Record #00332Nature archive
River with the Greatest Average Discharge
The Amazon River releases roughly 200,000 cubic metres of freshwater per second into the Atlantic on average, identified by Guinness World Records as the world's greatest river by flow.
ARCHIVE VISUAL / 01
NOT TO SCALE
Current Record
about200,000m³/s
Current record value
- Holder
- Amazon River
- Start date
- —
- Record status
- VerifiedView verification details ↗Report an issue
Overview
Archive NoteThe Amazon basin spans several South American countries with a vast tributary network and high rainfall. NASA's Earth Observatory reports that its freshwater outflow accounts for nearly one-fifth of river discharge to the oceans.
Mean and peak discharge must not be conflated. Guinness gives an average around 200,000 m³/s and flood discharge exceeding 340,000 m³/s. Individual studies differ with the gauging section, time period and method.
Record history
1 Milestones- about 200,000 m³/sAmazon RiverAmazon basin, South America; Atlantic mouth in BrazilCurrent Record
Sources
Evidence & ReferencesVerification basis and limitations
VerifiedThe record conclusion has sufficient verification support.
Basis: direct confirmation by an authority
The original Guinness or UNESCO authority explicitly affirms the world-leading comparison, rather than only a numerical measurement.
- Verification assessment
- 2026-11-04
- Last editorial review
- 2026-11-04
Current Entry identifies the current entry in this archive; it does not establish that the record is still held today.
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