To June 21, 2009, the IAAF has ratified 27 world records in the event. Their 2009 record progression list, however, lists 26 records.

World Record Progression of 400 Metres ; 49.75, Irena SZEWIŃSKA ; 49.77, Christina BREHMER ; 50.14, Riitta SALIN ; 49.9h, Irena SZEWIŃSKA ...

Since then, the world record has been broken twenty-three times: six times in the 1970s, six times in the 1980s, two times in the 1990s, one time in the 2000s, ...

400m ; 49.19, Marita Koch, GDR ; 49.28, Irena Szewinska, POL ; 49.75, Irena Szewinska, POL ; 49.77, Christina Lathan, GDR ...

World Record Progression of 400 Metres Short Track ; 49.26, Femke BOL, 23 FEB 2000. NED. Omnisport, Apeldoorn (NED) ; 49.59, Jarmila KRATOCHVÍLOVÁ, 26 JAN 1951.