Women's pole vault world record progression
The first world record in the women's pole vault was recognised by the International Association of Athletics Federations in 1994. The inaugural record, 4.05 metres by Sun Caiyun of China set in 1992, was the world's best mark as of December 31, 1994.
As of June 21, 2009, the IAAF has ratified 54 world records in the event.
IAAF Record Progression
| Record | Athlete | Nation | Venue | Date | # |
| Sun Caiyun | Nanjing, China | 21 May 1992 | 1 | ||
| Sun Caiyun | Taiyuan, China | 18 May 1995 | 2 | ||
| Zhong Guiqing | Taiyuan, China | 18 May 1995 | 1 | ||
| Daniela Bártová | Ljubljana, Slovenia | 21 May 1995 | 1 | ||
| Daniela Bártová | Duisburg, Germany | 18 June 1995 | 2 | ||
| Daniela Bártová | Wesel, Germany | 24 June 1995 | 3 | ||
| Daniela Bártová | Gateshead, England | 2 July 1995 | 4 | ||
| Daniela Bártová | Ostrava, Czech Republic | 6 July 1995 | 5 | ||
| Daniela Bártová | Feldkirch, Austria | 14 July 1995 | 6 | ||
| Daniela Bártová | Feldkirch, Austria | 15 July 1995 | 7 | ||
| Andrea Müller | Zittau, Germany | 5 August 1995 | 1 | ||
| Daniela Bártová | Köln, Germany | 18 August 1995 | 8 | ||
| Daniela Bártová | Linz, Austria | 22 August 1995 | 9 | ||
| Daniela Bártová | Salgótarján, Hungary | 11 September 1995 | 10 | ||
| Emma George | Melbourne, Australia | 30 November 1995 | 1 | ||
| Emma George | Perth, Australia | 17 December 1995 | 2 | ||
| Emma George | Perth, Australia | 28 January 1996 | 3 | ||
| Emma George | Reims, France | 29 June 1996 | 4 | ||
| Emma George | Sapporo, Japan | 14 July 1996 | 5 | ||
| Emma George | Melbourne, Australia | 8 February 1997 | 6 | ||
| Emma George | Melbourne, Australia | 20 February 1997 | 7 | ||
| Emma George | Auckland, New Zealand | 21 February 1998 | 8 | ||
| Emma George | Melbourne, Australia | 14 March 1998 | 9 | ||
| Emma George | Brisbane, Australia | 21 March 1998 | 10 | ||
| Emma George | Sydney, Australia | 20 February 1999 | 11 | ||
| Stacy Dragila | Sevilla, Spain | 21 August 1999 | 1 | ||
| i | Stacy Dragila | Pocatello, U.S. | 19 Feb 2000 | 2 | |
| i | Stacy Dragila | Atlanta, U.S. | 3 Mar 2000 | 3 | |
| Stacy Dragila | Sacramento, U.S. | 23 July 2000 | 4 | ||
| i | Stacy Dragila | New York City, U.S. | 2 Feb 2001 | 5 | |
| i | Svetlana Feofanova | Dortmund, Germany | 11 February 2001 | 1 | |
| i | Stacy Dragila | Pocatello, U.S. | 17 Feb 2001 | 6 | |
| i | Stacy Dragila | Pocatello, U.S. | 17 Feb 2001 | 7 | |
| Stacy Dragila | Pocatello, U.S. | 27 April 2001 | 8 | ||
| Stacy Dragila | Stanford, U.S. | 9 June 2001 | 9 | ||
| Stacy Dragila | Stanford, U.S. | 9 June 2001 | 10 | ||
| Yelena Isinbayeva | Gateshead, England | 13 July 2003 | 1 | ||
| i | Yelena Isinbayeva | Donets'k, Ukraine | 15 February 2004 | 2 | |
| i | Svetlana Feofanova | Athens, Greece | 22 February 2004 | 2 | |
| i | Yelena Isinbayeva | Budapest, Hungary | 6 March 2004 | 3 | |
| Yelena Isinbayeva | Gateshead, England | 27 June 2004 | 4 | ||
| Svetlana Feofanova | Heraklion, Greece | 4 July 2004 | 3 | ||
| Yelena Isinbayeva | Birmingham, England | 25 July 2004 | 5 | ||
| Yelena Isinbayeva | London, England | 30 July 2004 | 6 | ||
| Yelena Isinbayeva | Athens, Greece | 24 August 2004 | 7 | ||
| Yelena Isinbayeva | Brussels, Belgium | 3 September 2004 | 8 | ||
| Yelena Isinbayeva | Lausanne, Switzerland | 5 July 2005 | 9 | ||
| Yelena Isinbayeva | Madrid, Spain | 16 July 2005 | 10 | ||
| Yelena Isinbayeva | London, England | 22 July 2005 | 11 | ||
| Yelena Isinbayeva | London, England | 22 July 2005 | 12 | ||
| Yelena Isinbayeva | Helsinki, Finland | 9 August 2005 | 13 | ||
| Yelena Isinbayeva | Rome, Italy | 11 July 2008 | 14 | ||
| Yelena Isinbayeva | Fontvieille, Monaco | 29 July 2008 | 15 | ||
