The 100 longest rivers in the world

The 100 longest rivers on Earth, each measured as a river system from its farthest source to its mouth, with length in kilometres and miles and the countries in its basin. From Wikipedia's list of river systems by length.

Key facts

Longest: Nile at 6,650 km (4,132 mi), then Amazon River (6,400 km) and Yangtze River (6,300 km).
Most rivers on the list: Russia, with 26. A river counts for every country in its basin.
Number 100 is Sangha at 1,459 km.

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100 rows

The 100 longest rivers in the world. Select a column heading to sort.

1	Nile	6,650	4,132	Ethiopia, Eritrea, Sudan, Uganda, Tanzania, Kenya, Rwanda, Burundi, Egypt, Congo - Kinshasa, South Sudan	Nile–White Nile–Kagera–Nyabarongo–Mwogo–Rukarara
2	Amazon River	6,400	3,977	Brazil, Peru, Colombia	Amazon–Ucayali–Tambo–Ene–Mantaro
3	Yangtze River	6,300	3,915	China	Yangtze–Jinsha–Tongtian–Dangqu
4	Mississippi River	6,275	3,899	United States, Canada	Mississippi–Missouri–Jefferson–Beaverhead–Red Rock–Hell Roaring
5	Yenisei	5,539	3,442	Russia, Mongolia	Yenisey–Angara–Selenga–Ider
6	Yellow River	5,464	3,395	China	—
7	Ob	5,410	3,362	Kazakhstan, Russia, China, Mongolia	Ob–Irtysh
8	Río de la Plata	4,880	3,032	Argentina, Paraguay, Uruguay, Brazil, Bolivia	Río de la Plata–Paraná–Rio Grande
9	Congo River	4,700	2,920	Central African Republic, Angola, Congo - Brazzaville, Tanzania, Cameroon, Zambia, Burundi, Rwanda, Congo - Kinshasa	Congo–Lualaba-Luvua-Luapula-Chambeshi
10	Amur River	4,444	2,761	Russia, China, Mongolia	Amur–Argun
11	Lena River	4,400	2,734	Russia	—
12	Mekong River	4,350	2,703	Myanmar (Burma), Laos, Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, China	—
13	Mackenzie River	4,241	2,635	Canada	Mackenzie–Slave–Peace–Finlay
14	Niger River	4,200	2,610	Nigeria, Mali, Niger, Algeria, Guinea, Cameroon, Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, Benin, Chad	—
15	Brahmaputra River	3,969	2,466	India, Bangladesh, Bhutan, China	Brahmaputra–Yarlung Tsangpo
16	Murray River	3,672	2,282	Australia	Murray–Darling–Culgoa–Balonne–Condamine
17	Tocantins River	3,650	2,268	Brazil	Tocantins–Araguaia
18	Volga	3,645	2,265	Russia	—
19	Shatt al-Arab	3,596	2,234	Iraq, Türkiye, Syria, Iran	Shatt al-Arab–Euphrates–Murat
20	Madeira River	3,380	2,100	Brazil, Bolivia, Peru	Madeira–Mamoré–Grande–Caine–Rocha
21	Purus River	3,211	1,995	Brazil, Peru	—
22	Yukon River	3,185	1,979	United States, Canada	—
23	Indus River	3,180	1,976	Pakistan, India, China	Indus–Sênggê Zangbo
23	São Francisco River	3,180	1,976	Brazil	—
25	Syr Darya	3,078	1,913	Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kazakhstan	Syr Darya–Naryn
26	Salween River	3,060	1,901	China, Myanmar (Burma), Thailand	—
27	St. Lawrence River	3,058	1,900	Canada, United States	Saint Lawrence–Niagara–Detroit–Saint Clair–Saint Marys–Saint Louis–North
28	Rio Grande	3,057	1,900	Mexico, United States	—
29	Nizhnyaya Tunguska	2,989	1,857	Russia	—
30	Colorado River	2,945	1,830	United States, Mexico	Colorado-Green
31	Danube	2,888	1,795	Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Bulgaria, Croatia, Ukraine, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Moldova, Montenegro, Czechia, Switzerland, Slovenia, Hungary, Austria, Germany, Italy	Danube–Breg
32	Irrawaddy River	2,809	1,745	China, Myanmar (Burma)	Irrawaddy River–N'Mai River–Dulong River–Kelaoluo–Gada Qu
33	Zambezi River	2,740	1,703	Zambia, Angola, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Malawi, Tanzania, Namibia, Botswana	—
34	Vilyuy	2,720	1,690	Russia	—
35	Padma River	2,704	1,680	India, Bangladesh, China, Nepal	Padma-Ganges-Alaknanda
36	Amu Darya	2,620	1,628	Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, Afghanistan	Amu Darya–Panj
37	Japurá River	2,615	1,625	Brazil, Colombia	—
38	Nelson River	2,570	1,597	Canada, United States	Nelson–Saskatchewan–South Saskatchewan–Bow
39	Paraguay River	2,549	1,584	Brazil, Paraguay, Bolivia, Argentina	—
40	Kolyma	2,513	1,562	Russia	—
41	Pilcomayo River	2,500	1,553	Paraguay, Argentina, Bolivia	—
42	Ishim	2,450	1,522	Kazakhstan, Russia	—
43	Orange River	2,432	1,511	South Africa, Namibia, Botswana, Lesotho	—
44	Ural	2,428	1,509	Russia, Kazakhstan	—
