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List of largest empires

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Several empires in human history have been contenders for the largest of all time, depending on definition and mode of measurement. Possible ways of measuring size include area, population, economy, and power. Of these, area is the most commonly used because it has a relatively precise definition and can be feasibly measured with some degree of accuracy;[3] nevertheless, even area is limited in this regard because of the difficulty in defining the boundaries of empires due to things like the indirect nature of imperial control and sparsely inhabited or even uninhabited areas that may nominally have been controlled by an empire but not meaningfully ruled by it.[4]

A map of the British and Mongol empires at their respective greatest extents
The British Empire (red) and Mongol Empire (blue) were the largest and second-largest empires in history, respectively.[1][2] The precise extent of either empire at its greatest territorial expansion is a matter of debate among scholars.

Estonian political scientist Rein Taagepera, who published a series of academic articles about the territorial extents of historical empires between 1978 and 1997,[5][6][7][8] and a book in 2024,[9] defined an empire in this context as "any relatively large sovereign political entity whose components are not sovereign" and its size as the area over which the empire has some undisputed military and taxation prerogatives.[10] The list is not exhaustive as there is a lack of available data for several empires; for this reason and because of the inherent uncertainty in the estimates, no rankings are given.

Largest empires by land area

For context, the land area of the Earth, excluding the continent of Antarctica, is 134,740,000 km2 (52,023,000 sq mi).[11]

Empires at their greatest extent

The home and colonial areas of the world's empires in 1908, as given by The Harmsworth Atlas and Gazetteer

Empire size in this list is defined as the dry land area it controlled at the time, which may differ considerably from the area it claimed. For example: in the year 1800, European powers collectively claimed approximately 20% of the Earth's land surface that they did not effectively control.[12] Where estimates vary, entries are sorted by the lowest estimate. Where more than one entry has the same area, they are listed alphabetically.

