Mapped: The 15 Longest Rivers in the World
Update: 2025-11-09
Description
Ranked: The 15 Longest Rivers in the World
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Key Takeaways
- Experts disagree on the length of the Amazon—some measurements put it at 4,345 miles (6,992 km), narrowly edging out the Nile.
- China’s Yangtze is the longest river (3,915 miles / 6,300 km) to flow entirely within a single country.
From the heart of early civilization to modern hydroelectric power, the world’s great rivers have long shaped economies and cultures.
Today’s infographic sizes up the 15 longest rivers on Earth, showing how far—and through how many countries—each system flows.
The data for this visualization comes from Encyclopedia Britannica, which lists river lengths in both miles and kilometers.
The Nile vs. the Amazon: A Fluid Rivalry
For decades the Nile, stretching 4,132 miles (6,650 km) from the Ugandan highlands to Egypt’s Mediterranean delta, has worn the crown of “world’s longest river.”
| Rank | River | Countries | Length (miles) | Length (km) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nile |  Uganda, South Sudan, Sudan,  Egypt | 4,132 | 6,650 |
| 2 | Amazon–Ucayali–Apurímac |  Peru, Colombia, Brazil | 4,000 | 6,400 |
| 3 | Yangtze |  China | 3,915 | 6,300 |
| 4 | Mississippi–Missouri–Red Rock |  U.S. | 3,710 | 5,971 |
| 5 | Yenisey–Baikal–Selenga |  Mongolia, Russia | 3,442 | 5,540 |
| 6 | Huang He (Yellow) | China | 3,395 | 5,464 |
| 7 | Ob–Irtysh | China, Kazakhstan, Russia | 3,362 | 5,410 |
| 8 | Paraná | Brazil, Paraguay, Argentina | 3,032 | 4,880 |
| 9 | Congo |  DRC,  Republicof the Congo,  Angola | 2,900 | 4,700 |
| 10 | Amur–Argun | Mongolia, China, Russia | 2,761 | 4,444 |
| 11 | Lena | Russia | 2,734 | 4,400 |
| 12 | Mekong | China, Myanmar, Laos,  Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam | 2,700 | 4,350 |
| 13 |
