Which river has the greatest average water discharge in the world?

The Amazon River has the greatest average water discharge of any river in the world.

The Amazon carries an average discharge of about 209,000 cubic metres of water per second into the Atlantic Ocean. Its enormous flow comes from a huge drainage basin spanning much of northern South America, where heavy rainfall feeds thousands of tributaries.

The river’s basin covers about 7 million square kilometres, and the Amazon system passes through or borders several countries, including Brazil, Peru and Colombia. The main river is navigable far inland, allowing ocean-going vessels to reach parts of the interior.

The Nile is commonly described as the world’s longest river, although exact rankings depend on how headwaters are measured. Length and discharge are different measurements: the Amazon is the clear global leader in average flow. Seasonal flooding also changes the Amazon’s width and discharge dramatically across the year.