The Chinese TV presenter Angela Chow hosted Miss World for the 6th time, with South African celebrity Tumisho Masha co-hosting the event.

Second runner-up for the Miss World crown 2008 was Miss Trinidad and Tobago Gabrielle Walcott followed by Miss India Parvathy Omanakuttan as first runner-up. The other two finalists were South Africa and Angola.

Beauty contestants from 109 countries competed at the event in the 2008 international beauty pageant.

• Albania represented by 17 year old Miss Albania Egla Harxhi
  
• Angola represented by 18 year old Brigith dos Santos
  
• Antigua and Barbuda represented by 18 year old Athina James
  
• Argentina represented by 18 year old Miss Argentina Agustina Quinteros
  
• Aruba represented by 20 year old Christina Trejo
  
• Australia represented by 20 year old Miss Australia Katie Richardson
• Austria represented by 23 year old Kathrin Krahfuss
  
• Bahamas represented by 21 year old Tinnyse Johnson
• Barbados represented by 18 year old Natalie Griffith
• Belarus represented by 21 year old Volha Khizhynkova
  
• Belgium represented by 21 year old Alizée Poulicek
• Belize represnted by the 21 year old Charmaine Chinapen
  
• Bolivia represented by 18 year old Jackelin Arias
• Bosnia & Herzegovina represnted by the 18 year old Tanja Vujicic
• Botswana represented by the 19 year old Itseng Kgomotso
  
• Brazil represented by 23 year old Miss Brazil Tamara Almeida
  
• Canada represented by 20 year old Miss Canada Leah Ryerse
  
• Cayman Islands represented by 25 year old Nicosia Lawson
• Chilese represented by the 23 year old Nataly Chilet
  
• China represented by 24 year old Miss China Mei Yan Ling
• Chinese Taipei represented by the 24 year old Chieh-min Lin aka Jamie Lin
  
• Colombia represented by 17 year old Miss Colombia Katherine Medina
• Congo represented by the 18 year old Christelle Ndila
  
• Costa Rica represented by 19 year old Miss Costa Rica Amalia Matamoros
  
• Croatia represented by 20 year old Josipa Kusic
  
• Curaçao represented by 23 year old Miss Curacao Norayla Francisco
  
• Cyprus represented by 18 year old Mari Vasileiou
  
• Czech Republic represented by 20 year old Zuzana Jandová
  
• Denmark represented by 21 year old Miss Denmark Lisa Lents
  
• Dominican Republic represented by 21 year old Nathali Montes de Oca
  
• Ecuador represented by 22 year old Miss Ecuador Marjorie Cevallos
  
• Egypt Yara represented by 24 year old Sanaa Ismail Hamed
  
• El Salvador represented by 18 year old Gabriela Gavidia
• England represented by the 22 year old Laura Coleman
  
• Ethiopia represented by 18 year old Hibret Fekadu
  
• Finland represented by 19 year old Linda Wikstedt
  
• France represented by 20 year old Miss France Laura Tanguy
  
• Georgia represented by 18 year old Khatuna Skhirtladze
  
• Germany represented by 21 year old Miss Germany Anne Katrin Walter
  
• Ghana represented by 22 year old Frances Takyi-Mensah
• Gibraltar represented by the 22 year old Krystel Robba
  
• Greece represented by 24 year old Miss Greece Angeliki Kalaitzi
  
• Guadeloupe represented by 23 year old Frédérika Charpentier
  
• Guatemala represented by 23 year old Maribel Arana
• Guyana represented by the 23 year old Christa Simmons
  
• Honduras represented by 23 year old Gabriela Zavala
• Hong Kong is represented by the 24 year old Skye Chan
  
• Hungary represented by 24 year old Szilvia Freire
• Iceland is represented by the 18 year old Alexandra Ívarsdóttir
  
