Data studyMemory and the brain · Version 2026.10

How far can human memory go? Memory world records, 1993-2026

Memory athletes now learn a deck of cards in under 13 seconds and thousands of digits in an hour. We rebuilt every world record since the first championship scores and set them against sport’s records and a normal memory span.

By Leon Falkner, Data & Research Analyst · Reviewed by Aarav Vardhan, Editor-in-Chief · Published 30 October 2026 · 9 min read

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About this study

Report type: Data study from the official record lists
Data: 356 memory world records (IAM, WMSC, Memory League) and 22 pi records, 1973-2026
Compared with: World Athletics records (100 m, 1500 m, marathon, long jump) and a normal digit span
Years: 1993 (first published championship scores) to October 2026
Licence: CC BY 4.0 (our dataset and charts)
Version: 2026.10
Sources: 18

Short answer

Memory world records have improved far more than sports records. Since 1993, the first World Memory Championship with published scores, the six main records improved by 154% to 841%; athletics records by 0% to 9%. A deck of cards now takes 12.74 seconds, against 120 in 1993. The best competitors memorize 4,620 digits in an hour, 685 times a normal span, with methods anyone can learn. IQ Metrics Research, October 2026.

356 records1993-20263 record listsCC BY 4.0

12.74 sto memorise a deck of cards (9.4 times faster than 1993)

685xa normal memory span: 4,620 digits in an hour

841% vs 9%best gain since 1993: memory vs athletics records

01 Key findings

Memory records improved 154% to 841% since 1993, against 0% to 9% for athletics world records over the same years (100 m, 1500 m, marathon, long jump).IAM; World Athletics; IQ Metrics calculation
One deck of cards in 12.74 seconds: the speed-cards record fell from 120 seconds in 1993 to 12.74 in 2018, 9.4 times faster. The 100 m record is 2.9% faster than in 1993.IAM; World Athletics
4,620 digits in an hour, 685 times a normal span. A typical adult repeats about 6.74 digits back; the hour-numbers record (2019) is 4,620 digits.Woods et al. 2011; Guinness; IQ Metrics calculation
The records have stalled. 12 of 17 IAM world records were last broken before 2020, and 4 of the 6 main records did not move at all from 2020 to 2026.IAM; IQ Metrics calculation
Italy and Mongolia lead. Of the 36 current records we could confirm, Italy holds 7 and Mongolia 5; on the IAM list alone Italy has 6 and Mongolia 5.IAM; WMSC; Memory League
It is trained, not born. Adults with typical memory went from 26 to 62 words of 72 after 40 days of practice; memory champions show no higher intelligence and no unusual brain structure.Dresler et al. 2017; Maguire et al. 2003

02 Statistics to quote

841%

Improvement of the speed-cards record since 1993 (as speed): the biggest of the six main memory records.

IQ Metrics, from IAM

12.74 s

Fastest time to memorise a shuffled deck of 52 cards (IAM world record, 2018).

IAM

4,620

Random digits memorised in one hour (WMSC world record, 2019).

Guinness; WMSC

685x

That record as a multiple of a normal adult digit span (6.74 digits).

IQ Metrics calculation

12 of 17

IAM world records last broken before 2020.

IQ Metrics, from IAM

70,000

Digits of pi recited from memory: the Guinness record (2015), unbroken since.

Guinness

03 How far can human memory go?

How many numbers can the average person remember? About 7. A typical adult can hear a list of digits once and repeat about 6.74 of them ^[9], the “seven, plus or minus two” that Miller wrote about in 1956 ^[10]; without tricks, working memory holds about four chunks at once ^[11]. Memory athletes, using trained methods, recall 660 digits heard once at one a second (2024) and 4,620 digits studied for an hour (2019) ^[4] ^[5].

Figure 1

Each digit record as a multiple of a normal memory span

The best verified record in each digit event, divided by 6.74 digits: the average forward digit span of adults aged 20-29 on the Wechsler memory scale. Spoken numbers is the closest match to a span test (digits heard once, one a second); in the timed events the competitor studies a printed sheet.

A typical adult's digit span1x

5-minute numbers93x

Spoken numbers (1 digit a second, heard once)98x

15-minute numbers193x

30-minute numbers316x

Hour numbers685x

Source: Span: Woods et al. 2011 ^[9]; records: IAM ^[1], WMC 2024 ^[4], Guinness ^[5]; IQ Metrics calculation

Data table

label	value
A typical adult's digit span	1
5-minute numbers	93
Spoken numbers (1 digit a second, heard once)	98
15-minute numbers	193
30-minute numbers	316
Hour numbers	685

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<figure class="iqm-embed"><p><strong>Each digit record as a multiple of a normal memory span</strong></p><table><tr><th>label</th><th>value</th></tr><tr><td>A typical adult&#x27;s digit span</td><td>1</td></tr><tr><td>5-minute numbers</td><td>93</td></tr><tr><td>Spoken numbers (1 digit a second, heard once)</td><td>98</td></tr><tr><td>15-minute numbers</td><td>193</td></tr><tr><td>30-minute numbers</td><td>316</td></tr><tr><td>Hour numbers</td><td>685</td></tr></table><p>Source: <a href="https://iqmetrics.org/research/memory-world-records/#fig-span">IQ Metrics Research, Memory world records (2026)</a>, CC BY 4.0</p></figure>

The spoken-numbers record of 660 also filled the whole trial, so the format, not the competitor, set the limit ^[4]. For the measure behind the baseline, see our digit span test guide and why working memory and reasoning are not the same.

04 Have memory records improved more than sports records?

Yes, by far. From 1993 to 2026 the six main memory records improved by 154% to 841%. Over the same years the athletics world records improved by 0% to 9%: the women’s 100 m and both long jumps have not moved, and the biggest gain is the women’s marathon ^[17] ^[18].

Figure 2

Memory records vs athletics records, 1993 to 2026

Each line is one world record, set to 100 in 1993 (the first World Memory Championship with published scores). Memory: the IAM list; speed cards as speed (one deck in 120 s in 1993, 12.74 s now). Athletics: the record in force on 1 January 1993 and today, ratified by World Athletics; grey lines, all between 100 and 109.