More information Empire, Million km2 ...
Empires by their maximum land area and year
Empire Million km2 Million sq mi % of world Year
British Empire 35.5[13] 13.71 26.35% 1920[13]
Mongol Empire[a] 24.0[13][14] 9.27 17.81% 1270[14] or 1309[13]
Russian Empire[b] 22.8[13][14] 8.80 16.92% 1895[13][14]
Qing dynasty[c] 14.7[13][14] 5.68 10.91% 1790[13][14]
Spanish Empire 13.7[13] 5.29 10.17% 1810[13]
Second French colonial empire 11.5[13] 4.44 8.53% 1920[13]
Abbasid Caliphate 11.1[13] 4.29 8.24% 750[13]
Umayyad Caliphate 11.1[13] 4.29 8.24% 720[13]
Yuan dynasty 11.0[13] 4.25 8.16% 1310[13]
United States[d] 9.5[15] 3.67 7.05% 1900[15]
Xiongnu Empire 9.0[14][17] 3.47 6.68% 176 BC[14][17]
Empire of Brazil[e] 8.337[18] 3.22 6.19% 1889[18]
Empire of Japan 7.4[19]–8.51 2.86–3.285[20] 5.49%–6.32% 1942[19][20]
Eastern Han dynasty 6.5[17] 2.51 4.82% 100[17]
Ming dynasty 6.5[13][14] 2.51 4.82% 1450[13][14]
Rashidun Caliphate 6.4[13] 2.47 4.75% 655[13]
First Turkic Khaganate 6.0[14][17] 2.32 4.45% 557[14][17]
Jochi Khanate 6.0[13][14] 2.32 4.45% 1310[13][14]
Western Han dynasty 6.0[14][17] 2.32 4.45% 50 BC[14][17]
Achaemenid Empire 5.5[14][17] 2.12 4.08% 500 BC[14][17]
Second Portuguese Empire[e] 5.5[13] 2.12 4.08% 1820[13]
Tang dynasty 5.4[13][14] 2.08 4.01% 715[13][14]
Macedonian Empire 5.2[14][17] 2.01 3.86% 323 BC[14][17]
Ottoman Empire 5.2[13][14] 2.01 3.86% 1683[13][14]
Northern Yuan dynasty 5.0[13] 1.93 3.71% 1368[13]
Roman Empire 5.0[14][17] 1.93 3.71% 117[14][17]
Xin dynasty 4.7[17] 1.81 3.49% 10[17]
Tibetan Empire 4.6[13][14] 1.78 3.41% 800[13][14]
Xianbei state 4.5[21] 1.74 3.34% 200[21]
First Mexican Empire 4.429[22] 1.71 3.29% 1821[22]
Timurid Empire 4.4[13][14] 1.70 3.27% 1405[13][14]
Fatimid Caliphate 4.1[13][14] 1.58 3.04% 969[13][14]
Eastern Turkic Khaganate 4.0[17] 1.54 2.97% 624[17]
Hunnic Empire 4.0[14][17] 1.54 2.97% 441[14][17]
Mughal Empire 4.0[13][14] 1.54 2.97% 1690[13][14]
Great Seljuk Empire 3.9[13][14] 1.51 2.89% 1080[13][14]
Seleucid Empire 3.9[14][17] 1.51 2.89% 301 BC[14][17]
Italian Empire 3.798[23] 1.47 2.82% 1938[23]
Ilkhanate 3.75[13][14] 1.45 2.78% 1310[13][14]
Dzungar Khanate 3.6[21] 1.39 2.67% 1650[21]
Chagatai Khanate 3.5[13][14] 1.35 2.60% 1310[13] or 1350[13][14]
Sasanian Empire 3.5[14][17] 1.35 2.60% 550[14][17]
Western Turkic Khaganate 3.5[17] 1.35 2.60% 630[17]
Western Xiongnu 3.5[17] 1.35 2.60% 20[17]
First French colonial empire 3.4[13] 1.31 2.52% 1670[13]
Ghaznavid Empire 3.4[13][14] 1.31 2.52% 1029[13][14]
Maurya Empire 3.4[17]–5.0[14] 1.31–1.93 2.52%–3.71% 261 BC[17] or 250 BC[14]
Delhi Sultanate 3.2[13][14] 1.24 2.37% 1312[13][14]
German colonial empire 3.147 1.215[24] 2.34% 1911[24]
Northern Song dynasty 3.1[13][14] 1.20 2.30% 980[13][14]
Uyghur Khaganate 3.1[13][14] 1.20 2.30% 800[13][14]
Western Jin dynasty 3.1[17] 1.20 2.30% 280[17]
Danish Empire 3.0[25] 1.16 2.23% 1700[25]
Sui dynasty 3.0[17] 1.16 2.23% 589[17]
Safavid Empire 2.9[21] 1.12 2.15% 1630[21]
Samanid Empire 2.85[13][14] 1.10 2.12% 928[13][14]
Eastern Jin dynasty 2.8[17] 1.08 2.08% 347[17]
Median Empire[f] 2.8[14][17] 1.08 2.08% 585 BC[14][17]
Parthian Empire 2.8[14][17] 1.08 2.08% 1[14][17]
Rouran Khaganate 2.8[14][17] 1.08 2.08% 405[14][17]
Byzantine Empire 2.7[14]–2.8[17] 1.04–1.08 2.00%–2.08% 555[14] or 450[17]
Indo-Scythian Kingdom 2.6[17] 1.00 1.93% 20[17]
Liao dynasty 2.6[13][14] 1.00 1.93% 947[13][14]
Greco-Bactrian Kingdom 2.5[17] 0.97 1.86% 184 BC[17]
Later Zhao 2.5[17] 0.97 1.86% 329[17]
