| 1981 Badminton World Cup | |
| Dates: | 7 October – 11 October 1981 |
| Number Edition: | 3rd |
| Prize Money: | 118,000 |
| Venue: | Stadium Negara |
| Location: | Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia |
| Previous: | 1980 Kyoto |
| Next: | 1982 Kuala Lumpur |
The 1981 Badminton World Cup was the third edition of an international tournament Badminton World Cup. The event was held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia from 7 October to 11 October 1981. Competitions for doubles were not conducted. India won men's singles event while China won women's singles event.
| Men's singles |  Prakash Padukone |  Han Jian | Chen Changjie | |
| Women's singles | Chen Ruizhen | Li Lingwei | Ivana Lie |