Memory world recordsAthletics world records (8 events)

Source: Memory: IAM ^[2] ^[1]; athletics: ^[17] ^[18]; index by IQ Metrics

Data table

record	1993	2026
Speed cards	100	941.9
Hour cards	100	439.7
Hour numbers	100	379.1
5-min numbers	100	477.3
Binary	100	625.7
Words	100	254.4
Men's 100 m	100	102.9
Women's 100 m	100	100
Men's 1500 m	100	101.4
Women's 1500 m	100	101.7
Men's marathon	100	106.1
Women's marathon	100	108.6
Men's long jump	100	100
Women's long jump	100	100

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<figure class="iqm-embed"><p><strong>Memory records vs athletics records, 1993 to 2026</strong></p><table><tr><th>record</th><th>1993</th><th>2026</th></tr><tr><td>Speed cards</td><td>100</td><td>941.9</td></tr><tr><td>Hour cards</td><td>100</td><td>439.7</td></tr><tr><td>Hour numbers</td><td>100</td><td>379.1</td></tr><tr><td>5-min numbers</td><td>100</td><td>477.3</td></tr><tr><td>Binary</td><td>100</td><td>625.7</td></tr><tr><td>Words</td><td>100</td><td>254.4</td></tr><tr><td>Men&#x27;s 100 m</td><td>100</td><td>102.9</td></tr><tr><td>Women&#x27;s 100 m</td><td>100</td><td>100</td></tr><tr><td>Men&#x27;s 1500 m</td><td>100</td><td>101.4</td></tr><tr><td>Women&#x27;s 1500 m</td><td>100</td><td>101.7</td></tr><tr><td>Men&#x27;s marathon</td><td>100</td><td>106.1</td></tr><tr><td>Women&#x27;s marathon</td><td>100</td><td>108.6</td></tr><tr><td>Men&#x27;s long jump</td><td>100</td><td>100</td></tr><tr><td>Women&#x27;s long jump</td><td>100</td><td>100</td></tr></table><p>Source: <a href="https://iqmetrics.org/research/memory-world-records/#fig-slope">IQ Metrics Research, Memory world records (2026)</a>, CC BY 4.0</p></figure>

One likely reason: memory is a skill of method, and in a young sport methods spread fast. In 1993 the world champion needed 120 seconds for one deck; by 2018 the record was 12.74 ^[2]. A sprinter cannot learn a better method for running the way a memory athlete can for remembering.

Figure 3

How much each world record improved since 1993

Percent better than the record in force in 1993 (for times: how much faster). Memory: IAM list; athletics: World Athletics.

Speed cards (one deck, seconds)842%

30-minute binary (digits)526%

5-minute numbers (digits)377%

Hour cards (cards in order)340%

Hour numbers (digits)279%

15-minute random words154%

Women's marathon (athletics)9%

Men's marathon (athletics)6%

Men's 100 m (athletics)3%

Women's 1500 m (athletics)2%

Men's 1500 m (athletics)1%

Women's 100 m (athletics)0%

Men's long jump (athletics)0%

Women's long jump (athletics)0%

Source: IAM ^[2]; ^[17] ^[18]; IQ Metrics calculation

Data table

label	value
Speed cards (one deck, seconds)	841.9
30-minute binary (digits)	525.7
5-minute numbers (digits)	377.3
Hour cards (cards in order)	339.7
Hour numbers (digits)	279.1
15-minute random words	154.4
Women's marathon (athletics)	8.6
Men's marathon (athletics)	6.1
Men's 100 m (athletics)	2.9
Women's 1500 m (athletics)	1.7
Men's 1500 m (athletics)	1.4
Women's 100 m (athletics)	0
Men's long jump (athletics)	0
Women's long jump (athletics)	0

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<figure class="iqm-embed"><p><strong>How much each world record improved since 1993</strong></p><table><tr><th>label</th><th>value</th></tr><tr><td>Speed cards (one deck, seconds)</td><td>841.9</td></tr><tr><td>30-minute binary (digits)</td><td>525.7</td></tr><tr><td>5-minute numbers (digits)</td><td>377.3</td></tr><tr><td>Hour cards (cards in order)</td><td>339.7</td></tr><tr><td>Hour numbers (digits)</td><td>279.1</td></tr><tr><td>15-minute random words</td><td>154.4</td></tr><tr><td>Women&#x27;s marathon (athletics)</td><td>8.6</td></tr><tr><td>Men&#x27;s marathon (athletics)</td><td>6.1</td></tr><tr><td>Men&#x27;s 100 m (athletics)</td><td>2.9</td></tr><tr><td>Women&#x27;s 1500 m (athletics)</td><td>1.7</td></tr><tr><td>Men&#x27;s 1500 m (athletics)</td><td>1.4</td></tr><tr><td>Women&#x27;s 100 m (athletics)</td><td>0</td></tr><tr><td>Men&#x27;s long jump (athletics)</td><td>0</td></tr><tr><td>Women&#x27;s long jump (athletics)</td><td>0</td></tr></table><p>Source: <a href="https://iqmetrics.org/research/memory-world-records/#fig-gain">IQ Metrics Research, Memory world records (2026)</a>, CC BY 4.0</p></figure>

05 What is the fastest time to memorize a deck of cards?

12.74 seconds, by Shijir-Erdene Bat-Enkh of Mongolia in 2018, on the IAM list ^[1]. The record has been broken 15 times since 1993; British competitors set 9 of those, all by 2009 ^[2].

Figure 4

Every speed-cards world record: seconds to memorise one shuffled deck

The IAM list, one column per new record, 1993 to 2018. The record went from 120 seconds to 12.74, and has not fallen since 2018. (The WMSC list has a 13.96-second record from 2017 that we could not confirm against a published result.)