Maratha Empire 2.5[14] 0.97 1.86% 1760[14]
Belgian colonial empire 2.47 0.95[27] 1.83% 1939[27]
Jin dynasty (1115–1234) 2.3[13][14] 0.89 1.71% 1126[13][14]
Khwarazmian Empire 2.3[14]–3.6[13] 0.89–1.39 1.71%–2.67% 1210[14] or 1218[13]
Qin dynasty 2.3[17] 0.89 1.71% 220 BC[17]
Dutch Empire 2.1[21] 0.81 1.56% 1938[21]
First French Empire 2.1[13] 0.81 1.56% 1813[13]
Kievan Rus' 2.1[13][14] 0.81 1.56% 1000[13][14]
Mamluk Sultanate 2.1[13][14] 0.81 1.56% 1300[13] or 1400[14]
Southern Song dynasty 2.1[13] 0.81 1.56% 1127[13]
Third Portuguese Empire 2.1[13] 0.81 1.56% 1900[13]
Almohad Caliphate 2.0[14]–2.3[13] 0.77–0.89 1.48%–1.71% 1200[14] or 1150[13]
Cao Wei 2.0[17] 0.77 1.48% 263[17]
Former Qin 2.0[17] 0.77 1.48% 376[17]
Former Zhao 2.0[17] 0.77 1.48% 316[17]
Ghurid dynasty 2.0[21] 0.77 1.48% 1200[21]
Inca Empire 2.0[13][14] 0.77 1.48% 1527[13][14]
Kushan Empire 2.0[14]–2.5[17] 0.77–0.97 1.48%–1.86% 200[14][17]
Liu Song dynasty 2.0[17] 0.77 1.48% 450[17]
Northern Wei 2.0[17] 0.77 1.48% 450[17]
Western Roman Empire 2.0[17] 0.77 1.48% 395[17]
Ayyubid dynasty 1.7[13]–2.0[14] 0.66–0.77 1.26%–1.48% 1200[13] or 1190[14]
Gupta Empire 1.7[17]–3.5[14] 0.66–1.35 1.26%–2.60% 440[17] or 400[14]
Hephthalite Empire 1.7[28]–4.0[17] 0.66–1.54 1.26%–2.97% 500[28] or 470[17]
Buyid dynasty 1.6[13][14] 0.62 1.19% 980[13][14]
Eastern Wu 1.5[17] 0.58 1.11% 221[17]
Northern Qi 1.5[17] 0.58 1.11% 557[17]
Northern Xiongnu 1.5[17] 0.58 1.11% 60[17]
Northern Zhou 1.5[17] 0.58 1.11% 577[17]
Neo-Assyrian Empire 1.4[14][29] 0.54 1.04% 670 BC[14][29]
Eastern Maurya Kingdom 1.3[17] 0.50 0.96% 210 BC[17]
Liang dynasty 1.3[14][17] 0.50 0.96% 502,[17] 549,[17] or 579[14]
Qajar Empire 1.29 0.50[30] 0.96% 1873[30]
Kingdom of Aksum 1.25[14] 0.48 0.93% 350[14]
Shang dynasty 1.25[14][29] 0.48 0.93% 1122 BC[14][29]
Francia 1.2[13][14] 0.46 0.89% 814[13][14]
Srivijaya 1.2[14] 0.46 0.89% 1200[14]
Indo-Greek Kingdom 1.1[17] 0.42 0.82% 150 BC[17]
Mali Empire 1.1[13][14] 0.42 0.82% 1380[13][14]
Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth 1.1[13][14] 0.42 0.82% 1480[14] or 1650[13]
Almoravid dynasty 1.0[14] 0.39 0.74% 1120[14]
Pushyabhuti dynasty 1.0[13][14] 0.39 0.74% 625[13] or 648[13][14]
Gurjara-Pratihara dynasty 1.0[13] 0.39 0.74% 860[13]
Holy Roman Empire 1.0[13] 0.39 0.74% 1050[13]
Khazar Khanate 1.0[13]–3.0[14] 0.39–1.16 0.74%–2.23% 900[13] or 850[14]
Khmer Empire 1.0[13][14] 0.39 0.74% 1290[13][14]
New Kingdom of Egypt 1.0[14][29] 0.39 0.74% 1450 BC[29] or 1300 BC[14]
Ptolemaic Kingdom 1.0[17] 0.39 0.74% 301 BC[17]
Qara Khitai 1.0[13]–1.5[14] 0.39–0.58 0.74%–1.11% 1130[13] or 1210[14]
Scythia 1.0[28] 0.39 0.74% 400 BC[28]
Shu Han 1.0[17] 0.39 0.74% 221[17]
Tahirid dynasty 1.0[13] 0.39 0.74% 800[13]
Western Xia 1.0[14] 0.39 0.74% 1100[14]
Swedish Empire 0.99[31] 0.38 0.73% 1700[31]
Kingdom of Armenia 0.9[32] 0.35 0.67% 70 BC[32]
Akkadian Empire 0.8[29] 0.31 0.59% 2250 BC[29]
Avar Khaganate 0.8[17] 0.31 0.59% 600[17]
Chu 0.8[17] 0.31 0.59% 300 BC[17]
Huns 0.8[17] 0.31 0.59% 287[17]
Songhai Empire 0.8[13] 0.31 0.59% 1550[13]
Hyksos 0.65[29] 0.25 0.48% 1650 BC[29]
Twenty-sixth Dynasty of Egypt 0.65[29] 0.25 0.48% 550 BC[29]
Rozvi Empire 0.624[33] 0.24 0.46% 1700[33]
Austro-Hungarian Empire 0.62 0.24[34] 0.46% 1905[34]
Caliphate of Córdoba 0.6[13] 0.23 0.45% 1000[13]
First Portuguese Empire 0.6[13] 0.23 0.45% 1580[13]
Visigothic Kingdom 0.6[17] 0.23 0.45% 580[17]
Zhou dynasty 0.55[35] 0.21 0.41% 1100 BC[35]
