What is the largest river in the world by discharge?

The largest river in the world by discharge is the Amazon River. It carries more water into the ocean than any other river, averaging roughly 209,000 cubic metres per second near its mouth, although the exact figure varies with season and measurement point.

The Amazon drains an enormous basin of about 7 million square kilometres across South America. Most of that basin lies in Brazil, but it also extends into countries including Peru, Bolivia, Colombia and Ecuador. Heavy rainfall in the equatorial region and the contributions of major tributaries such as the Rio Negro and Madeira give the river its extraordinary flow.

“Largest river” can mean different things. By water discharge and drainage-basin area, the Amazon is the clear leader. The Nile is commonly described as the world’s longest river, although length comparisons depend on which headwater is counted and how the river is measured.

The Congo River has the second-largest discharge, while the Mississippi and Yangtze are among the world’s great rivers but carry substantially less water. The Amazon’s huge flow also creates a freshwater plume extending far into the Atlantic Ocean.