120.00'93

58.79'94

45.00'95

41.37'96

34.03'98

32.90'04

32.13'05

31.16'06

26.28'07

24.97'09

21.90'10

21.19'11

19.41'16

16.96'16

15.61'17

12.74'18

Source: IAM history of world records ^[2]; WMSC ^[3]

Data table

label	value
Aug 1993	120
Aug 1994	58.8
Aug 1995	45
Aug 1996	41.4
Aug 1998	34
Aug 2004	32.9
Jul 2005	32.1
Aug 2006	31.2
Jul 2007	26.3
Jul 2009	25
Jun 2010	21.9
Sep 2011	21.2
Jul 2016	19.4
Dec 2016	17
Dec 2017	15.6
Aug 2018	12.7

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<figure class="iqm-embed"><p><strong>Every speed-cards world record: seconds to memorise one shuffled deck</strong></p><table><tr><th>label</th><th>value</th></tr><tr><td>Aug 1993</td><td>120</td></tr><tr><td>Aug 1994</td><td>58.8</td></tr><tr><td>Aug 1995</td><td>45</td></tr><tr><td>Aug 1996</td><td>41.4</td></tr><tr><td>Aug 1998</td><td>34</td></tr><tr><td>Aug 2004</td><td>32.9</td></tr><tr><td>Jul 2005</td><td>32.1</td></tr><tr><td>Aug 2006</td><td>31.2</td></tr><tr><td>Jul 2007</td><td>26.3</td></tr><tr><td>Jul 2009</td><td>25</td></tr><tr><td>Jun 2010</td><td>21.9</td></tr><tr><td>Sep 2011</td><td>21.2</td></tr><tr><td>Jul 2016</td><td>19.4</td></tr><tr><td>Dec 2016</td><td>17</td></tr><tr><td>Dec 2017</td><td>15.6</td></tr><tr><td>Aug 2018</td><td>12.7</td></tr></table><p>Source: <a href="https://iqmetrics.org/research/memory-world-records/#fig-cards">IQ Metrics Research, Memory world records (2026)</a>, CC BY 4.0</p></figure>

06 Are memory records still being broken?

Rarely now. 12 of the 17 records on the IAM list were last broken before 2020, and in 4 of the six main events the record did not move at all between 2020 and 2026 ^[2]. The biggest jumps came in the 1990s, when the methods were new. The sport also split in 2016 into two record lists (IAM and the World Memory Sports Council), and the pandemic stopped most in-person contests in 2020 and 2021.

Figure 5

Where the gains came from: improvement in each period

Percent improvement of each IAM world record within the period (the record at the end vs the record at the start). Darker = bigger gain. The last column, 2020 to 2026, is mostly zero: these records have not been broken.

1993-2000'93-002000-10'00-102010-20'10-202020-26'20-26Speed cards (one deck, seconds)253%55%72%0%Hour cards (cards in order)181%24%26%0%Hour numbers (digits)102%25%42%5%5-minute numbers (digits)139%52%19%10%30-minute binary (digits)138%74%51%0%15-minute random words39%72%6%0%

Source: IAM history of world records ^[2]; IQ Metrics calculation

Data table

discipline	1993-2000	2000-2010	2010-2020	2020-2026
Speed cards (one deck, seconds)	252.6	55.4	71.9	0
Hour cards (cards in order)	181.2	24.4	25.6	0
Hour numbers (digits)	102.2	25.3	42	5.4
5-minute numbers (digits)	139.4	51.9	19.2	10.1
30-minute binary (digits)	138	73.6	51.4	0
15-minute random words	39.2	72.4	6	0

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<figure class="iqm-embed"><p><strong>Where the gains came from: improvement in each period</strong></p><table><tr><th>discipline</th><th>1993-2000</th><th>2000-2010</th><th>2010-2020</th><th>2020-2026</th></tr><tr><td>Speed cards (one deck, seconds)</td><td>252.6</td><td>55.4</td><td>71.9</td><td>0</td></tr><tr><td>Hour cards (cards in order)</td><td>181.2</td><td>24.4</td><td>25.6</td><td>0</td></tr><tr><td>Hour numbers (digits)</td><td>102.2</td><td>25.3</td><td>42</td><td>5.4</td></tr><tr><td>5-minute numbers (digits)</td><td>139.4</td><td>51.9</td><td>19.2</td><td>10.1</td></tr><tr><td>30-minute binary (digits)</td><td>138</td><td>73.6</td><td>51.4</td><td>0</td></tr><tr><td>15-minute random words</td><td>39.2</td><td>72.4</td><td>6</td><td>0</td></tr></table><p>Source: <a href="https://iqmetrics.org/research/memory-world-records/#fig-decades">IQ Metrics Research, Memory world records (2026)</a>, CC BY 4.0</p></figure>

07 Who holds the memory world records?

Competitors from 10 countries. Of the 36 current records we could confirm across the three lists, Italy holds 7, Mongolia 5, and India and the United States 5 each ^[1] ^[3] ^[6].

Figure 6

Who holds the memory world records today, by country

One square per current world record we could confirm (36 across the IAM, WMSC and Memory League lists; WMSC records last seen before 2020 are left out). Hover a square for the event, the list and the year.

36 recordsone square = one record

Source: IAM ^[1]; WMSC ^[3] ^[4] ^[5]; Memory League ^[6]