45	Juruá River	2,410	1,498	Peru, Brazil	—
46	Arkansas River	2,348	1,459	United States	—
47	Songhua River	2,309	1,435	China	—
48	Olenyok	2,292	1,424	Russia	—
49	Dnieper	2,287	1,421	Ukraine, Belarus, Russia	—
50	Aldan	2,273	1,412	Russia	—
51	Ubangi River	2,270	1,411	Congo - Kinshasa, Central African Republic, Congo - Brazzaville	Ubangi–Uele
52	Rio Negro	2,250	1,398	Brazil, Venezuela, Colombia	—
52	Columbia River	2,250	1,398	Canada, United States	Columbia-Snake
54	Tapajós River	2,210	1,373	Brazil	Tapajós-Teles Pires
55	Pearl River	2,200	1,367	Vietnam, China	Pearl–Xi-Xun-Qian-Hongshui-Nanpan
56	Red River	2,188	1,360	United States	—
57	Kasai River	2,153	1,338	Angola, Congo - Kinshasa	—
58	Ohio River	2,102	1,306	United States	Ohio–Allegheny
59	Orinoco River	2,101	1,306	Venezuela, Colombia, Guyana	—
60	Tarim River	2,100	1,305	China	—
60	Xingu River	2,100	1,305	Brazil	—
62	Jubba River	2,064	1,283	Ethiopia, Somalia	Jubba–Shebelle
63	Brazos River	2,060	1,280	United States	Brazos-Double Mountain Fork-North Fork-Blackwater Draw
64	Salado River	2,010	1,249	Argentina	—
65	Putumayo River	2,005	1,246	Brazil, Peru, Colombia, Ecuador	—
66	Vitim	1,978	1,229	Russia	—
67	Chenab River	1,974	1,227	India, Pakistan	—
68	Tigris	1,950	1,212	Türkiye, Iraq, Syria, Iran	—
69	Don	1,870	1,162	Russia, Ukraine	—
70	Podkamennaya Tunguska	1,865	1,159	Russia	—
71	Pechora	1,809	1,124	Russia	—
72	Kama	1,805	1,122	Russia	—
73	Limpopo River	1,800	1,118	Mozambique, Zimbabwe, South Africa, Botswana	—
74	Chulym	1,799	1,118	Russia	—
75	Guaviare River	1,760	1,094	Colombia	—
76	Marañón River	1,737	1,079	Peru	—
77	Indigirka	1,726	1,072	Russia	—
78	Platte River	1,690	1,050	United States	—
79	Senegal River	1,641	1,020	Guinea, Senegal, Mali, Mauritania	—
80	Khatanga	1,636	1,017	Russia	Khatanga–Kotuy
81	Uruguay River	1,610	1,000	Uruguay, Argentina, Brazil	—
82	Churchill River	1,609	1,000	Canada	—
83	Blue Nile	1,600	994	Ethiopia, Sudan	—
83	Okavango River	1,600	994	Namibia, Angola, Botswana	—
83	Volta River	1,600	994	Ghana, Burkina Faso, Togo, Côte d’Ivoire, Benin	—
86	Beni River	1,599	994	Bolivia	—
87	Shilka	1,592	989	Russia, Mongolia	Shilka-Onon
88	Tobol	1,591	989	Kazakhstan, Russia	—
89	Alazeya	1,590	988	Russia	—
90	Kafue River	1,576	979	Zambia, Congo - Kinshasa	—
91	Yalong River	1,571	976	China	—
92	Magdalena River	1,550	963	Colombia	—
93	Han River	1,532	952	China	—
94	Kura River	1,515	941	Georgia, Azerbaijan, Türkiye	—
95	Oka	1,500	932	Russia	—
96	Yana	1,492	927	Russia	Yana-Sartang
97	Pecos River	1,490	926	United States	—
98	Murrumbidgee River	1,485	923	Australia	—
99	Godavari River	1,465	910	India	—
100	Sangha	1,459	907	Cameroon, Congo - Brazzaville, Central African Republic	Sangha-Ngoko-Dja

Source: Wikipedia: List of river systems by length · Licence: CC BY-SA 4.0 · Data as of November 2026 · Collected 2026-11-09

About this ranking

A river's length depends on where its source and mouth are placed and on the scale of the map, so sources differ by hundreds of kilometres. The Nile and the Amazon swap first place depending on how the Amazon's mouth and the Nile's farthest headwater are drawn. This table uses the figures in Wikipedia's list, which measures each river system from its most distant source: the Mississippi is counted with the Missouri, the Ob with the Irtysh.

Lengths, basins and river systems come from the English Wikipedia list (CC BY-SA 4.0); names in each language come from Wikidata (CC0). A river listed twice, as a whole system and as an upper course, keeps only its longer entry.

FAQ

What is the longest river in the world?

Nile, at 6,650 km (4,132 mi), by the figures used here. Amazon River is close behind at 6,400 km, and some surveys put it first: a river's length depends on where its source and mouth are drawn.

Why do river lengths differ between sources?

Rivers wind, split into channels and change course, and sources disagree on which headwater and which mouth to measure from. Map scale matters too: a more detailed map follows more bends and gives a longer river.

Which country has the most long rivers?

Russia: 26 of the 100 rivers on this list have part of their basin there.

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