List of rivers by discharge

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This is a list of rivers by their average discharge, that is their water flow. Here rivers with discharge more than 2000 cubic meters per second are shown only.

Key Continent
AF Africa
ER Eurasia
NA North America
OC Oceania
SA South America
Cont. River Length (km) Length (miles) Drainage area (km²) Average discharge (m³/s) Outflow Reference
SA Amazon 6,453 4,010 6,915,000 209,000 Atlantic Ocean [1][2]
AF Congo 4,371 2,716 4,014,500 41,200 Atlantic Ocean [1][1]
ER Ganges - Brahmaputra - Meghna 2,948 1,832 1,635,000 38,129 Bay of Bengal [3]
SA Orinoco 2,140 1,330 880,000 36,000 Atlantic Ocean [1]
SA Madeira 3,380 2,100 1,420,000 31,200 Amazon River [4][5]
ER Yangtze
(Chang Jiang)
6,418 3,988 1,808,500 30,166 East China Sea [1][2]
SA Negro 2,230 1,390 691,000 28,400 Amazon River [4]
SA Río de la Plata 3,998 2,484 3,100,000 22,000 Atlantic Ocean [1]
ER Brahmaputra 2,840 1,765 536,600 19,300 Padma River [6]
ER Yenisei 5,550 3,449 2,580,000 19,600 Kara Sea [1][2]
SA Japurá 2,615 1,625 267,730 18,620 Amazon River [7]
SA Paraná 4,880 3,032 2,582,672 17,290 Río de la Plata, Atlantic Ocean
ER Lena 4,472 2,647 2,490,000 16,871 Laptev Sea [1][2]
NA Saint Lawrence 3,058 1,900 1,030,000 16,800 Gulf of Saint Lawrence [8]
NA Mississippi 6,270 3,896 2,980,000 16,792 Gulf of Mexico [1]
SA Marañón 1,737 1,074 358,000 16,708 Amazon River
ER Ganges 2,510 1,560 907,000 16,648 Padma River [3]
ER Mekong 4,023 2,500 811,000 14,800 South China Sea [1][2]
SA Tocantins 2,699 1,677 920,000 13,600 Atlantic Ocean, Amazon River [9]
SA Tapajos 1,992 1,232 492,481 13,540 Amazon River [10]
SA Ucayali 2,670 1,651 337,519 13,500 Amazon River
ER Ayeyarwady 2,170 1,348 411,000 13,000 Andaman Sea [1]
ER Ob' - Irtysh 5,410 3,449 2,990,000 12,475 Gulf of Ob [1][2]
ER Amur
(Heilong)
4,352 2,714 1,855,000 11,400 Sea of Okhotsk [1]
SA Purus 3,211 1,995 371,042 10,970 Amazon River
SA Beni 1,599 994 283,350 10,300 Madeira River [8]
NA Mackenzie - Peace - Finlay 4,241 2,635 1,790,000 10,300 Beaufort Sea [1]
AF Kwah - Kasai 2,272 1,405 881,890 9,873 Congo River
SA Xingu 1,979 1,230 531,250 9,700 Amazon River
ER Pearl - Xi Jiang
(West) (Si Kang)
2,400 1,491 453,700 9,500 South China Sea [11]
SA Mamoré 2,200 1,361 595,000 8,800 Madeira River
SA Putumayo 1,813 1,121 148,000 8,760 Amazon River
SA Juruá 2,410 1,498 225,828 8,420 Amazon River
AF Kasai 2,153 1,338 880,200 8,346 Congo River [7]
SA Guaviare 1,497 930 140,000 8,200 Orinoco River
ER Volga 3,692 2,294 1,380,000 8,060 Caspian Sea
NA Ohio 1,579 981 490,601 7,957 Mississippi River [12]
NA Columbia 2,000 1,243 668,000 7,500 Pacific Ocean
ER Xi 2,197 1,359 409,480 7,410 Pearl River
ER Danube 2,860 1,777 817,000 7,130 Black Sea
AF Zambezi 2,574 1,599 1,331,000 7,070 Indian Ocean [13]
SA Magdalena 1,540 963 257,438 6,987 Atlantic Ocean
SA Napo 1,075 665 100,518 6,976 Amazon River
ER Indus 3,200 2,000 1,165,000 6,600 Arabian Sea
SA Meta 1,200 742 93,800 6,500 Orinoco River
NA Yukon 3,187 1,980 854,696 6,428 Bering Sea
SA Madre de Dios 1,220 754 125,500 6,370 Beni River [8]
SA Araguaia 2,627 1,632 358,125 6,216 Tocantins River [7]
ER Kapuas 1,143 710 98,749 6,000 South China Sea