• India represented by 21 year old Miss India Parvathy Omanakuttan
  
• Indonesia represented by 22 year old Sandra Angelia
  
• Ireland represented by 21 year old Sinéad Noonan
  
• Israel represented by 23 year old Miss Israel Tamar Ziskind
  
• Italy represented by 25 year old Miss Italy Claudia Russo
  
• Jamaica represented by 18 year old Miss Jamaica Brittany Lyons
  
• Japan represented by 21 year old Mizuki Kubodera
  
• Kazakhstan represented by 20 year old Miss Kazakhstan Alfina Nassyrova
• Kenya represented by the 22 year old model Ruth Kinuthia
  
• Korea represented by 20 year old Choi Bo-in
  
• Latvia represented by 20 year old Ina Avlasevica
• Lebanon represented by the 20 year old Lebanese Rosarita Tawil
• Lithuania is represented by the 17 year old teen model Gabriele Martirosianaite
  
• Malaysia represented by 23 year old Soo Wincci
• Malta is represented by the 17 year old Martha Fenech
• Martinique is represented by the 18 year old Elodie Delor
  
• Mauritius represented by 19 year old Marie-Anne Olivia Carey
  
• Mexico represented by 20 year old Miss Mexico Anagabriela Espinoza
• Moldova is represented by the 17 year old Iana Varnacova
• Mongolia is represented by the 23 year old Anun Chinbat
  
• Montenegro represented by 18 year old Mariana Mihajlovic
• Namibia is represented by the 21 year old Marelize Robberts
  
• Netherlands represented by 22 year old Carmen Kool
  
• New Zealand represented by 17 year old Kahurangi Taylor
  
• Nigeria represented by 18 year old Miss Nigeria Adaeze Igwe
• Northern Ireland is represented by the 23 year old Judith Wilson
  
• Norway represented by 21 year old Lene Egeli
  
• Paraguay represented by 19 year old Gabriela Rejala
  
• Peru represented by 18 year old Miss Peru Annmarie Dehainaut
  
• Philippines represented by 18 year old Danielle Castaño
  
• Poland represented by 20 year old Klaudia Ungerman
• Portugal is represented by the 24 year old Andréia Rodrigues
  
• Puerto Rico represented by 20 year old Miss Puerto Rico Ivonne Orsini
  
• Russia represented by 21 year old Miss Russia Ksenia Sukhinova (winner of Miss World 2008)
• Scotland is represented by the 19 year old Stephanie Willemse
  
• Serbia represented by 19 year old Nevena Lipovac
• Seychelles is represented by the 22 year old model Elena Angione
• Sierra Leone is represented by the 24 year old beauty Tyrilla Gouldson
  
• Singapore represented by 22 year old Faraliza Tan
  
• Slovakia represented by 19 year old Edita Krešáková
  
• South Africa represented by 23 year old Miss South Africa Tansey Coetzee
  
• Spain represented by 18 year old Miss Spain Patricia Rodríguez
  
• Sri Lanka represented by 24 year old Rochelle Correa
• St. Lucia is represented by the 22 year old model Joy-Ann Biscette
• Swaziland is represented by the 20 year old model Tiffany Simelane
  
• Sweden represented by 22 year old Jennifer Palm Lundberg
  
• Tanzania represented by 22 year old Nasreem Ndiye
  
• Thailand represented by 23 year old Miss Thailand Ummarapas Jullakasian
  
• Trinidad and Tobago represented by 23 year old Gabrielle Walcott
  
• Turkey represented by 19 year old Miss Turkey Leyla Tugutlu
• Uganda is represented by the 18 year old model Dora Mwima
  
• Ukraine represented by 18 year old Miss Ukraine Irina Zhuravskaya
  
• USA represented by 18 year old Miss USA Lane Lindell
• Uruguay is represented by the 20 year old model Fatimih Dávila
  
• Venezuela represented by 23 year old Miss Venezuela Hannelly Quintero
  
• Vietnam represented by 19 year old Miss Vietnam Duong Truong Thiên Lý
• Wales is represented by the lovely 22 year old Chloe Morgan
• Zambia is represented by the 19 year old Winfridah Mofu
• Zimbabwe is represented by the 25 year old Cynthia Muvirimi