Eurovision Voting Analysis: High Scores, Top-3 Patterns and National Tendencies
Every year, Eurovision delivers memorable performances, dramatic scoreboards and endless debate about how countries vote. While final rankings tell one story, a deeper understanding comes from examining where nations place their highest scores — the famous 12, 10 and 8 points.
This study focuses on the Top-3 scores awarded by each country through both the jury vote and the public televote. These numbers help explain how different countries approach voting — whether they reward consensus favourites, regional neighbours, diaspora-linked acts, or entries that appeal to distinct national tastes.
By keeping the full statistical structure for each country, we can compare voting behaviour more accurately and identify long-term trends.
In Part 1, I looked at Albania, Armenia, Australia, Austria and Azerbaijan.
Part 2 continues the journey with Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czechia and Denmark — six countries with very different voting identities, from highly consistent consensus voters to nations where geography and long-standing cultural ties clearly shape the destination of those crucial high scores.
Belgium
Jury Vote
Sets of 12 points awarded to Jury Winners: 5/9
Jury Winner in the Top-3: 8/9
Jury Top-3 entries awarded with sets of 12 points: 7/9
Jury Top-3 entries included in the total of Top-3s: 16/27
Number of countries voted in the Top-3: 19
Number of countries awarded 12 points: 7
12 Points Distribution
Austria x3
Australia x1
Sweden x1
Italy x1
Switzerland x1
United Kingdom x1
France x1
Most Voted Countries in Jury Top-3
Italy 3/9
Sweden 3/9
France 3/9
Austria 3/6
Switzerland 3/6
Public Vote
Sets of 12 points awarded to Public Vote Winners: 4/9
Public Vote Winner in the Top-3: 7/9
Public Vote Top-3 entries awarded with sets of 12 points: 8/9
Public Vote Top-3 entries included in total Top-3s: 17/27
Number of countries voted in the Top-3: 13
Number of countries awarded 12 points: 7
12 Points Distribution
Israel x2
Netherlands x2
Poland x1
Portugal x1
France x1
Ukraine x1
Finland x1
Most Voted Countries in Public Top-3
France 6/9
Netherlands 5/9
Israel 3/9
Overview
Belgium is one of the more reliable countries when it comes to rewarding the overall favourites with high scores. The jury tends to spread its support across western European entries, while the televote shows a clearer pattern, with France and the Netherlands regularly featuring strongly. More recently, Israel has also emerged as a notable televote favourite.
Bulgaria
Jury Vote
Sets of 12 points awarded to Jury Winners: 1/5
Jury Winner in the Top-3: 1/5
Jury Top-3 entries awarded with sets of 12 points: 1/5
Jury Top-3 entries included in the total of Top-3s: 2/15
Number of countries voted in the Top-3: 13
Number of countries awarded 12 points: 4
12 Points Distribution
Austria x2
Armenia x1
Moldova x1
Greece x1
Most Voted Countries in Jury Top-3
Austria 2/5
Greece 2/5
Public Vote
Sets of 12 points awarded to Public Vote Winners: 3/5
Public Vote Winner in the Top-3: 4/5
Public Vote Top-3 entries awarded with sets of 12 points: 4/5
Public Vote Top-3 entries included in total Top-3s: 9/15
Number of countries voted in the Top-3: 12
Number of countries awarded 12 points: 5
12 Points Distribution
Ukraine x1
Italy x1
Cyprus x1
France x1
Russia x1
Most Voted Countries in Public Top-3
Moldova 2/5
Ukraine 2/5
France 2/5
Overview
Bulgaria has been something of a hit-and-miss country when it comes to jury voting, with support split between western and eastern entries and some signs of tactical voting during the late 2010s when Bulgaria itself was among the contenders. The televote has been far more accurate, with the bulk of high scores going to regional neighbours and familiar eastern European favourites.
Croatia
Jury Vote
Sets of 12 points awarded to Jury Winners: 1/9
Jury Winner in the Top-3: 5/9
Jury Top-3 entries awarded with sets of 12 points: 2/9
Jury Top-3 entries included in the total of Top-3s: 11/27
Number of countries voted in the Top-3: 20
Number of countries awarded 12 points: 6
12 Points Distribution
Italy x4
Portugal x1
Serbia x1
Lithuania x1
Hungary x1
Australia x1
Most Voted Countries in Jury Top-3
Italy 4/9
Switzerland 2/9
Portugal 2/9
Israel 2/9
Public Vote
Sets of 12 points awarded to Public Vote Winners: 0/8
Public Vote Winner in the Top-3: 5/8
Public Vote Top-3 entries awarded with sets of 12 points: 2/8
Public Vote Top-3 entries included in total Top-3s: 16/24
Number of countries voted in the Top-3: 14
Number of countries awarded 12 points: 5
12 Points Distribution
Serbia x5
Estonia x1
Slovenia x1
Italy x1
Hungary x1
Most Voted Countries in Public Top-3
Serbia 6/8
Italy 4/8
Slovenia 3/8
Ukraine 3/8
Overview
Croatian juries cast a very wide net, with 20 different countries appearing in their Top-3 over the period, but there is still a visible preference for Italy and other western entries. Interestingly, Serbia has yet to receive a jury Top-3 placing despite dominating Croatia’s televote. In the public vote, neighbours clearly take over, with Serbia by far the strongest long-term favourite.