Data table

record	group	label	detail
IAM-binary_30min	Mongolia	30-minute binary digits · 6270 digits	IAM · Munkhshur Narmandakh · Mongolia · 2017
IAM-binary_5min	Mongolia	5-minute binary digits · 1467 digits	IAM · Munkhshur Narmandakh · Mongolia · 2019
IAM-cards_10min	Italy	10-minute cards · 550 cards	IAM · Andrea Muzii · Italy · 2019
IAM-cards_30min	Italy	30-minute cards · 1270 cards	IAM · Enrico Marraffa · Italy · 2026
IAM-cards_hour	Italy	Hour cards · 1829 cards	IAM · Andrea Muzii · Italy · 2019
IAM-dates_5min	India	5-minute historic dates · 148 dates	IAM · a junior competitor · India · 2019
IAM-images_5min	Italy	5-minute images · 802 points	IAM · Enrico Marraffa · Italy · 2026
IAM-names_faces_15min	United Kingdom	15-minute names and faces · 224 points	IAM · Katie Kermode · United Kingdom · 2018
IAM-names_faces_5min	United Kingdom	5-minute names and faces · 105 points	IAM · Katie Kermode · United Kingdom · 2017
IAM-numbers_15min	Mongolia	15-minute numbers · 1300 digits	IAM · Munkhshur Narmandakh · Mongolia · 2019
IAM-numbers_30min	Italy	30-minute numbers · 2132 digits	IAM · Enrico Marraffa · Italy · 2026
IAM-numbers_5min	Italy	5-minute numbers · 630 digits	IAM · Andrea Muzii · Italy · 2021
IAM-numbers_hour	Azerbaijan	Hour numbers · 3412 digits	IAM · Orkhan Ibadov · Azerbaijan · 2023
IAM-speed_cards	Mongolia	Speed cards · 12.74 seconds	IAM · Shijir-Erdene Bat-Enkh · Mongolia · 2018
IAM-spoken_numbers	United States	Spoken numbers · 456 digits	IAM · Lance Tschirhart · United States · 2015
IAM-words_15min	United Kingdom	15-minute random words · 318 words	IAM · Katie Kermode · United Kingdom · 2016
IAM-words_5min	Mongolia	5-minute random words · 145 words	IAM · Yanjaa Wintersoul · Mongolia · 2018
Memory League-ml_cards_live	United States	Memory League: cards (live) · 16.86 seconds	Memory League · Alex Mullen · United States · 2016
Memory League-ml_cards_online	United States	Memory League: cards (online) · 12.25 seconds	Memory League · Alex Mullen · United States · 2025
Memory League-ml_images_live	United States	Memory League: images (live) · 13.91 seconds	Memory League · Lance Tschirhart · United States · 2016
Memory League-ml_images_online	India	Memory League: images (online) · 7.69 seconds	Memory League · Vishvaa Rajakumar · India · 2025
Memory League-ml_international_names_online	India	Memory League: international names (online) · 55.92 seconds	Memory League · Vishvaa Rajakumar · India · 2025
Memory League-ml_names_live	Germany	Memory League: names (live) · 45.09 seconds	Memory League · Jan-Hendrik Büscher · Germany · 2018
Memory League-ml_names_online	Italy	Memory League: names (online) · 20.73 seconds	Memory League · Matteo Cillo · Italy · 2026
Memory League-ml_numbers_live	Germany	Memory League: numbers (live) · 16.85 seconds	Memory League · Simon Reinhard · Germany · 2018
Memory League-ml_numbers_online	United States	Memory League: numbers (online) · 11.45 seconds	Memory League · Alex Mullen · United States · 2024
Memory League-ml_words_live	United Kingdom	Memory League: words (live) · 51.31 seconds	Memory League · Katie Kermode · United Kingdom · 2016
Memory League-ml_words_online	Canada	Memory League: words (online) · 32.41 seconds	Memory League · Don Michael Vickers · Canada · 2024
WMSC-abstract_images_15min	China	15-minute abstract images · 1048 points	WMSC · Huang Jinyao · China · 2022
WMSC-binary_30min	North Korea	30-minute binary digits · 7485 digits	WMSC · Ryu Song I · North Korea · 2019
WMSC-cards_hour	North Korea	Hour cards · 2530 cards	WMSC · Kim Su Rim · North Korea · 2019
WMSC-dates_5min	India	5-minute historic dates · 154 dates	WMSC · a junior competitor · India · 2019
WMSC-numbers_5min	China	5-minute numbers · 642 digits	WMSC · a junior competitor · China · 2024
WMSC-numbers_hour	North Korea	Hour numbers · 4620 digits	WMSC · Ryu Song I · North Korea · 2019
WMSC-spoken_numbers	China	Spoken numbers · 660 digits	WMSC · Hu Xueyan · China · 2024
WMSC-words_15min	India	15-minute random words · 335 words	WMSC · a junior competitor · India · 2019

