Evolution of the world record 5000 meters Women
| # | name | time | place | track type | date | |||
| 1 | Zofia Nehringowa | POL | 11:30.5 | Warsaw | POL | outdoor - natural | 15 Feb 1931 | |
| 2 | Zofia Nehringowa | POL | 10:54.8 | Warsaw | POL | outdoor - natural | 10 Feb 1935 | |
| 3 | Verné Lesche | FIN | 10:15.3 | Stockholm | SWE | outdoor - natural | 2 Feb 1936 | |
| 4 | Laila Schou Nilsen | NOR | 9:28.3 | Davos | SUI | outdoor - natural | 31 Jan 1937 | |
| 5 | Verné Lesche | FIN | 9:26.8 | Kongsberg | NOR | outdoor - natural | 13 Feb 1949 | |
| 6 | Rimma Zhukova | URS | 9:22.3 | Kirov | URS | outdoor - natural | 17 Mar 1950 | |
| 7 | Tatyana Karelina | URS | 9:10.7 | Medeo | URS | outdoor - natural | 12 Feb 1951 | |
| 8 | Rimma Zhukova | URS | 9:01.6 | Medeo | URS | outdoor - natural | 24 Jan 1953 | |
| 9 | Andrea Schöne-Mitscherlich | GDR | 7:40.97 | Heerenveen | NED | outdoor - artificial | 23 Jan 1983 | |
| 10 | Gabi Schönbrunn | GDR | 7:39.44 | Medeo | URS | outdoor - artificial | 15 Jan 1984 | |
| 11 | Andrea Schöne-Mitscherlich | GDR | 7:34.52 | Medeo | URS | outdoor - artificial | 24 Mar 1984 | |
| 12 | Andrea Schöne-Mitscherlich | GDR | 7:32.82 | Sarajevo | YUG | outdoor - artificial | 10 Feb 1985 | |
| 13 | Andrea Ehrig-Mitscherlich | GDR | 7:31.45 | Geithus | SWE | outdoor - natural | 12 Jan 1986 | |
| 14 | Andrea Ehrig-Mitscherlich | GDR | 7:20.99 | Medeo | URS | outdoor - artificial | 22 Mar 1986 | |
| 15 | Yvonne van Gennip | NED | 7:20.36 | Heerenveen | NED | indoor - artificial | 20 Mar 1987 | |
| 16 | Yvonne van Gennip | NED | 7:14.13 | Calgary | CAN | indoor - artificial | 28 Feb 1988 | |
| 17 | Gunda Niemann | GER | 7:13.29 | Hamar | NOR | indoor - artificial | 6 Dec 1993 | |
| 18 | Gunda Niemann | GER | 7:03.26 | Calgary | CAN | indoor - artificial | 26 Mar 1994 | |
| 19 | Claudia Pechstein | GER | 6:59.61 | * | Nagano | JPN | indoor - artificial | 20 Feb 1998 |
| 20 | Gunda Niemann-Stirnemann | GER | 6:58.63 | * | Calgary | CAN | indoor - artificial | 28 Mar 1998 |
| 21 | Gunda Niemann-Stirnemann | GER | 6:57.24 | * | Hamar | NOR | indoor - artificial | 7 Feb 1999 |
| 22 | Gunda Niemann-Stirnemann | GER | 6:56.84 | * | Hamar | NOR | indoor - artificial | 16 Jan 2000 |
| 23 | Gunda Niemann-Stirnemann | GER | 6:55.34 | * | Heerenveen | NED | indoor - artificial | 25 Nov 2000 |
| 24 | Gunda Niemann-Stirnemann | GER | 6:52.44 | * | Salt Lake City | USA | indoor - artificial | 10 Mar 2001 |
| 25 | Claudia Pechstein | GER | 6:46.91 | * | Salt Lake City | USA | indoor - artificial | 23 Feb 2002 |
| 26 | Martina Sáblíková | CZE | 6:45.61 | * | Salt Lake City | USA | indoor - artificial | 11 Mar 2007 |
| 27 | Martina Sáblíková | CZE | 6:42.66 | * | Salt Lake City | USA | indoor - artificial | 18 Feb 2011 |
| 28 | Martina Sáblíková | CZE | 6:42.01 | * | Calgary | CAN | indoor - artificial | 3 Mar 2019 |
| 29 | Natalya Voronina | RUS | 6:39.02 | * | Salt Lake City | USA | indoor - artificial | 15 Feb 2020 |
| * | = record skated on klap skates | |||||||
