The following is a list of squads for each nation competing at the 2009 World Women's Handball Championship in the People's Republic of China. The tournament began 5 December, and its final was held in Nanjing on 20 December. Each nation had to submit an initial squad of 28 players, 12 of them became reserves when the final squad of 16 players was announced on 5 December. Appearances, goals and ages as of 5 December 2009.

Group A

Head coach: Morten Soubak

Head coach: Celestin Mpoua

The squad was announced on 19 November 2009. On 22 November 2009 Susanne Kastrup replaced Gitte Aaen in the squad. On 4 December 2009, Christina Krogshede replaced Lærke Møller in the squad due to a cruciate ligament injury. Head coach: Jan Pytlick

Head coach: 🇫🇷 Olivier Krumbholz (FRA)

Head coach: 🇩🇪 Rainer Osmann (GER)

Head coach: 🇸🇪 Per Johansson (SWE)

Group B

Head coach: Paulo Jorge de Moura Pereira

Head coach: 🇯🇵 Katsuhiko Kinoshita (JPN)

Head coach: 🇩🇪 Herbert Müller (GER)

Head coach: 🇷🇺 Yevgeni Trefilov (RUS)

Head coach: Klaus Bøge

Head coach: 🇺🇦 Leonid Yevtushenko (UKR)

Group C

Head coach: 🇦🇷 Alejandro Gutiérrez (ARG)

Head coach: 🇭🇺 Eszter Mátéfi (HUN)

Head coach: 🇰🇷 Hwang Kyung-Young (KOR)

Head coach: 🇮🇸 Thorir Hergeirsson (ISL)

Head coach: 🇷🇴 Radu Voina (ROU)

Head coach: 🇹🇳 Fathi Cherif (TUN)

Group D

Head coach: 🇦🇷 Daniel Marcos Zeballos (ARG)

Head coach: 🇨🇳 Wang Xindong (CHN)

Head coach: 🇫🇷 Thierry Vincent (FRA)

Head coach: 🇰🇿 Lev Yaniev (KAZ)

Head coach: 🇰🇷 Lee Jae-Young (KOR)

Head coach: 🇪🇸 Jorge Dueñas (ESP)