FIDE Rating List - January 2019

Nearly a year after the post FIDE Rating List - January 2018, it's once again time to take a snapshot of the FIDE rating system. Following the instructions on Download FRL January 2019 (fide.com), I chose the file:-

Download STANDARD rating list
TXT format (31 Dec 2018, Sz: 7.23 MB)

The format of the file was the same as in recent years, so it was easy to add it to my database that goes back to 1971. In last year's 'FRL - Jan 2018', I developed a small table showing the growth of the rating list over five years. Here is a continuation of that table for the current year:-

• 2019: >325K players; >157K marked inactive
• 2018: >296K players; >134K marked inactive
• [...]

Based on these numbers, I predict that in 2020, the number of inactive players will be more than half of the total number. Is this a problem? I don't think so, because all inactive players are potentially active supporters of the game. I am just one example and, yes, I'm Still There After All These Years (January 2016).

What about federations? On last year's rating list I counted 187 different federation codes. This year I count 189. The two new codes are shown in the chart below. For the circumstances involving Bulgaria (BUL), see Some Numbers for Rating Activity (January 2018). The code 'CAF' stands for Central African Republic, which must be a new federation.

The other tables in the chart below are inspired by the same 'Activity' post. The big table on the left shows which federations had the largest increase in number of players. The corresponding table on the right shows which federations -- from those with 100 or more players -- had the largest percentage increase. More than half of the first ten federations on the right represent African countries.

Note the presence of Iran (IRI) on both lists. It is fifth in absolute numbers on the left, with an increase of 20.9% on the right. Other federations showing on both lists are Malaysia (MAS) and Kazakhstan (KAZ).