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<figure class="iqm-embed"><p><strong>Who holds the memory world records today, by country</strong></p><table><tr><th>record</th><th>group</th><th>label</th><th>detail</th></tr><tr><td>IAM-binary_30min</td><td>Mongolia</td><td>30-minute binary digits · 6270 digits</td><td>IAM · Munkhshur Narmandakh · Mongolia · 2017</td></tr><tr><td>IAM-binary_5min</td><td>Mongolia</td><td>5-minute binary digits · 1467 digits</td><td>IAM · Munkhshur Narmandakh · Mongolia · 2019</td></tr><tr><td>IAM-cards_10min</td><td>Italy</td><td>10-minute cards · 550 cards</td><td>IAM · Andrea Muzii · Italy · 2019</td></tr><tr><td>IAM-cards_30min</td><td>Italy</td><td>30-minute cards · 1270 cards</td><td>IAM · Enrico Marraffa · Italy · 2026</td></tr><tr><td>IAM-cards_hour</td><td>Italy</td><td>Hour cards · 1829 cards</td><td>IAM · Andrea Muzii · Italy · 2019</td></tr><tr><td>IAM-dates_5min</td><td>India</td><td>5-minute historic dates · 148 dates</td><td>IAM · a junior competitor · India · 2019</td></tr><tr><td>IAM-images_5min</td><td>Italy</td><td>5-minute images · 802 points</td><td>IAM · Enrico Marraffa · Italy · 2026</td></tr><tr><td>IAM-names_faces_15min</td><td>United Kingdom</td><td>15-minute names and faces · 224 points</td><td>IAM · Katie Kermode · United Kingdom · 2018</td></tr><tr><td>IAM-names_faces_5min</td><td>United Kingdom</td><td>5-minute names and faces · 105 points</td><td>IAM · Katie Kermode · United Kingdom · 2017</td></tr><tr><td>IAM-numbers_15min</td><td>Mongolia</td><td>15-minute numbers · 1300 digits</td><td>IAM · Munkhshur Narmandakh · Mongolia · 2019</td></tr><tr><td>IAM-numbers_30min</td><td>Italy</td><td>30-minute numbers · 2132 digits</td><td>IAM · Enrico Marraffa · Italy · 2026</td></tr><tr><td>IAM-numbers_5min</td><td>Italy</td><td>5-minute numbers · 630 digits</td><td>IAM · Andrea Muzii · Italy · 2021</td></tr><tr><td>IAM-numbers_hour</td><td>Azerbaijan</td><td>Hour numbers · 3412 digits</td><td>IAM · Orkhan Ibadov · Azerbaijan · 2023</td></tr><tr><td>IAM-speed_cards</td><td>Mongolia</td><td>Speed cards · 12.74 seconds</td><td>IAM · Shijir-Erdene Bat-Enkh · Mongolia · 2018</td></tr><tr><td>IAM-spoken_numbers</td><td>United States</td><td>Spoken numbers · 456 digits</td><td>IAM · Lance Tschirhart · United States · 2015</td></tr><tr><td>IAM-words_15min</td><td>United Kingdom</td><td>15-minute random words · 318 words</td><td>IAM · Katie Kermode · United Kingdom · 2016</td></tr><tr><td>IAM-words_5min</td><td>Mongolia</td><td>5-minute random words · 145 words</td><td>IAM · Yanjaa Wintersoul · Mongolia · 2018</td></tr><tr><td>Memory League-ml_cards_live</td><td>United States</td><td>Memory League: cards (live) · 16.86 seconds</td><td>Memory League · Alex Mullen · United States · 2016</td></tr><tr><td>Memory League-ml_cards_online</td><td>United States</td><td>Memory League: cards (online) · 12.25 seconds</td><td>Memory League · Alex Mullen · United States · 2025</td></tr><tr><td>Memory League-ml_images_live</td><td>United States</td><td>Memory League: images (live) · 13.91 seconds</td><td>Memory League · Lance Tschirhart · United States · 2016</td></tr><tr><td>Memory League-ml_images_online</td><td>India</td><td>Memory League: images (online) · 7.69 seconds</td><td>Memory League · Vishvaa Rajakumar · India · 2025</td></tr><tr><td>Memory League-ml_international_names_online</td><td>India</td><td>Memory League: international names (online) · 55.92 seconds</td><td>Memory League · Vishvaa Rajakumar · India · 2025</td></tr><tr><td>Memory League-ml_names_live</td><td>Germany</td><td>Memory League: names (live) · 45.09 seconds</td><td>Memory League · Jan-Hendrik Büscher · Germany · 2018</td></tr><tr><td>Memory League-ml_names_online</td><td>Italy</td><td>Memory League: names (online) · 20.73 seconds</td><td>Memory League · Matteo Cillo · Italy · 2026</td></tr><tr><td>Memory League-ml_numbers_live</td><td>Germany</td><td>Memory League: numbers (live) · 16.85 seconds</td><td>Memory League · Simon Reinhard · Germany · 2018</td></tr><tr><td>Memory League-ml_numbers_online</td><td>United States</td><td>Memory League: numbers (online) · 11.45 seconds</td><td>Memory League · Alex Mullen · United States · 2024</td></tr><tr><td>Memory League-ml_words_live</td><td>United Kingdom</td><td>Memory League: words (live) · 51.31 seconds</td><td>Memory League · Katie Kermode · United Kingdom · 2016</td></tr><tr><td>Memory League-ml_words_online</td><td>Canada</td><td>Memory League: words (online) · 32.41 seconds</td><td>Memory League · Don Michael Vickers · Canada · 2024</td></tr><tr><td>WMSC-abstract_images_15min</td><td>China</td><td>15-minute abstract images · 1048 points</td><td>WMSC · Huang Jinyao · China · 2022</td></tr><tr><td>WMSC-binary_30min</td><td>North Korea</td><td>30-minute binary digits · 7485 digits</td><td>WMSC · Ryu Song I · North Korea · 2019</td></tr><tr><td>WMSC-cards_hour</td><td>North Korea</td><td>Hour cards · 2530 cards</td><td>WMSC · Kim Su Rim · North Korea · 2019</td></tr><tr><td>WMSC-dates_5min</td><td>India</td><td>5-minute historic dates · 154 dates</td><td>WMSC · a junior competitor · India · 2019</td></tr><tr><td>WMSC-numbers_5min</td><td>China</td><td>5-minute numbers · 642 digits</td><td>WMSC · a junior competitor · China · 2024</td></tr><tr><td>WMSC-numbers_hour</td><td>North Korea</td><td>Hour numbers · 4620 digits</td><td>WMSC · Ryu Song I · North Korea · 2019</td></tr><tr><td>WMSC-spoken_numbers</td><td>China</td><td>Spoken numbers · 660 digits</td><td>WMSC · Hu Xueyan · China · 2024</td></tr><tr><td>WMSC-words_15min</td><td>India</td><td>15-minute random words · 335 words</td><td>WMSC · a junior competitor · India · 2019</td></tr></table><p>Source: <a href="https://iqmetrics.org/research/memory-world-records/#fig-holders">IQ Metrics Research, Memory world records (2026)</a>, CC BY 4.0</p></figure>

08 What is the most digits of pi memorized?

70,000 digits is the Guinness record (Rajveer Meena, India, 2015) ^[7]; the Pi World Ranking List also verifies 70,030 by Suresh Kumar Sharma later that year ^[8]. The record grew from 956 digits in 1973, and has not been beaten since 2015. Claims of 100,000 and more have never been verified. Chao Lu, who recited 67,890 digits in 2005, had a normal digit span when psychologists tested him ^[13].

Figure 7

Digits of pi recited from memory: every new world record

Verified records on the Pi World Ranking List, 1973 to 2015. Guinness lists 70,000 digits (Rajveer Meena, 2015). Claims of up to 111,700 digits by Akira Haraguchi were never verified and are not shown.

