What is the Longest River in the World? A list of the Lengths of the World’s Rivers

Introduction

​​Measuring the length of a river​​ is determined by the location of its source, the position of its estuary, the data sources used for measurement, and the length measurement techniques employed. There is no universally accepted standard for the source and length data of the world’s major rivers, making length rankings consistently controversial. Based on widely recognized data on the lengths of the world’s major rivers, this article compiles a list of the ​​top ten longest rivers​​, including the Nile, Amazon, Yangtze, Mississippi, Yenisei, Yellow River, and others, to help you understand which rivers are the longest in the world.

Top 10 Largest Rivers in the World

1. Nile River – 6671 km – Africa
2. Amazon River – 6437 km – South America
3. Yangtze River – 6397 km – Asia
4. Mississippi-Missouri River – 6021 km – North America
5. Yenisei River – 5539 km – Asia
6. Yellow River – 5464 km – Asia
7. Ob-Irtysh River – 5410 km – Asia
8. Lancang-Mekong River – 4909 km – Asia
9. Congo River – 4640 km – Africa
10. Amur-Argun River – 4370 km – Asia

Top 10 Largest Rivers in the World – An Overview

1. Nile River – 6671 km – Africa

Where is the world’s longest river located? The Nile River is the longest river in the world, situated on the African continent. It originates from the Kagera River in the Great Lakes region, flows northward through northeastern Africa, crosses the Sahara Desert, and eventually empties into the Mediterranean Sea. The White Nile and Blue Nile are its two main tributaries, which converge at Khartoum, Sudan, forming the Nile proper. Measured from the furthest source of the Kagera River, the Nile stretches 6,671 km. It flows through Rwanda, Burundi, Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda, Democratic Republic of Congo, Sudan, Ethiopia, and Egypt. According to research by Chinese Academy of Sciences expert Liu Shaochuang, the Nile’s length is actually 7,088 km when including the Kagera River and Lake Victoria.

Address: Africa

2. Amazon River – 6437 km – South America

The Amazon River is located in northern South America and is the river with the world’s largest drainage area, highest water discharge, and most tributaries. It originates from the Mismi Snow Mountain in the Andes Mountains of Peru and empties into the Atlantic Ocean at the border between Brazil’s Amapá and Pará states near the equator. The river flows through Peru, Colombia, and Brazil. The total length of the Amazon River has been controversial, but the internationally accepted length is 6,437 km, measured from the Ucayali River source. Other estimates include 6,480 km, 6,448 km, and 6,575 km measured by researcher Liu Shaochuang from the Chinese Academy of Sciences.

Address: South America

3. Yangtze River – 6397 km – Asia

While the ranking of the world’s longest rivers is debatable, the Yangtze River, Asia’s longest river at 6,397 km, undoubtedly ranks as the world’s third longest river. It originates from the southwestern side of the Geladaindong Peak in the Tanggula Mountains of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, known as the “Roof of the World,” and is considered the mother river of the Chinese nation. The main stream flows through 11 provincial-level regions and empties into the East Sea east of Chongming Island. Different sources report varying lengths: 6,397 km on Anhui Provincial Government’s website, over 6,300 km on the Yangtze River Water Resources Commission website, and 6,236 km measured by researcher Liu Shaochuang’s team. This ranking uses the longer measurement of 6,397 km.

Address: 11 provinces including Qinghai, Sichuan, Tibet, Chongqing, Hubei, Hunan, Jiangxi, Anhui, Jiangsu, and Shanghai

4. Mississippi-Missouri River – 6021 km – North America

The Mississippi River is the largest river in the United States and the longest in North America. Its longest tributary, the Missouri River, originates from Red Rock Lake and spans 3,767 km. When measured from the Missouri River’s source, the combined system stretches 6,021 km, ranking fourth longest in the world. As America’s mother river, it forms a natural boundary in the Midwest, flows through the central North American plains, and empties into the Gulf of Mexico. With numerous tributaries, Americans respectfully call it “Old Man River.” Together with the Nile, Amazon, and Yangtze, it forms the world’s four major long rivers, featuring the largest drainage system in North America with numerous lakes and marshes along its banks.

Address: North America

5. Yenisei River – 5539 km – Asia

The Yenisei River in northern Asia forms the boundary between the West Siberian Plain and the Central Siberian Plateau. It is the largest river flowing into the Arctic Ocean, measuring 5,539 km from the Selenga-Angara source. It has the highest water volume and hydropower potential among Russian rivers. The Little Yenisey is 4,102 km long from its source, while the Great Yenisey measures 4,092 km. The river system includes over 2,000 tributaries with a total length of about 250,000 km, averaging 0.15-0.16 km of rivers per square kilometer in the basin. Eleven of its tributaries exceed 500 km in length.

Address: North Asia

6. Yellow River – 5464 km – Asia

China’s other mother river, the Yellow River, is another of the world’s major rivers unique to China. It is China’s second longest river after the Yangtze and the world’s sixth longest. Located in northern China, it originates from the Zhaqu of the Bayan Har Mountains in Qinghai’s Tibetan Plateau, forming a distinctive “几” shape. It flows eastward through nine provincial-level regions before emptying into the Bohai Sea. The main stem is 5,464 km long with a drainage area of 795,000 square kilometers.

Address: Northern China

7. Ob-Irtysh River – 5410 km – Asia

The Ob River, one of the world’s famous long rivers in western Siberia, measures 3,650 km from its sources in the Altai Mountains (the Biya and Katun rivers), with a drainage area of 2.97 million square kilometers. When measured from the Irtysh River source in China, the Irtysh-Ob system stretches 5,410 km, making it Russia’s longest river. The river basin serves as the main transportation channel in Western Siberia, with abundant water resources supporting navigation for about 190 days annually in the upper reaches and 150 days in the lower reaches. Many goods are transported via the Northern Sea Route through the Arctic Ocean.

Address: Western Siberia

8. Lancang-Mekong River – 4909 km – Asia

The Lancang-Mekong River originates from the northeastern slope of China’s Tanggula Mountains. The upper section in China is called the Lancang River, while the lower section in the Indochina Peninsula is called the Mekong River. The combined system stretches 4,909 km, making it Asia’s most important transnational water system flowing through China, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia, and Vietnam before emptying into the South China Sea near Ho Chi Minh City. Significant seasonal flow variations, rapids, and waterfalls limit its navigation capacity, with only the lower 550 km being navigable.

Address: East Asia, Southeast Asia, Indochina Peninsula

9. Congo River – 4640 km – Africa

Also known as the Zaire River, the Congo River in central-western Africa has an average depth of 200 meters, making it the world’s deepest river. It originates from the Chambeshi River in the East African Rift highlands of Zambia, stretching 4,640 km to rank as Africa’s second longest river after the Nile. With a drainage area of 4.01 million square kilometers, it is the world’s second largest river by discharge after the Amazon, averaging over 40,000 cubic meters per second and reaching a historical maximum of 81,000 cubic meters per second.

Address: Central-Western Africa

10. Amur-Argun River – 4370 km – Asia

The Amur River is a major Asian river flowing through Mongolia, China, and Russia in northeastern Asia. It has two sources: the northern source is the Shilka River originating from the eastern foothills of Mongolia’s Khentii Mountains, flowing through Russia; the southern source is the Argun River from China’s Greater Khingan Range, forming the China-Russia border. Measured from the Argun source, it is 4,440 km long (or 4,370 km by some accounts). Upstream of the Argun are two major tributaries, the Kerulen and Hailar rivers. When measured from the Kerulen River source, research by Liu Shaochuang’s team confirmed a total length of 5,498 km.

Address: Asia