The 1981 World Table Tennis Championships men's doubles was the 36th edition of the men's doubles championship. ^{[1] [2]} Li Zhenshi and Cai Zhenhua won the title after defeating Xie Saike and Guo Yuehua in the final by three sets to one.^[3]

^[2]

	Round of 16									Quarterfinals									Semifinals									Final
		Dragutin Šurbek Antun Stipancic	21	21	21
		Danny Seemiller Ricky Seemiller	12	9	9						Stipancic Šurbek	21	21	21
		Norio Takashima Hideo Gotoh	21	20	21	21	21				Takashima Gotoh	19	13	14
		Gábor Gergely Milan Orlowski	14	22	13	11	18													Stipancic Šurbek	21	14	15	13
		Andrzej Grubba Leszek Kucharski	21	21	22															Li Zhenshi Cai Zhenhua	13	21	21	21
		Sunday Eboh Francis Sule	17	17	20						Grubba Kucharski	12	17	25	19
		Peter Stellwag Jurgen Rebel	17	14	12						Li Zhenshi Cai Zhenhua	21	21	23	21
		Li Zhenshi Cai Zhenhua	21	21	21																								Li Zhenshi Cai Zhenhua	21	21	19	21
		Jacques Secrétin Patrick Birocheau	21	21	13	24																							Xi Saike Guo Yuehua	17	16	21	11
		Stefan Dryszel Andrzej Jakubowicz	9	12	21	22					Secrétin Birocheau	21	21	21
		Șerban Doboși Simion Crisan	18	16	21	11					Bengtsson Carlsson	15	14	19
		Stellan Bengtsson Ulf "Tickan" Carlsson	21	21	15	21														Secrétin Birocheau	10	21	18	21	8
		Xie Saike Guo Yuehua	21	21	21															Xi Saike Guo Yuehua	21	18	21	15	21
		Desmond Douglas Paul Day	11	15	17						Xi Saike Guo Yuehua	22	21	21	21
		Naoki Hayashi Hitoshi Kaihoko	16	21	21	20	21				Hayashi Kaihoko	24	11	7	18
		Tibor Klampár István Jónyer	21	19	18	22	19

List of World Table Tennis Championships medalists