956'73

1,111'73

1,210'73

1,505'74

4,096'75

5,050'77

6,190'78

9,744'78

10,000'78

10,625'79

20,013'80

31,811'81

40,000'87

42,195'95

67,890'05

70,000'15

70,030'15

Source: Pi World Ranking List ^[8]; Guinness World Records ^[7]

Data table

label	value
1973	956
1973	1111
1973	1210
1974	1505
1975	4096
1977	5050
1978	6190
1978	9744
1978	10000
1979	10625
1980	20013
1981	31811
1987	40000
1995	42195
2005	67890
2015	70000
2015	70030

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<figure class="iqm-embed"><p><strong>Digits of pi recited from memory: every new world record</strong></p><table><tr><th>label</th><th>value</th></tr><tr><td>1973</td><td>956</td></tr><tr><td>1973</td><td>1111</td></tr><tr><td>1973</td><td>1210</td></tr><tr><td>1974</td><td>1505</td></tr><tr><td>1975</td><td>4096</td></tr><tr><td>1977</td><td>5050</td></tr><tr><td>1978</td><td>6190</td></tr><tr><td>1978</td><td>9744</td></tr><tr><td>1978</td><td>10000</td></tr><tr><td>1979</td><td>10625</td></tr><tr><td>1980</td><td>20013</td></tr><tr><td>1981</td><td>31811</td></tr><tr><td>1987</td><td>40000</td></tr><tr><td>1995</td><td>42195</td></tr><tr><td>2005</td><td>67890</td></tr><tr><td>2015</td><td>70000</td></tr><tr><td>2015</td><td>70030</td></tr></table><p>Source: <a href="https://iqmetrics.org/research/memory-world-records/#fig-pi">IQ Metrics Research, Memory world records (2026)</a>, CC BY 4.0</p></figure>

09 Can you train your memory to remember like a champion?

Yes, to a large degree. In a 2017 study, adults with typical memory practised the method of loci (placing items along a route you know) for 30 minutes a day for 40 days, and went from 26 to 62 words remembered of 72 ^[15] ^[14]. Champions themselves show no higher intelligence and no unusual brain structure; they use the same spatial method ^[16]. One student in 1980 trained his span from 7 to 79 digits ^[12].

Figure 8

Can you train it? Words remembered from a list of 72

Dresler et al. 2017: adults with typical memory, before and after 40 days of 30-minute method-of-loci training, and the memory athletes the study compared them with (same 72-word test).

Typical adults, before training26.0

The same adults after 40 days of training62.0

Memory athletes70.8

Source: Dresler et al. 2017 ^[14]; press release ^[15]

Data table

label	value
Typical adults, before training	26
The same adults after 40 days of training	62
Memory athletes	70.8

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<figure class="iqm-embed"><p><strong>Can you train it? Words remembered from a list of 72</strong></p><table><tr><th>label</th><th>value</th></tr><tr><td>Typical adults, before training</td><td>26</td></tr><tr><td>The same adults after 40 days of training</td><td>62</td></tr><tr><td>Memory athletes</td><td>70.8</td></tr></table><p>Source: <a href="https://iqmetrics.org/research/memory-world-records/#fig-train">IQ Metrics Research, Memory world records (2026)</a>, CC BY 4.0</p></figure>

A great memory is not the same as a high IQ. Trained recall of lists says little about reasoning: see does a great memory mean you are smart?, what the research says about photographic memory and whether brain-training apps work. How memory and speed change with age is in At what age is your brain sharpest?.

Measure your reasoning, not just your recall

Our IQ test times your reasoning and places your result against adults, with a percentile.

Take the IQ test

10 Every current memory world record

Table 1

Every current memory world record we could confirm

Three lists that do not mix: IAM, the World Memory Sports Council (WMSC) and Memory League (short online and live formats). "x span" = digits divided by a normal adult span of 6.74.


30-minute binary digits	IAM	6270 digits	Munkhshur Narmandakh	Mongolia	2017
5-minute binary digits	IAM	1467 digits	Munkhshur Narmandakh	Mongolia	2019
10-minute cards	IAM	550 cards	Andrea Muzii	Italy	2019
30-minute cards	IAM	1270 cards	Enrico Marraffa	Italy	2026
Hour cards	IAM	1829 cards	Andrea Muzii	Italy	2019
5-minute historic dates	IAM	148 dates	a junior competitor	India	2019
5-minute images	IAM	802 points	Enrico Marraffa	Italy	2026
15-minute names and faces	IAM	224 points	Katie Kermode	United Kingdom	2018
5-minute names and faces	IAM	105 points	Katie Kermode	United Kingdom	2017
15-minute numbers	IAM	1300 digits	Munkhshur Narmandakh	Mongolia	2019	193x
30-minute numbers	IAM	2132 digits	Enrico Marraffa	Italy	2026	316x
5-minute numbers	IAM	630 digits	Andrea Muzii	Italy	2021	93x
Hour numbers	IAM	3412 digits	Orkhan Ibadov	Azerbaijan	2023	506x
Speed cards	IAM	12.74 seconds	Shijir-Erdene Bat-Enkh	Mongolia	2018
Spoken numbers	IAM	456 digits	Lance Tschirhart	United States	2015	68x
15-minute random words	IAM	318 words	Katie Kermode	United Kingdom	2016
5-minute random words	IAM	145 words	Yanjaa Wintersoul	Mongolia	2018
Memory League: cards (live)	Memory League	16.86 seconds	Alex Mullen	United States	2016
Memory League: cards (online)	Memory League	12.25 seconds	Alex Mullen	United States	2025
Memory League: images (live)	Memory League	13.91 seconds	Lance Tschirhart	United States	2016
Memory League: images (online)	Memory League	7.69 seconds	Vishvaa Rajakumar	India	2025
Memory League: international names (online)	Memory League	55.92 seconds	Vishvaa Rajakumar	India	2025
Memory League: names (live)	Memory League	45.09 seconds	Jan-Hendrik Büscher	Germany	2018
Memory League: names (online)	Memory League	20.73 seconds	Matteo Cillo	Italy	2026
Memory League: numbers (live)	Memory League	16.85 seconds	Simon Reinhard	Germany	2018
Memory League: numbers (online)	Memory League	11.45 seconds	Alex Mullen	United States	2024
Memory League: words (live)	Memory League	51.31 seconds	Katie Kermode	United Kingdom	2016
Memory League: words (online)	Memory League	32.41 seconds	Don Michael Vickers	Canada	2024
15-minute abstract images	WMSC	1048 points	Huang Jinyao	China	2022
30-minute binary digits	WMSC	7485 digits	Ryu Song I	North Korea	2019
Hour cards	WMSC	2530 cards	Kim Su Rim	North Korea	2019
5-minute historic dates	WMSC	154 dates	a junior competitor	India	2019
5-minute numbers	WMSC	642 digits	a junior competitor	China	2024	95x
Hour numbers	WMSC	4620 digits	Ryu Song I	North Korea	2019	685x
Spoken numbers	WMSC	660 digits	Hu Xueyan	China	2024	98x
15-minute random words	WMSC	335 words	a junior competitor	India	2019

