The ten rivers that carry the most water to the sea, ranked by mean discharge near the mouth, from the Amazon (209,000 m³/s) to the Mekong (16,010 m³/s).
The Amazon River carries the most water of any river, averaging about 209,000 m³/s near its mouth. The Congo is second at about 41,400 m³/s and the Orinoco third at about 39,000 m³/s. The ranking uses mean discharge for primary rivers (those that reach the sea) from Wikipedia's List of rivers by discharge, as of October 2026.
River discharge, the volume of water flowing past a point each second, is the most direct measure of how big a river is. On that measure the Amazon is in a league of its own: it carries about five times the water of the Congo, and on its own accounts for an estimated 15–18% of all river water reaching the oceans. This list ranks primary rivers, the ones that flow to the sea, by their mean discharge near the mouth, as compiled in one table: Wikipedia's List of rivers by discharge, pinned to the revision of 16 October 2026.
The Amazon averages about 209,000 m³/s near its mouth (1973–1990 average), roughly five times the Congo and more than the next seven rivers on this list combined. Depending on the estimate, it alone accounts for 15–18% of the freshwater that rivers deliver to the oceans.
The Congo averages about 41,400 m³/s near its mouth (1,308 km³ a year at Banana); at Kinshasa and Brazzaville the 1902–2021 average is 40,500 m³/s. Its length of 5,118 km is measured to the head of the Chambeshi.
The Orinoco averages about 39,000 m³/s at its delta (1983–2020 average), only slightly behind the Congo despite a basin less than a third the size. Its 3,010 km length runs to the head of the Guaviare–Guayabero system.
The Yangtze averages about 31,900 m³/s at its delta (995.8 km³ a year, 1955–2021), the largest discharge of any river in Asia that is counted on its own. It runs 6,236 km to the East China Sea.
The source table credits the Brahmaputra with about 27,000 m³/s (850 km³ a year, 1990–2020), a figure that includes the Old Brahmaputra and the Upper Meghna basin. Counted together with the Ganges as one Ganges–Brahmaputra–Meghna system, about 1,350 km³ a year reaches the Bay of Bengal, which would rank second in the world.
The Mississippi averages about 21,300 m³/s at its delta when the Atchafalaya distributary is included (673 km³ a year, 1981–2021: 474 via the Mississippi and 199 via the Atchafalaya). Its 6,084 km length is measured via the Missouri.
The Yenisei averages about 20,200 m³/s near its mouth (637 km³ a year, 1984–2018), the largest flow into the Arctic Ocean of any river. Its 5,816 km length is measured via the Angara, Lake Baikal and the Selenga.
The Paraná averages about 19,706 m³/s at the Paraná Delta (1971–2010 average) before joining the Uruguay River in the Río de la Plata estuary. Its 4,352 km length is measured via the Rio Grande headwater.
The Lena averages about 18,300 m³/s at its delta (581 km³ a year, 1984–2018) as it empties into the Laptev Sea. Its 4,692 km length is measured via the Vitim headwater.
The Mekong averages about 16,010 m³/s where it reaches the South China Sea, just ahead of the Ganges (15,800 m³/s), which is 11th in the same table. It runs 4,909 km to the South China Sea.
| # | Name | Continent | Length | Drainage basin | Outflow |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Amazon River | South America | 6,575 km | 6,020,438 km² | Atlantic Ocean |
| 2 | Congo River | Africa | 5,118 km | 3,712,316 km² | Atlantic Ocean |
| 3 | Orinoco River | South America | 3,010 km | 1,014,797 km² | Atlantic Ocean |
| 4 | Yangtze River | Asia | 6,236 km | 1,949,515 km² | East China Sea |
| 5 | Brahmaputra River | Asia | 3,848 km | 641,964 km² | Padma, Lower Meghna, Bay of Bengal |
| 6 | Mississippi River | North America | 6,084 km | 3,265,753 km² | Gulf of Mexico |
| 7 | Yenisei River | Asia | 5,816 km | 2,588,752 km² | Yenisei Gulf, Arctic Ocean |
| 8 | Paraná River | South America | 4,352 km | 2,630,667 km² | Río de la Plata, Atlantic Ocean |
| 9 | Lena River | Asia | 4,692 km | 2,492,004 km² | Laptev Sea, Arctic Ocean |
| 10 | Mekong River | Asia | 4,909 km | 773,728 km² | South China Sea |
Rivers are ranked by mean discharge (m³/s) as given in the 'Average discharge' column of Wikipedia's List of rivers by discharge (revision of 16 October 2026), the only source used for figures on this page. Only primary rivers (those reaching the sea) are ranked; tributaries are excluded, so the Rio Negro (30,641 m³/s) and Madeira (30,173 m³/s), which would otherwise rank fifth and sixth, are left out because they feed the Amazon. Rivers are counted as the table counts them: the Brahmaputra figure includes the Old Brahmaputra and Upper Meghna, the Mississippi figure includes the Atchafalaya, and the Ganges (15,800 m³/s, 11th) is listed separately from the Brahmaputra. The averaging period differs by river and is given in each entry where the source states it. Length, basin and outflow come from the same table.
The Amazon, averaging about 209,000 m³/s near its mouth. That is roughly five times the Congo (about 41,400 m³/s), the second-largest primary river in this list.
The source table lists the Ganges (15,800 m³/s) and the Brahmaputra (27,000 m³/s) as separate rivers, which puts the Ganges 11th. Counted as one Ganges–Brahmaputra–Meghna system, about 1,350 km³ a year reaches the Bay of Bengal, which would rank second after the Amazon.
They are tributaries of the Amazon. With mean discharges of 30,641 m³/s and 30,173 m³/s they carry more water than every primary river except the Amazon, Congo, Orinoco and Yangtze, but this list ranks only rivers that reach the sea.
At gauging stations, by measuring the river's cross-sectional area and water velocity, increasingly with acoustic Doppler current profilers (ADCPs). For very large rivers these values are hard to measure and vary a lot from year to year, so long-term averages are used.
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