The following table shows the world record progression in the men's and women's indoor 60 metres, as recognised by the IAAF. The IAAF have officially ratified world indoor records since 1 January 1987; previous to this, they were regarded as world indoor bests.
Men
Pre-IAAF
| Time | Athlete | Date | Place | 
| Pre-IAAF ratified bests (prior to 1966) | 
| 6.6 | .svg.png) Jesse Owens (USA) | 23 February 1935 | New York City, United States | 
| .svg.png) Ben Johnson (USA) | 23 February 1935 | 
| 26 February 1938 | 
| .svg.png) Herbert Thompson (USA) | 25 February 1939 | 
| .svg.png) Barney Ewell (USA) | 1942 | 
World record progression: 1966–present
|  | Ratified | 
|  | Not ratified | 
|  | Ratified but later rescinded | 
|  | Pending ratification | 
| Time | Athlete | Date | Place | 
| IAAF ratified bests (1966–1986) | 
| 6.6 |  Barrie Kelly (GBR) | 27 March 1966 | Westfalenhalle, West Germany | 
| 6.6 [a] |  Barrie Kelly (GBR) | 27 March 1966 | Westfalenhalle, West Germany | 
| 6.6 |  Heinz Erbstößer (GDR) | 27 March 1966 | Westfalenhalle, West Germany | 
| 6.6 |  Viktor Kassatkin (URS) | 27 March 1966 | Westfalenhalle, West Germany | 
| 6.6 |  Valeriy Borzov (URS) | 14 March 1970 | Vienna, Austria | 
| 6.6 |  Valeriy Borzov (URS) | 13 March 1971 | Sofia, Bulgaria | 
| 6.68 |  Hans-Joachim Zenk (GDR) | 24 February 1973 | Senftenberg, East Germany | 
| 6.62 |  Manfred Kokot (GDR) | 24 February 1973 | Senftenberg, East Germany | 
| 6.52 | .svg.png) Zenon Nowosz (POL) | 25 February 1973 | Zabrze, Poland | 
| IAAF ratified records (1987–present) | 
| 6.50 | .svg.png) Ben Johnson (CAN) [b] | 15 January 1986 | Osaka, Japan | 
| 6.44 | .svg.png) Ben Johnson (CAN) | 15 January 1986 | Osaka, Japan | 
| 6.52  [c] |  Marian Woronin (POL) | 21 February 1987 | Liévin, France | 
| 6.51 |  Marian Woronin (POL) | 21 February 1987 | Liévin, France | 
| 6.41 | .svg.png) Ben Johnson (CAN) | 7 March 1987 | Indianapolis, United States | 
| 6.50 |  Lee McRae (USA) | 7 March 1987 | Indianapolis, United States | 
| 6.48 |  Leroy Burrell (USA) | 13 February 1991 | Madrid, Spain | 
| 6.45 |  Andre Cason (USA) | 29 January 1992 | Ghent, Belgium | 
| 6.41 |  Andre Cason (USA) | 14 February 1992 | Madrid, Spain | 
| 6.41 |  Maurice Greene (USA) | 1 February 1998 | Stuttgart, Germany | 
| 6.39 |  Maurice Greene (USA) | 3 February 1998 | Madrid, Spain | 
| 6.39 |  Maurice Greene (USA) | 3 March 2001 | Atlanta, United States | 
| 6.37 [d] |  Christian Coleman (USA) | 20 January 2018 | Clemson, United States[1] | 
| 6.34 |  Christian Coleman (USA) | 18 February 2018 | Albuquerque, United States | 
Women
The existing world indoor best, Nelli Cooman's 7.00 set in 1986, was deemed to be the inaugural world indoor record.[2]
World bests
World bests 60 metres 1966–86
| Athlete (Nation) | Time in s | Location | Date | Ref. | 
|  Margit Nemesházi (HUN) | 7.2 h | Westfalenhalle, West Germany | 27 March 1966 |  | 
|  Annegret Richter (FRG) | 7.2 | Rotterdam, Netherlands | 11 March 1973 |  | 
|  Annegret Richter (FRG) | 7.2[e] | Rotterdam, Netherlands | 11 March 1973 |  | 
|  Petra Kandarr (GDR) | 7.2[e] | Rotterdam, Netherlands | 11 March 1973 |  | 
| .svg.png) Irena Szewinska (POL) | 7.24 | Gothenburg, Sweden | 10 March 1974 |  | 
|  Mona-Lisa Pursiainen (FIN) | 7.22 | Gothenburg, Sweden | 10 March 1974 |  | 
|  Renate Stecher (GDR) | 7.16 | Gothenburg, Sweden | 10 March 1974 |  | 
|  Marlies Göhr (GDR) | 7.12 | Milan, Italy | 12 March 1978 |  | 
|  Marlies Göhr (GDR) | 7.12 | Berlin, East Germany | 12 January 1980 |  | 
|  Marlies Göhr (GDR) | 7.10 | Senftenberg, East Germany | 26 January 1980 |  | 
|  Marita Koch (GDR) | 7.10 | Senftenberg, East Germany | 14 February 1981 |  | 
|  Marita Koch (GDR) | 7.08 | Senftenberg, East Germany | 29 January 1983 |  | 
|  Marita Koch (GDR) | 7.04 | Senftenberg, East Germany | 16 February 1985 |  | 
World records
Notes
- ^ Kelly ran 6.6 in his semi-final at the European Indoor Games, and again in the final with Erbstößer and Kassatkin; the photofinish gave Kelly first, Erbstößer second and Kassatkin third, with each man being credited as having equalled the world record.
- ^ This time, along with his  6.44 on the same day and 6.41 in 1987, was rescinded in September 1989 after Johnson admitted to steroid use between 1981 and 1988.
- ^ Woronin's performances were not regarded as world indoor bests / records since Ben Johnson had run 6.50 and 6.44 in January 1986. Johnson ran ten times in the 6.41-6.50 range between 1986 and 1988, but all of these were rescinded after his admission to steroid use.
- ^ Time rejected as a record since starting blocks were not wired, and drug testing was not done immediately after the race.
- ^ a b Richter ran 7.27 in the final at the European Indoor Championships, with Kandarr second in 7.29; as these times were 7.2 to the tenth of a second, each woman was credited as having equalled the world record.
References
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| European | 
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