OC Fly 1,050 649 76,000 6,000 Gulf of Papua, Coral Sea
NA Niagara 58 36 684,000 5,796 Lake Ontario
AF Niger 4,167 2,589 2,090,000 5,589 Atlantic Ocean [1]
SA Uruguay 1,838 1,140 365,000 5,500 Atlantic Ocean, Río de la Plata
ER Barito 880 544 100,000 5,500 Java Sea
ER Aldan 2,273 1,412 729,000 5,489 Lena River [7]
SA Branco 775 479 195,000 5,400 Rio Negro
NA Detroit 51 32 1,813 5,324 Lake Erie
NA St. Clair 63 39 576,000 5,200 Lake St. Clair
SA Atrato 750 466 38,500 4,900 Atlantic Ocean
ER Salween 2,815 1,749 320,000 4,876 Andaman Sea
SA Caroní 952 595 95,000 4,850 Orinoco River
OC Mamberamo 1,175 727 79,774 4,580 Pacific Ocean
ER Angara 1,779 1,100 1,079,000 4,530 Yenisey River
SA Juruena 1,240 770 190,391 4,360 Tapajos River
ER Kama 1,805 1,122 507,000 4,100 Volga River
AF Ubangi 2,272 1,405 772,800 4,000 Congo River
ER Chindwin 1,207 750 114,000 4,000 Ayeyarwady River
SA Teles Pires 1,638 1,013 141,718 3,978 Tapajos River
ER Pechora 1,809 1,124 289,532 3,949 Barents Sea
SA Apaporis 1,370 847 54,300 3,900 Japurá River
OC Sepik 1,126 700 80,321 3,804 Bismarck Sea
ER Kolyma 2,129 1,317 644,000 3,800 East Siberian Sea
ER Nizhnyaya Tunguska 2,989 1,848 473,000 3,680 Yenisei River
ER Meghna 1,040 643 82,000 3,600 Lower Meghna River, Padma River, Bay of Bengal
ER Godavari 1,465 910 312,812 3,505 Bay of Bengal [3]
SA Huallaga 1,138 704 85,000 3,500 Ucayali River
NA Fraser 1,375 854 220,000 3,475 Pacific Ocean
ER Kaladan 450 278 3,468 Bay of Bengal
NA Slave 434 270 616,400 3,414 Great Slave Lake
ER Northern Dvina 744 462 357,052 3,332 White Sea [1]
ER Khatanga 1,636 1,012 364,000 3,320 Khatanga Gulf, Laptev Sea
OC Kikori 405 250 23,309 3,274 Gulf of Papua
SA Parnaíba 1,070 662 220,000 3,200 Paraná River
SA Jutai 1,200 742 60,000 3,000 Amazon River
SA Caura 723 449 52,000 3,000 Orinoco River
ER Ghaghara 1,080 671 127,950 2,990 Ganges River [14]
ER Irtysh 4,248 2,627 1,673,470 2,980 Ob River
ER Yamuna 1,376 855 366,223 2,950 Ganges River [14]
SA São Francisco 2,830 1,758 641,000 2,943 Atlantic Ocean [15]
SA Trombetas 1,060 656 135,239 2,855 Amazon River
AF Nile 6,650 4,132 3,400,000 2,830 Mediterranean Sea [1]
SA Tambo 1,000 618 135,000 2,800 Ucayali River
AF Ruki 1,300 804 173,800 2,800 Congo River
NA Koksoak 137 85 133,400 2,800 Ungava Bay, Arctic Ocean
SA Pastaza 740 458 41,000 2,770 Marañón River
SA Iriri 1,300 810 130,000 2,745 Xingu River
SA Guapore 1,530 946 303,210 2,740 Mamoré River
ER Zeya 1,242 768 233,000 2,700 Amur River
SA Tigre 940 581 54,200 2,700 Marañón River
AF Kwango 1,100 680 263,500 2,700 Kasai River
SA Paraguay 2,621 1,629 365,592 2,700 Parana River
ER Red 1,149 714 143,700 2,640 Gulf of Tonkin
SA Uaupes 1,050 649 50,000 2,625 Rio Negro
ER Yellow 5,464 3,395 752,000 2,571 East China Sea
ER Pyasina 818 508 182,000 2,550 Kara Sea
ER Amu Darya 2,400 1,491 534,739 2,525 Aral Sea
SA Tietê 1,150 715 150,000 2,500 Paraná River
AF Sankuru 1,200 756 156,000 2,500 Kasai River
ER Mahakam 980 609 77,100 2,500 Makassar Strait
AF Sangha 790 489 213,400 2,471 Congo River
ER Sungari 1,434 887 1,443,100 2,463 Amur River
SA Javari 1,184 732 90,000 2,463 Amazon River
ER Neva 74 46 281,000 2,445 Baltic Sea [16]
NA Missouri 3,767 2,341 1,371,010 2,445 Mississippi River [1]