Source: IAM ^[1]; WMSC ^[3] ^[4] ^[5]; Memory League ^[6]

11 How we built the dataset

01
Rebuild every record history
From the IAM history pages (one per discipline, including the World Memory Championships 1993-2015) and from 13 archived copies of the WMSC statistics site, we listed every time a world record was broken: date, value, holder, country and competition ^[2] ^[3].
02
Fill the gaps after 2019
The WMSC tables are empty since 2020, so later WMSC records come from the World Memory Championships’ own results and from Guinness ^[4] ^[5].
03
Keep the lists apart
IAM, WMSC and Memory League use different rules, so no series mixes them. Digital and old-scoring events are kept separate.
04
Compare like with like
1993 is the base year for memory and athletics. Times are turned into speed (the 1993 time divided by today’s), so every gain reads the same way.
05
Set the baseline
A normal span is 6.74 digits forward, the Wechsler memory norm for adults aged 20-29 ^[9].

Read every number with these in mind

No scores from the first championship (1991) survive online, so 1993 is the base year.
The WMSC list could only be rebuilt from archived copies; a record set and broken between two copies is missed. 11 WMSC records last seen before 2020 may have been beaten since and are not in the counts.
IAM and WMSC records for the same event differ (hour numbers 3,412 vs 4,620) because the rules differ.
A span test and a memory-sport event are different tasks; the multiples show scale, not the same test.
Athletics records come from World Athletics’ ratified lists; the women’s marathon uses the mixed-race record.

Sources

IAM. World records, all disciplines (current list). 2026. iam-stats.org/records.phpFacts cited
IAM. History of world records, one page per discipline (e.g. speed cards); includes the World Memory Championships 1993-2015. 2026. iam-stats.org/discipline-record-history.php?id=SPDCARDSFacts cited
WMSC, via the Internet Archive. World Memory Statistics, disciplines and records (archived copies 2012-2019; the live tables are empty since 2020). 2019. web.archive.org/web/2019/http://www.world-memory-statistics.com/disciplines.phpFacts cited
World Memory Championships. 33rd World Memory Championship, Istanbul 2024: results and new world records. 2024. www.worldmemorychampionships.com/?p=12101Facts cited
Guinness World Records. Most decimal digits memorized in one hour. 2019. www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/385445-most-decimal-digits-memorized-in-one-hourFacts cited
IAM / Memory League. IAM mirror of Memory League world records (live and online formats). 2026. iam-stats.org/records_ml.phpFacts cited
Guinness World Records. Most Pi places memorised. 2015. www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/most-pi-places-memorisedFacts cited
Pi World Ranking List. Pi, sorted by digits, with world-record notes 1973-2015. 2026. www.pi-world-ranking-list.com/index.php?page=lists&category=pi&sort=digitsFacts cited
J Clin Exp Neuropsychol. Woods, D. L. et al. Improving digit span assessment of short-term verbal memory. Journal of Clinical and Experimental Neuropsychology 33(1), 101-111 (WMS-III norm, ages 20-29: 6.74 digits forward). 2011. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC2978794Facts cited
Psychological Review. Miller, G. A. The magical number seven, plus or minus two. Psychological Review 63(2), 81-97. 1956. http://psychclassics.yorku.ca/MillerFacts and a short quote cited
Behavioral and Brain Sciences. Cowan, N. The magical number 4 in short-term memory. Behavioral and Brain Sciences 24(1), 87-114. 2001. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11515286Facts cited
Science. Ericsson, K. A., Chase, W. G. & Faloon, S. Acquisition of a memory skill. Science 208, 1181-1182. 1980. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/7375930Facts cited
J Exp Psychol Learn Mem Cogn. Hu, Y., Ericsson, K. A., Yang, D. & Lu, C. Superior self-paced memorization of digits in spite of a normal digit span: the structure of a memorist's skill. J Exp Psychol Learn Mem Cogn 35(6), 1426-1442. 2009. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19857014Facts cited
Neuron. Dresler, M. et al. Mnemonic training reshapes brain networks to support superior memory. Neuron 93(5), 1227-1235. 2017. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5439266Facts cited
ScienceDaily. Train your brain to remember anything you want (press release on Dresler et al. 2017), via ScienceDaily. 2017. www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/03/170308131236.htmFacts cited
Nature Neuroscience. Maguire, E. A. et al. Routes to remembering: the brains behind superior memory. Nature Neuroscience 6(1), 90-95. 2003. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12483214Facts cited
Wikipedia, citing World Athletics. World-record progressions for the 100 m, 1500 m, marathon and long jump (Wikipedia tables of the records ratified by World Athletics / IAAF). 2026. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marathon_world_record_progressionFacts cited
Citizen Digital. Sawe's record-breaking 1:59:30 marathon officially ratified (London, 26 April 2026). 2026. citizen.digital/article/sawes-record-breaking-15930-marathon-officially-ratified-n386979Facts cited

Version history

2026.1030 October 2026First release.

Leon Falkner, Data & Research Analyst. Leon owns the arithmetic on IQ Metrics: the percentile tables, the score converter and the figures in everyone else's drafts. On the research desk Leon pulls the data, builds each index and writes the method. More about Leon.

