The following table shows the European record progression in the men's 400 metres, as ratified by the EAA[1] [2]
| Time | Athlete | Nationality | Venue | Date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 47.8* | Beauchamp Day | Perth, Australia | April 1, 1907 | ||
| 47.6 | Eric Liddell | Paris, France | July 12, 1924 | ||
| 46.7 | Godfrey Brown | Berlin, Germany | August 7, 1936 | ||
| 46.0 | Rudolf Harbig |  Germany | Frankfurt, Germany | August 12, 1939 | |
| 46.0 | Ardalion Ignatyev | Moscow, Russia | June 25, 1955 | ||
| 45.8 | Carl Kaufmann | Cologne, Germany | September 19, 1959 | ||
| 45.7 | Carl Kaufmann | Cologne, Germany | June 15, 1960 | ||
| 45.4 | Carl Kaufmann | Berlin, Germany | July 24, 1960 | ||
| 44.9 | Carl Kaufmann | Germany | Rome, Italy | September 6, 1960 | |
| 44.9 | Martin Jellinghaus | Germany | Mexico City, Mexico | October 17, 1968 | |
| 44.7 | Karl Honz | Munich, Germany | July 21, 1972 |
* Performance timed over 440 yards
| Time | Athlete | Nationality | Venue | Date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 44.70 | Karl Honz | Munich, Germany | July 21, 1972 | ||
| 44.60 | Viktor Markin | Moscow, Russia | July 30, 1980 | ||
| 44.50 | Erwin Skamrahl | Munich, Germany | July 26, 1983 | ||
| 44.48 | Thomas Schönlebe | Potsdam, Germany | August 21, 1987 | ||
| 44.33 | Thomas Schönlebe | Rome, Italy | September 3, 1987 | ||
| 44.26 | Matt Hudson-Smith | Budapest, Hungary | August 22, 2023 |