NA Liard 1,115 693 277,100 2,434 Mackenzie River
SA Rio Grande (Paraná River) 1,360 841 143,000 2,400 Paraná River
AF Benue 1,370 847 2,400 Niger River
NA Nelson 2,575 1600 982,900 2,370 Hudson Bay [17]
SA Cauca 1,180 730 59,840 2,364 Magdalena River
SA Yarí 620 383 31,650 2,360 Japurá River
SA Urubamba 724 448 60,300 2,330 Ucayali River
ER Rhine - Aare 1,233 820 198,735 2,330 North Sea [18]
SA Apure 1,038 645 121,400 2,300 Orinoco River
ER Xiang 856 529 96,400 2,288 Yangtze River
ER Krishna 1400 870 258,948 2,213 Bay of Bengal [3]
SA San Juan 380 240 15,000 2,200 Pacific Ocean
ER Vitim 1,978 1,223 227,000 2,200 Lena River
ER Koshi 729 453 69,300 2,166 Ganges River [14]
ER Yuan 864 537 89,163 2,158 Yangtze River
ER Han 1,532 952 174,300 2,156 Yangtze River
NA St. Marys 120 75 127,700 2,135 Lake Huron
ER Jialing 1,119 695 160,000 2,120 Yangtze River
ER Mahanadi 858 533 141,600 2,119 Bay of Bengal [3]
NA Peace 1,923 1,195 306,000 2,110 Slave River
SA Essequibo 1,014 627 69,300 2,104 Atlantic Ocean
SA Ventuari 520 322 40,000 2,000 Orinoco river
SA Inírida 1,300 804 2,000 Guaviare River
SA Vichada 580 359 25,000 2,000 Orinoco River
AF Aruwimi 1,300 808 116,100 2,000 Congo River

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 1.8 1.9 1.10 1.11 1.12 1.13 1.14 1.15 1.16 1.17 Rivers of the Earth
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 Gupta, Avijit (2007). Large rivers: geomorphology and management. John Wiley and Sons. p. 31. ISBN 978-0-470-84987-3. Retrieved 18 April 2011.
  3. 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 Kumar, Rakesh; Singh, R.D.; Sharma, K.D. (2005-09-10). "Water Resources of India". Current Science (Bangalore: Current Science Association) 89 (5): 794–811. Retrieved 2013-10-13.
  4. 4.0 4.1 Agência Nacional de Águas (ANA) e Secretaria Nacional de Recursos Hídricos ()
  5. R. Ziesler and G.D. Ardizzone: The Inland Waters of Latin America. COPESCAL Technical Paper No. 1, FAO, Fishery Information, Data and Statistics Service, Rome 1979
  6. Pranab Kumar Parua (3 January 2010). The Ganga: water use in the Indian subcontinent. Springer. pp. 267–273. ISBN 978-90-481-3102-0. Retrieved 18 April 2011.
  7. 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 GRDC Database
  8. 8.0 8.1 8.2 Benke, Arthur C.; Cushing, Colbert E. (2005). Rivers of North America. Academic Press. pp. 989–990. ISBN 978-0-12-088253-3. Retrieved 21 March 2011.
  9. The Hydrographi Region of The Amazon
  10. "Chapter 5: Plate D-6 — GES DISC: Goddard Earth Sciences, Data & Information Services Center". Disc.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov. Retrieved 2012-11-08.
  11. Leeden, Frits van der; Fcrimson L. Troise; David Keith Todd (1990). The Water Encyclopedia (2nd ed.). Chelsea, Mich.: Lewis Publishers. p. 126. ISBN 0-87371-120-3.
  12. Fragmentation and Flow Regulation of the World’s Large River Systems
  13. 14.0 14.1 14.2 Jain, Sharad K.; Agarwal, Pushpendra K.; Singh, Vijay P. (2007). Hydrology and water resources of India. Springer. p. 341. ISBN 978-1-4020-5179-1. Retrieved 26 April 2011.
  14. São Francisco River
  15. Nezhihovsky, R. A. (1981). Neva River and Neva Bay. Gidrometeoizdat.
  16. Nelson River

See also