Sikh Empire 0.52 0.20[36] 0.39% 1839[36]
Emirate of Córdoba 0.5[13] 0.19 0.37% 756[13]
Kosala 0.5[17] 0.19 0.37% 543 BC[17]
Lydia 0.5[29] 0.19 0.37% 585 BC[29]
Magadha 0.5[17] 0.19 0.37% 510 BC[17]
Middle Kingdom of Egypt 0.5[29] 0.19 0.37% 1850 BC[29]
Neo-Babylonian Empire 0.5[29] 0.19 0.37% 562 BC[29]
Satavahana dynasty 0.5[17] 0.19 0.37% 150[17]
Twenty-fifth Dynasty of Egypt 0.5[29] 0.19 0.37% 715 BC[29]
Western Satraps 0.5[17] 0.19 0.37% 100[17]
New Hittite Kingdom 0.45[29] 0.17 0.33% 1250 BC – 1220 BC[29]
Xia dynasty 0.45[29] 0.17 0.33% 1800 BC[29]
Bulgarian Empire 0.4[37][need quotation to verify] 0.15 0.30% 850[37][need quotation to verify]
Kingdom of France (Middle Ages) 0.4[13] 0.15 0.30% 1250[13]
Middle Assyrian Empire 0.4[29] 0.15 0.30% 1080 BC[29]
Old Kingdom of Egypt 0.4[29] 0.15 0.30% 2400 BC[29]
Sokoto Caliphate 0.4[38] 0.15 0.30% 1804[38]
Latin Empire 0.35[17] 0.14 0.26% 1204[17]
Ancient Carthage 0.3[17] 0.12 0.22% 220 BC[17]
Indus Valley Civilisation[g] 0.3[35] 0.12 0.22% 1800 BC[35]
Mitanni 0.3[29] 0.12 0.22% 1450 BC – 1375 BC[29]
Ashanti Empire 0.25[39] 0.10 0.19% 1820[39]
First Babylonian Empire 0.25[29] 0.10 0.19% 1690 BC[29]
Aztec Empire 0.22[13] 0.08 0.16% 1520[13]
Zulu Empire 0.21 0.08[40] 0.16% 1822[40]
Elamite Empire 0.2[29] 0.08 0.15% 1160 BC[29]
Phrygia 0.2[29] 0.08 0.15% 750 BC[29]
Second Dynasty of Isin 0.2[29] 0.08 0.15% 1130 BC[29]
Urartu 0.2[29] 0.08 0.15% 800 BC[29]
Eastern Zhou 0.15[29] 0.06 0.11% 770 BC[29]
Middle Hittite Kingdom 0.15[29] 0.06 0.11% 1450 BC[29]
Old Assyrian Empire 0.15[29] 0.06 0.11% 1730 BC[29]
Old Hittite Empire 0.15[29] 0.06 0.11% 1530 BC[29]
Oyo Empire 0.15[41] 0.06 0.11% 1680[41]
Bornu Empire 0.13 0.05[42] 0.10% 1892[42]
Larsa 0.1[29] 0.04 0.07% 1750 BC – 1700 BC[29]
Neo-Sumerian Empire 0.1[29] 0.04 0.07% 2000 BC[29]
Tarascan empire 0.075[43] 0.03 0.06% 1450[43]
Lagash 0.05[35] 0.02 0.04% 2400 BC[35]
Sumer 0.05[29] 0.02 0.04% 2400 BC[29]
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  1. [a]
    The Mongol Empire eventually fractured into four separate khanates: the Yuan dynasty, Chagatai Khanate, Ilkhanate, and Golden Horde. These are listed separately.
  2. [b]
    Its successor state the USSR and its successor in turn, the Russian Federation, reached maximum extents of 22.3 million km2 (8.6 million sq mi) in 1945 and 17.1 million km2 (6.6 million sq mi) in 1991, respectively.[13]
  3. [c]
    Its successor state the Republic of China (1912–1949) and its successor in turn, the People's Republic of China (since 1949), reached maximum extents of 7.7 million km2 (3.0 million sq mi) in 1912 and 9.7 million km2 (3.7 million sq mi) in 1950, respectively.[13]
  4. [d]
    Described explicitly as an empire by Taagepera & Nemčok on p.76[15] and Harmsworth on p.27[16]
  5. [e]
    The reason the Empire of Brazil is listed as having a larger area in 1889 than the Portuguese Empire had in 1820, despite Brazil having been a Portuguese colony, is that the Portuguese settlers only had effective control over approximately half of Brazil at the time of Brazilian independence in 1822.[13]
  6. [f]
    More recent reassessment of the historical evidence, both archaeological and textual, has led modern scholars to question previous notions of the extent of the realm of the Medes and even its existence as a unified state.[26]
  7. [g]
    The extent to which this constituted a cohesive political entity is uncertain.[35]

