Women's high jump world record progression
The first world record in the women's high jump was recognised by the Fédération Sportive Féminine Internationale in 1922. In 1936, the FSFI was absorbed by the International Association of Athletics Federations, now known as World Athletics.
As of June 21, 2009, the IAAF has ratified 56 world records in the event.
Record progression
Indoor
An asterisk indicates a record was repeated. All records since Kostadinova's 2.04 m in 1987 were ratified by the IAAF.| Mark | Athlete | Date | Venue |
| 13 February 1926 | Newark | ||
| 16 February 1928 | Boston | ||
| 10 March 1928 | Boston | ||
| 30 March 1929 | Boston | ||
| 19 April 1930 | Boston | ||
| 27 February 1955 | Berlin East | ||
| 17 April 1957 | Manchester | ||
| 18 January 1958 | Orenburg | ||
| * | 21 January 1958 | Chelyabinsk | |
| 3 February 1958 | Leningrad | ||
| 26 February 1961 | Berlin East | ||
| 18 March 1961 | Leningrad | ||
| 18 March 1961 | Leningrad | ||
| 18 March 1961 | Leningrad | ||
| 6 February 1970 | Vienne | ||
| 15 March 1970 | Vienne | ||
| 30 January 1972 | Berlin East | ||
| 25 February 1972 | Vienne | ||
| 12 March 1972 | Grenoble | ||
| 28 January 1973 | Berlin East | ||
| * | 18 February 1973 | Sofia | |
| 11 March 1973 | Rotterdam | ||
| * | 17 February 1974 | Sofia | |
| 9 February 1975 | Berlin East | ||
| 6 March 1977 | Berlin East | ||
| * | 23 February 1978 | Milan | |
| * | 31 January 1979 | Budapest | |
| 17 February 1979 | Budapest | ||
| 17 February 1979 | Budapest | ||
| 23 January 1982 | Edmonton | ||
| 14 February 1982 | Ottawa | ||
| * | 6 March 1983 | Budapest | |
| 6 March 1983 | Budapest | ||
| 6 March 1983 | Budapest | ||
| 31 January 1987 | Genova | ||
| 8 March 1987 | Indianapolis | ||
| 20 February 1988 | Pireaus | ||
| 9 February 1992 | Karlsruhe | ||
| 4 February 2006 | Arnstadt |
Outdoor
ImageSize = width:200 height:1400
PlotArea = width:40 height:1360 left:50 bottom:40
Legend = columns:2 left:15 top:25 columnwidth:50
AlignBars = early
DateFormat = yyyy
Period = from:1920 till:2027
TimeAxis = orientation:vertical
ScaleMajor = unit:year increment:5 start:1920
Colors=
id:Basis value:red legend:World_record_women's_high_jump
PlotData=
bar:Leaders width:25 mark: align:left fontsize:S shift:
from:1922 till:end color:Basis
at:1922 text:Nancy Voorhees_1.46_m
at:1926 text:Phyllis Green_1.55_m
at:1928 text:Ethel Catherwood_1.595_m
at:1929 text:Carolina Gisoll_1.60_m
at:1932 text:Jean Shiley_1.65_m
at:1939 text:Dorothy Tyler_1.66_m
at:1943 text:Fanny Blankers-Koen_1.71_m
at:1956 text:Mildred Singleton_1.76_m
at:1958 text:Iolanda Balas_1.80_m
at:1960 shift: text:Iolanda_Balas_1.85_m
at:1961 shift: text:Iolanda_Balas_1.90_m
at:1961 shift: text:Iolanda_Balas_1.91_m
at:1971 text:Ilona Gusenbauer_1.92_m
at:1972 text:Jordanka Blagojewa_1.94_m
at:1974 text:Rosemarie Ackermann_1.95_m
at:1976 shift: text:Rosemarie_Ackermann_1.96_m
at:1977 shift: text:Rosemarie_Ackermann_1.97_m
at:1977 shift: text:Rosemarie_Ackermann_2.00_m
at:1978 shift: text:Sara Simeoni_2.01_m
at:1982 shift: text:Ulrike Meyfarth_2.02_m
at:1983 shift: text:Ulrike_Meyfarth_2.03_m
at:1983 shift: text:Tamara Bykowa_2.04_m
at:1984 shift: text:Tamara_Bykowa_2.05_m
at:1984 shift: text:Ludmilla Andonowa_2.07_m
at:1986 text:Stefka Kostadinova_2.08_m
at:1987 text:Stefka_Kostadinova_2.09_m
at:2024 text:Yaroslava Mahuchikh_2.10_m
The event is linked on some of the dates.
| Mark | Athlete | Date | Venue |
 Nancy Voorhees.png" />Nancy Voorhees|USA|1912T&Fcalc|1.485 |