Questions

What is the fastest time to memorize a deck of cards?

12.74 seconds, the IAM world record set in 2018. In 1993 the fastest deck took 120 seconds.

What is the world record for memorizing numbers?

4,620 random digits in one hour (WMSC, 2019), and 630 digits in five minutes (IAM, 2021). A typical adult can repeat about 7 digits back.

What is the most digits of pi memorized?

70,000 digits is the Guinness record, set in 2015. The Pi World Ranking List also verifies 70,030 digits recited later in 2015. Larger claims have not been verified.

How many numbers can the average person remember?

About 7 digits heard once: 6.74 on average for adults aged 20-29 on the Wechsler memory scale. Without grouping, working memory holds about 4 chunks.

Do memory champions have a higher IQ?

No sign of it. A 2003 study of World Memory Championship competitors found no higher intelligence and no unusual brain structure; they used a trained spatial method, which ordinary adults can learn.

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Cite this study

Version 2026.10. Citing the version lets readers find the exact numbers.

Archived copy with a DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.23909526 (report PDF and data on Zenodo).

Falkner, L. (2026). How far can human memory go? Memory world records, 1993-2026 (Version 2026.10) [Data set]. IQ Metrics Research. https://iqmetrics.org/research/memory-world-records/ (DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.23909526)

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<div class="iqm-memory-records"><p><strong>Memory world records (IQ Metrics Research, 2026)</strong></p><ul><li>Memory records improved 154% to 841% since 1993; athletics records 0% to 9%</li><li>Fastest deck of cards: 12.74 seconds (9.4 times faster than in 1993)</li><li>4,620 digits memorised in one hour: 685 times a normal memory span</li><li>12 of 17 IAM records last broken before 2020</li></ul><p>Source: <a href="https://iqmetrics.org/research/memory-world-records/">IQ Metrics Research, Memory World Records</a> (CC BY 4.0)</p></div>

Get the data

One row per world record set (379 rows): the event, the list (IAM, WMSC, Memory League, Pi World Ranking List or Guinness), the rules, the date, the value, the holder and country, the competition, whether it still stands, the multiple of a normal 6.74-digit span for digit events, and the source link.

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Data dictionary
Column	What it holds
`discipline, record_body, format_note`	The event, the list it belongs to, and its rules
`date, value, unit`	When the record was set and what it was
`holder, holder_country, competition`	Who set it, where they compete from, and where
`is_current`	yes = still the record; no = beaten; unverified = last seen before 2020 (WMSC)
`times_normal_span`	Digit events only: the value divided by 6.74
`source_url`	Where the record was read (official list, archived copy or Guinness)

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IQ Metrics Research rebuilt the history of every memory world record from the first World Memory Championship with published scores (1993) to October 2026, from the IAM and WMSC lists, Memory League and Guinness. The six main records improved by 154% to 841%; over the same years athletics world records improved by 0% to 9%. The fastest deck of cards went from 120 to 12.74 seconds. 4,620 digits memorised in an hour is 685 times the normal adult span of 6.74 digits. 12 of 17 IAM records were last broken before 2020. Source: IQ Metrics Research, https://iqmetrics.org/research/memory-world-records/

Angles for a story

Memory records improved up to 841%, athletics under 10% (Figure 2).
A deck of cards in 12.74 seconds (Figure 4).
The stall: 12 of 17 records unbroken since before 2020 (Figure 5).
Italy and Mongolia, the memory superpowers (Figure 6).
Ordinary adults more than doubled their recall in 40 days (Figure 8).

Quotes you can use

Attributable as written, with the name and title. For a different angle or a quote on a specific figure, ask through the contact page.

A sprinter cannot learn a better way to run 100 metres. A memory athlete can learn a better way to remember, which is why these records moved a hundred times faster than sport’s.
Leon Falkner, Data & Research Analyst, IQ Metrics Research
The people who memorise thousands of digits started with an ordinary memory span of about seven. The difference is method and practice.
Leon Falkner, Data & Research Analyst, IQ Metrics Research
After 30 years of huge jumps, memory sport has hit a wall: most records have not moved since 2020.
Leon Falkner, Data & Research Analyst, IQ Metrics Research

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CSV of every record, with list, date, value, holder, country and source (CC BY 4.0)
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Terms, contact and corrections

Credit: “IQ Metrics Research, Memory World Records (2026)” with a link to this page. On air or in print, “IQ Metrics” and the page address are enough.

What it covers: world records on the IAM, WMSC and Memory League lists and the Pi World Ranking List, 1973-2026, rebuilt from their own pages and archived copies.

Contact: the research team, through the contact page. Corrections are made on this page with a dated note in the version history.

Keep reading

How far can human memory go? Memory world records, 1993-2026

About this study

01 Key findings

02 Statistics to quote

03 How far can human memory go?

Each digit record as a multiple of a normal memory span

04 Have memory records improved more than sports records?

Memory records vs athletics records, 1993 to 2026

How much each world record improved since 1993

05 What is the fastest time to memorize a deck of cards?

Every speed-cards world record: seconds to memorise one shuffled deck

06 Are memory records still being broken?

Where the gains came from: improvement in each period

07 Who holds the memory world records?

Who holds the memory world records today, by country

08 What is the most digits of pi memorized?

Digits of pi recited from memory: every new world record

09 Can you train your memory to remember like a champion?

Can you train it? Words remembered from a list of 72

Measure your reasoning, not just your recall

10 Every current memory world record

Every current memory world record we could confirm

11 How we built the dataset

Rebuild every record history

Fill the gaps after 2019

Keep the lists apart

Compare like with like

Set the baseline

Read every number with these in mind

Sources

Version history

Questions

Share it, cite it, download it

Cite this study

Embed the key numbers

Get the data

Share this finding

For journalists, researchers and teachers

Summary you can paste

Angles for a story

Quotes you can use

Files

Terms, contact and corrections

Related research