Timeline of largest empires to date

The earliest empire which can with certainty be stated to have been larger than all previous empires was that of Upper and Lower Egypt, which covered ten times the area of the previous largest civilisation around the year 3000 BC.[44]

More information Empire, Million km2 ...
Timeline of largest empires
Empire Million km2 Million sq mi Year
Upper and Lower Egypt 0.1[29] 0.04 3000 BC[29]
Old Kingdom of Egypt 0.25[29] 0.10 2850 BC[29]
0.4[29] 0.15 2400 BC[29]
Akkadian Empire 0.65[29] 0.25 2300 BC[29]
0.8[29] 0.31 2250 BC[29]
New Kingdom of Egypt 1.0[29] 0.39 1450 BC[29]
Shang dynasty 1.25[29] 0.48 1122 BC[29]
Neo-Assyrian Empire 1.4[29] 0.54 670 BC[29]
Median Empire[a] 2.8[17] 1.08 585 BC[17]
Achaemenid Empire 3.6[17] 1.39 539 BC[17]
5.5[17] 2.12 500 BC[17]
Xiongnu Empire 9.0[17] 3.47 176 BC[17]
Umayyad Caliphate 11.1[13] 4.29 720[13]
Mongol Empire 13.5[13] 5.21 1227[13]
24.0[13] 9.27 1309[13]
British Empire 24.5[13] 9.46 1880[13]
35.5[13] 13.71 1920[13]
Close
  1. [a]
    More recent reassessment of the historical evidence, both archaeological and textual, has led modern scholars to question previous notions of the extent of the realm of the Medes and even its existence as a unified state.[26] If the Median Empire never surpassed the size of the Neo-Assyrian Empire, the latter remained the largest empire the world had seen until the Achaemenid Empire surpassed it.[29][17]

