| P | Athlete | Nation | Points | Results | By 1985 |
| 1 | Joachim Kirst | GDR | 8196 CR |
11,02 - 7.68 - 16.59 - 2.13 - 48,97 - 16,12 - 47.21 - 4.20 - 65.51 - 4.44,7 |
8188 |
| 2 | Lennart Hedmark | SWE | 8038 NR |
11,28 - 7.51 - 15.37 - 1.89 - 49,09 - 14,78 - 45.37 - 4.20 - 73.79 - 4.41,0 |
8054 |
| 3 | Hans-Joachim Walde | FRG | 7949 | 11,17 - 7.41 - 15.33 - 1.95 - 49,32 - 15,17 - 43.57 - 4.30 - 66.47 - 4.41,2 |
7927 |
| 4 | Heinz-Ulrich Schulze | FRG | 7886 v |
10,98 - 7.11 - 14.53 - 1.89 - 48,64 - 14,97 - 42.80 - 4.30 - 63.93 - 4.34,1 |
7841 |
| 5 | Josef Zeilbauer | AUT | 7842 | 10,96 - 7.38 - 13.49 - 2.04 - 48,79 - 15,06 - 39.70 - 4.00 - 58.95 - 4.27,5 |
7783 |
| 6 | Peter Gabbett | GBR | 7755 | 10,85 - 7.26 - 12.81 - 1.83 - 47,18 - 15,45 - 41.81 - 4.30 - 58.68 - 4.29,7 |
7692 |
| 7 | Leonid Litvinenko | URS | 7705 v |
11,34 - 7.02 - 13.50 - 1.89 - 49,49 - 15,10 - 42.82 - 4.10 - 63.27 - 4.19,6 |
7650 |
| 8 | Boris Ivanov | URS | 7599 v |
11,28 - 6.92 - 14.15 - 1.92 - 50,63 - 15,21 - 43.94 - 4.30 - 66.59 - 4.53,6 |
7554 |
| 9 | Herbert Wessel | GDR | 7585 v |
11,17 - 7.12 - 14.70 - 1.86 - 49,76 - 15,46 - 44.52 - 4.60 - 55.70 - 4.57,8 |
7528 |
| 10 | József Bakai | HUN | 7570 | 11,22 - 6.96 - 15.28 - 1.83 - 51,66 - 16,56 - 49.46 - 4.40 - 66.83 - 4.52,7 |
7520 |
| 11 | Edward de Noorlander | NED | 7562 | 11,39 - 6.94 - 13.99 - 2.01 - 50,48 - 15,03 - 40.87 - 4.20 - 49.28 - 4.23,2 |
7478 |
| 12 | Tadeusz Janczenko | POL | 7521 v |
10,96 - 7.54 - 13.65 - 1.98 - 50,15 - 16,61 - 42.61 - 4.40 - 55.41 - 5.03,2 |
7440 |
| 13 | Yves Leroy | FRA | 7455 | 11,12 - 7.37 - 13.19 - 1.89 - 51,15 - 15,58 - 43.69 - 4.30 - 59.14 - 4.59,3 |
7395 |
| 14 | Ryszard Katus | POL | 7416 | 11,17 - 7.06 - 12.98 - 1.86 - 50,83 - 14,52 - 40.20 - 4.30 - 55.59 - 4.48,2 |
7354 |
| 15 | Roger Lespagnard | BEL | 7406 | 11,54 - 6.81 - 12.90 - 2.04 - 50,30 - 15,86 - 38.72 - 4.50 - 51.36 - 4.28,2 |
7328 |
| 16 | Vasile Bogdan | ROU | 7375 | 11,40 - 6.94 - 12.75 - 1.86 - 50,20 - 15,79 - 37.41 - 4.40 - 63.42 - 4.33,9 |
7317 |
| 17 | Freddy Herbrand | BEL | 7326 | 11,04 - 7.45 - 12.85 - 1.98 - 50,43 - 14,77 - 40.14 - 4.20 - 46.23 - 5.13,4 |
7248 |
| 18 | Hannu Kyösola | FIN | 7321 | 11,26 - 7.34 - 13.73 - 1.75 - 50,02 - 15,85 - 39.26 - 3.60 - 66.96 - 4.34,0 |
7282 |
| 19 | Frank Nusse | NED | 7312 | 11,42 - 6.76 - 11.73 - 1.86 - 49,67 - 15,14 - 36.17 - 4.50 - 50.53 - 4.16,1 |
7238 |
| 20 | Regis Ghesquiere | BEL | 7159 | 11,75 - 6.86 - 13.64 - 1.86 - 50,25 - 15,97 - 39.87 - 3.50 - 55.85 - 4.16,3 |
7062 |
| 21 | Per Ovesen | DEN | 7050 v |
11,46 - 7.04 - 13.52 - 1.86 - 50,81 - 16,25 - 37.42 - 4.00 - 51.98 - 4.44,1 |
6947 |
| 22 | Rafael Cano Sanz | ESP | 6735 v |
11,40 - 6.76 - 11.50 - 1.83 - 50,1 - 15,36 - 32.52 - 3.80 - 46.55 - 4.44,0 |
6640 |
CR - championship record
NR - national record
v - event with wind >2.0 m/s and <=4.0 m/s and wind average for 3 events <=2.0 m/s
By 1985 - points recalculated according to the 1985 scoring tables.
Didn’t finish:
Kurt Bendlin (FRG)
Historical note: Former world record-holder Kurt Bendlin arrived in Helsinki as the 1971 world leader with 8244 points. However, the West German decathlete withdrew after nine events, leaving the European title to Joachim Kirst, who successfully defended his 1969 crown.