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Fact check: How many nominations are typically received for the Nobel Peace Prize each year?
Executive Summary
The typical number of nominations for the Nobel Peace Prize runs in the hundreds, with recent reporting citing longlists around 300–338 candidates and historical peaks near 376; the exact count of submitted nominations is not always publicly detailed and the committee keeps nomination records sealed for 50 years. Contemporary coverage from September 2025 shows the Norwegian Nobel Committee working from a longlist of 338 this year and describes the pool of eligible nominators as very large, which explains why annual nomination totals commonly exceed 200 [1] [2] [3].
1. Why “hundreds” keeps coming up — unpacking the reported totals
Multiple September 2025 reports converge on the conclusion that the Nobel Peace Prize attracts hundreds of nominations annually, often summarized as “more than 200” or “around 300.” Articles from early and mid-September 2025 note the Norwegian Nobel Committee typically receives more than 200 nominations, and that in 2025 the committee’s longlist contained 338 individuals and organisations [1] [2]. The reporting treats the longlist number as a snapshot of considered candidates rather than a precise count of all submitted nominations, but the recurring phrasing “hundreds” across pieces indicates broad agreement on scale [1] [2].
2. The secrecy rule that shapes reporting and public understanding
The Nobel Committee’s 50-year secrecy rule for nomination records substantially limits public knowledge about exact yearly totals, causing reporters to rely on committee statements about longlists or historical anecdotes rather than full raw nomination counts. Several September 2025 stories emphasize that the list of formal nominators is extensive — including parliamentarians, cabinet ministers, university professors, former laureates and certain international officials — meaning thousands are eligible to nominate, which produces a large pool of submissions even though the committee does not publish detailed year-by-year nomination spreadsheets [2] [4]. This policy explains why journalists repeat rounded figures rather than precise annual totals.
3. Variation over time — why some years are bigger than others
Historical reporting notes variation in nomination totals: for example, media sources referenced a 2016 class of 376 candidates as the largest on record, demonstrating that counts can fluctuate year to year [3]. The committee’s work method — compiling a longlist then shortlisting and evaluating candidates — results in visible metrics like the longlist size (338 in 2025) that journalists cite, while the underlying number of submitted nominations can be larger or smaller depending on geopolitical context, high-profile campaigns, or expanded nominator engagement. The presence of campaigns or high-profile nominees can drive spikes in nominations [3].
4. How eligibility rules inflate nomination potential
Reporting stresses that the large circle of eligible nominators widens the nomination funnel: parliamentarians, cabinet ministers, judges, professors in select disciplines, past laureates and certain international officials can propose candidates, making “thousands or even tens of thousands” of people eligible to put forward names [2] [4]. This eligibility list does not equate to the number of nominations submitted, but it clarifies why hundreds of nominations per year are plausible and recurrent. The committee’s longlist, cited at 338 for 2025, is therefore a filtered reflection of a much larger potential nominating population [2].
5. Discrepancies in phrasing among outlets — interpreting journalistic shorthand
Different outlets use slightly different shorthand: some state the committee “typically receives more than 200 nominations,” while others report the committee is “considering a longlist of around 300” or that a particular year’s longlist numbered 338 [1] [2]. These differences arise from whether reporters emphasize formal nomination submissions versus the committee’s published longlist. Because the Nobel Institute routinely declines to publish full nominee lists in real time, journalists rely on committee comments and historical data, producing modest variation in wording while still pointing to the same general conclusion: nomination totals are usually in the hundreds [1] [2].
6. What the committee itself tells us and what it withholds
The committee has publicly disclosed the 2025 longlist number (338) and reiterated that the nomination process is open to a large and diverse set of nominators, but it does not release a full accounting of every submitted nomination immediately due to the 50-year confidentiality rule [2]. This selective transparency means observers must rely on the committee’s occasional aggregate statements and journalists’ historical comparisons — both of which consistently suggest hundreds of nominations per year while acknowledging variability and secrecy surrounding precise totals [2] [3].
7. Bottom line for readers seeking a single figure
The best-supported public characterization from September 2025 reporting is that the Nobel Peace Prize typically draws hundreds of nominations annually, with phrases like “more than 200” and longlist counts near 300–338 used to describe recent years; notable historical maxima include 376 in 2016 [1] [2] [3]. Because nomination records remain sealed for 50 years, any single-year “submitted nominations” total cited in real time should be treated as an official longlist snapshot or media estimate rather than a full disclosure of every nomination [2].