Croatia is also one of only three countries in the 2026 line-up yet to award a televote winner the full 12 points, alongside Montenegro and Greece.
Cyprus
Jury Vote
Sets of 12 points awarded to Jury Winners: 1/9
Jury Winner in the Top-3: 3/9
Jury Top-3 entries awarded with sets of 12 points: 3/9
Jury Top-3 entries included in the total of Top-3s: 8/27
Number of countries voted in the Top-3: 15
Number of countries awarded 12 points: 4
12 Points Distribution
Greece x5
Sweden x2
Croatia x1
Russia x1
Most Voted Countries in Jury Top-3
Greece 5/9
Italy 4/9
Australia 3/9
Sweden 2/9
France 2/9
Public Vote
Sets of 12 points awarded to Public Vote Winners: 1/9
Public Vote Winner in the Top-3: 5/9
Public Vote Top-3 entries awarded with sets of 12 points: 1/9
Public Vote Top-3 entries included in total Top-3s: 12/27
Number of countries voted in the Top-3: 12
Number of countries awarded 12 points: 4
12 Points Distribution
Greece x5
Bulgaria x2
Israel x1
Ukraine x1
Most Voted Countries in Public Top-3
Greece 6/9
Israel 4/9
Ukraine 4/9
Overview
If there is one country that consistently rewards its closest friends, it is Cyprus. The jury combines its traditional preference for Greece with a wider western European spread, while the televote is even more predictable, with Greece, Israel, Ukraine and regional neighbours dominating the high scores.
Cyprus has also delivered the exact same televote Top-3 in the same order in each of the last two years — Greece, Israel, Ukraine — and it would likely have been three in a row had Greece qualified in 2023.
Czechia
Jury Vote
Sets of 12 points awarded to Jury Winners: 2/9
Jury Winner in the Top-3: 4/9
Jury Top-3 entries awarded with sets of 12 points: 4/9
Jury Top-3 entries included in the total of Top-3s: 10/27
Number of countries voted in the Top-3: 19
Number of countries awarded 12 points: 6
12 Points Distribution
Ukraine x2
Portugal x2
Sweden x2
Germany x1
Israel x1
United Kingdom x1
Most Voted Countries in Jury Top-3
Sweden 6/9
France 2/9
United Kingdom 2/9
Portugal 2/9
Ukraine 2/9
Public Vote
Sets of 12 points awarded to Public Vote Winners: 1/9
Public Vote Winner in the Top-3: 8/9
Public Vote Top-3 entries awarded with sets of 12 points: 4/9
Public Vote Top-3 entries included in total Top-3s: 15/27
Number of countries voted in the Top-3: 16
Number of countries awarded 12 points: 4
12 Points Distribution
Ukraine x6
Bulgaria x1
Moldova x1
Russia x1
Most Voted Countries in Public Top-3
Ukraine 7/9
Israel 4/9
Moldova 2/9
Overview
Czechia’s jury voting leans strongly westward, but its televote has been more successful at identifying high-ranking Eurovision entries. Much of that is driven by Ukraine, which dominates Czech televote history.
One particularly striking trend: Czechia has yet to award a western country a televote 12 points, despite placing the televote winner in its Top-3 in eight of the last nine editions.
Denmark
Jury Vote
Sets of 12 points awarded to Jury Winners: 3/9
Jury Winner in the Top-3: 7/9
Jury Top-3 entries awarded with sets of 12 points: 6/9
Jury Top-3 entries included in the total of Top-3s: 13/27
Number of countries voted in the Top-3: 17
Number of countries awarded 12 points: 6
12 Points Distribution
Sweden x3
Switzerland x2
Latvia x1
Greece x1
Germany x1
Ukraine x1
Most Voted Countries in Jury Top-3
Sweden 4/9
Australia 3/9
Switzerland 3/9
Finland 2/9
Germany 2/9
Public Vote
Sets of 12 points awarded to Public Vote Winners: 4/9
Public Vote Winner in the Top-3: 5/9
Public Vote Top-3 entries awarded with sets of 12 points: 5/9
Public Vote Top-3 entries included in total Top-3s: 12/27
Number of countries voted in the Top-3: 15
Number of countries awarded 12 points: 7
12 Points Distribution
Sweden x3
Croatia x1
Finland x1
Ukraine x1
Iceland x1
Norway x1
Germany x1
Most Voted Countries in Public Top-3
Sweden 7/9
Norway 5/9
Iceland 2/9
Israel 2/9
Overview
Denmark’s voting profile is shaped strongly by Nordic ties. Sweden is the clear long-term favourite, collecting the most 12 points in both jury and televote.
The jury is slightly more open, spreading support across a broader European field, while the televote remains much more geographically focused, with Nordic neighbours regularly taking the biggest scores.
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