| Yelena Isinbayeva | Beijing, China | 18 August 2008 | 16 | ||
| Yelena Isinbayeva | Zürich, Switzerland | 28 August 2009 | 17 |
Pre-IAAF Record Progression
The first mark shows the measurement system in use at the time of the jump, the second mark shows the conversion. Marks set in the USA during this era were always measured in imperial measurements. Most of the world and IAAF recognize marks in metric measurements.| Record | Athlete | Nation | Venue | Date | # |
| Ruth Spencer | Painesville | 14 May 1910 | - | ||
| Ruth Spencer | Painesville | 15 May 1911 | - | ||
| Ruth Spencer | Painesville | 15 May 1911 | - | ||
| Ruth Spencer | Painesville | 15 May 1911 | - | ||
| Ruth Spencer | Painesville | 15 May 1911 | - | ||
| Ruth Spencer | Painesville | 15 May 1911 | - | ||
| Ruth Spencer | Painesville | 15 May 1911 | - | ||
| Ruth Spencer | Painesville | 15 May 1911 | - | ||
| Ruth Spencer | Painesville | 15 May 1911 | - | ||
| Ruth Spencer | Painesville | 15 May 1911 | - | ||
| Ruth Spencer | Painesville | 15 May 1911 | - | ||
| Hazel Hutaff | Rock Hill | 3 April 1915 | - | ||
| Hazel Hutaff | Rock Hill | 3 April 1915 | - | ||
| Hazel Hutaff | Rock Hill | 3 April 1915 | - | ||
| Lois Tatum | Tallahassee | 13 April 1915 | - | ||
| = | Emma Lee King | Tallahassee | 13 April 1915 | - | |
| Lois Tatum | Tallahassee | 13 April 1915 | - | ||
| = | Eva Fisk | Lincoln | 13 May 1915 | - | |
| Eva Fisk | Lincoln | 13 May 1915 | - | ||
| Eva Fisk | Lincoln | 13 May 1915 | - | ||
| = | Mildred Carl | New Haven | 6 June 1915 | - | |
| Mildred Carl | New Haven | 6 June 1915 | - | ||
| Mildred Carl | New Haven | 6 June 1915 | - | ||
| Mildred Carl | New Haven | 6 June 1915 | - | ||
| Mildred Carl | New Haven | 6 June 1915 | - | ||
| Mildred Carl | New Haven | 6 June 1915 | - | ||
| Mildred Carl | New Haven | 6 June 1915 | - | ||
| Mildred Carl | New Haven | 6 June 1915 | - | ||
| Mildred Carl | New Haven | 6 June 1915 | - | ||
| Mildred Carl | New Haven | 6 June 1915 | - | ||
| Mildred Carl | New Haven | 6 June 1915 | - | ||
| Mildred Carl | New Haven | 6 June 1915 | - | ||
| Mildred Carl | New Haven | 3 June 1919 | - | ||
| Elva Hintze | Weimar Republic | Nürnberg | 17 July 1921 | - | |
| Helene Henneke | Weimar Republic | Nürnberg | 17 July 1921 | - | |
| Helene Henneke | Weimar Republic | Nürnberg | 17 July 1921 | - | |
| = | Yelena Goldobina | Moskva | 7 September 1924 | - | |
| Zoya Romanova | Moskva | 26 August 1935 | - | ||
| Diane Bragg | Philadelphia | 6 July 1952 | - | ||
| = | Brenda Walker | Wairoa | 8 Jan 1969 | - | |
| i | Irene Spieker | Louisville | 10 February 1978 | - | |
| i> | Irene Spieker | Louisville | 9 February 1979 | - | |
| i> | Irene Spieker | Louisville | 9 February 1979 | - | |
| i> | Irene Spieker | Louisville | 9 February 1979 | - | |
| i> | Irene Spieker | Louisville | 9 February 1979 | - | |
| Jana Edwards | * June 1983 | - | |||
| Jana Edwards | Chicago | 11 June 1983 | - | ||
| Jana Edwards | Cleveland | 18 June 1983 | - | ||
| Jana Edwards | Cleveland | 18 June 1983 | - | ||
| Jana Edwards | Fort Wayne | 23 July 1983 | - | ||
| Jana Edwards | Fort Wayne | 23 July 1983 | - | ||
| Zhang Chunzhen | Guangzhou | 20 April 1988 | - | ||
| Shao Jingmen | Guangzhou | 4 May 1988 | - | ||
| Zhang Chunzhen | Nanjing | 10 June 1988 | - | ||
| Zhou Minxin | Fuzhou | 22 April 1989 | - | ||
| Zhang Chunzhen | Guangzhou | 9 September 1989 | - | ||
| Zhang Chunzhen | Guangzhou | 24 March 1990 | - | ||
| Sun Caiyun | Guangzhou | 24 March 1991 | - | ||
| = | Zhang Chunzhen | Guangzhou | 24 March 1991 | - | |
| Zhang Chunzhen | Guangzhou | 24 March 1991 | - | ||
| Zhang Chunzhen | Beijing | 5 June 1991 | - | ||
| Zhang Chunzhen | Guangzhou | 10 August 1991 | - |