1940–1949
1940–1949
Decade
1940–1949
Male
5
Female
1
1950–1959
1950–1959
Decade
1950–1959
Male
10
Female
0
1960–1969
1960–1969
Decade
1960–1969
Male
10
Female
1
1970–1979
1970–1979
Decade
1970–1979
Male
11
Female
0
1980–1989
1980–1989
Decade
1980–1989
Male
10
Female
0
1990–1999
1990–1999
Decade
1990–1999
Male
7
Female
3
2000–2009
2000–2009
Decade
2000–2009
Male
7
Female
3
2010–2019
2010–2019
Decade
2010–2019
Male
7
Female
3
2020–2025
2020–2025
Decade
2020–2025
Male
3
Female
3
Total
Total
Decade
Total
Male
104
Female
18
Ranked list
Decade
Male
Female
1900–1909
9
1
1910–1919
9
0
1920–1929
8
2
1930–1939
8
1
1940–1949
5
1
1950–1959
10
0
1960–1969
10
1
1970–1979
11
0
1980–1989
10
0
1990–1999
7
3
2000–2009
7
3
2010–2019
7
3
2020–2025
3
3
Total
104
18
References
The information in the country column is according to nobelprize , the official website of the Nobel Foundation. This in
Rabindranath Tagore (Nobel Prize in Literature 1913) wrote in Bengali and English, Samuel Beckett (Nobel Prize in Litera
Karl Adolph Gjellerup (Nobel Prize in Literature 1917) wrote in Danish and German.
