SOME MIGHT SAY that ‘beauty is in the eye of the beholder’, but it is very difficult to determine what makes someone beautiful.
Is it family genetics, sheer luck, or are there other factors like birthplace that could play a part in outward beauty.*
Do some cities seem to produce more pageant winning people than others?
Researchers at money.co.uk have delved into data to find out where the most ‘beautiful’ people in the world are born.
While beauty is ultimately subjective, studies looked at the cities and countries that have produced the most winners of beauty pageants.
Looking at over 500 beauty pageant winners, respective birthplaces were compared to find out if some countries appeared on our list more than others.
These famous names included winners of Miss World, Miss Universe and Mr Gay World, as well as those frommany other pageants.
It is perhaps no surprise that the USA tops the list as the home of Hollywood and beauty pageants.
However, Venezuela takes second, with 35, followed by Brazil (26), the UK (19) and the Philippines (23).
Even with the Oscar-winning Penelope Cruz among the country’s throng of beauties, Spain comes equal ninth in the rankings.
| Rank | Country of birth | Number of pageant winners |
| 1 | United States | 61 |
| 2 | Venezuela | 35 |
| 3 | Brazil | 26 |
| 4 | United Kingdom | 25 |
| 5 | Philippines | 23 |
| =6 | Australia | 19 |
| =6 | Colombia | 19 |
| =6 | Thailand | 19 |
| =9 | South Africa | 18 |
| =9 | Spain | 18 |
Looking closer at the findings, researchers considered the individual cities that have produced the highest quota of winners, and while the USA may have taken the crown when it comes to nations, the most beautiful city in the world wasn’t found stateside.
1. Caracas, Venezuela – birthplace of 10 pageant winners
Caracas in Venezuela is in first place, with Venezuela known for taking beauty pageants seriously, having won more “Big Four” titles than any other nation.
Some of the most famous beauties to come out of Caracas are Dayana Mendoza and Claudia Moreno.
2. Bangkok, Thailand – birthplace of seven pageant winners
In second place was Bangkok, the capital of Thailand, which has produced seven pageant winners. Interestingly, four of these were winners in LGBT+ pageants.
3. Sydney, Australia – birthplace of six pageant winners
Two cities were tied for third place, with six beauty pageant winners hailing from Sydney, Australia.
Perhaps the most famous of these is Jessica Kahawaty, who has represented both her native Australia and the country of her descent, Lebanon.
3. Turku, Finland – birthplace of six pageant winners
The other city to produce six pageant winners was something of a surprise, with the city of Turku in Finland tied for second place.
The city is home to just under 200,000 people but has produced an exceptionally high number of beauty queens given its small size.
5. Maracaibo, Venezuela – birthplace of five pageant winners
Another Venezuela city is amongst those to have produced five pageant winners, again showing the country’s affinity with pageants.
Maracaibo is the home of the likes of Jessica Barboza and Daniela Kosán.
5. Manila, Philippines – birthplace of five pageant winners
The Philippines are considered another powerhouse of the beauty pageant world, which explains why the capital of Manila has produced the joint fifth-highest number of winners.
5. San Juan, Puerto Rico – birthplace of five pageant winners
The Puerto Rican capital of San Juan is also home to five beauty pageant winners, with Stephanie Del Valle, who won Miss World in 2016, probably the best known of these.
* We at Olive Press do recognise that inner beauty is an equally important characteristic of a person, if not more-so, than mere “good looks”.
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