Which river carries the greatest volume of water of any river on Earth?

The Amazon River carries the greatest volume of water of any river on Earth.

Its average discharge into the Atlantic Ocean is about 209,000 cubic metres per second, though the amount changes considerably between wet and dry seasons. The river and its tributaries drain an enormous basin extending across much of northern South America.

The Amazon begins in the Andes and flows eastward across Peru, Colombia, and Brazil before reaching the Atlantic. Its main channel is joined by thousands of tributaries, including major rivers such as the Madeira, Negro, and Japurá.

The Amazon is often called the world’s longest river, but that ranking is debated because measurements depend on which headwater is treated as the source. Its record for discharge, however, is widely accepted and is distinct from questions about length.