Timeline of largest empires at the time

More information Empire, Million km2 ...
Land area during time as largest empire
Empire Million km2[35] Million sq mi Approximate period[35]
Upper Egypt 0.1 0.04 3000 BC
Old Kingdom of Egypt 0.25–0.4 0.10–0.15 2800 BC – 2400 BC
Akkadian Empire 0.2–0.6 0.08–0.23 2300 BC – 2200 BC
Indus Valley Civilisation[a] 0.15 0.06 2100 BC
Middle Kingdom of Egypt 0.2–0.5 0.08–0.19 2000 BC – 1800 BC
Xia dynasty 0.4 0.15 1700 BC
Hyksos 0.65 0.25 1600 BC
New Kingdom of Egypt 0.65–1.0 0.25–0.39 1500 BC – 1300 BC
Shang dynasty 0.9–1.1 0.35–0.42 1250 BC – 1150 BC
New Kingdom of Egypt 0.5–0.6 0.19–0.23 1100 BC – 1050 BC
Zhou dynasty 0.35–0.45 0.14–0.17 1000 BC – 900 BC
Neo-Assyrian Empire 0.4–1.4 0.15–0.54 850 BC – 650 BC
Median Empire[b] 3.0 1.16 600 BC
Achaemenid Empire 2.5–5.5 0.97–2.12 550 BC – 350 BC
Macedonian Empire 5.2 2.01 323 BC
Seleucid Empire 4.0 1.54 300 BC
Maurya Empire 3.5 1.35 250 BC
Han dynasty 2.5 0.97 200 BC
Xiongnu 5.7 2.20 150 BC
Han dynasty 4.2–6.5 1.62–2.51 100 BC – 200 AD
Roman Empire 4.4 1.70 250–350
Sasanian Empire 3.5 1.35 400
Hunnic Empire 4.0 1.54 450
Sasanian Empire 3.5 1.35 500
Göktürk Khaganate 3.0–5.2 1.16–2.01 550–600
Rashidun Caliphate 5.2 2.01 650
Umayyad Caliphate 9.0–11.0 3.47–4.25 700–750
Abbasid Caliphate 8.3–11.0 3.20–4.25 750–800
Tibet 2.5–4.7 0.97–1.81 850–950
Song dynasty 3.0 1.16 1000
Seljuk Empire 3.0–4.0 1.16–1.54 1050–1100
Tibet 2.5 0.97 1150
Jin dynasty (1115–1234) 2.3 0.89 1200
Mongol Empire 18.0–24.0 6.95–9.27 1250–1300
Yuan dynasty 11.0 4.25 1350
Timurid Empire 4.0 1.54 1400
Ming dynasty 4.7–6.5 1.81–2.51 1450–1500
Ottoman Empire 4.3 1.66 1550
Tsardom of Russia 6.0–12.0 2.32–4.63 1600–1700
Russian Empire 14.0–17.0 5.41–6.56 1750–1800
British Empire 23.0–34.0 8.88–13.13 1850–1925
Soviet Union 22.5 8.69 1950–1975
Close
  1. [a]
    The extent to which this constituted a cohesive political entity is uncertain. If the largest empire in the year 2100 BC was not the Indus Valley Civilisation, it was the First Intermediate Period of Egypt with an area of 0.1 million km2 (0.04 million sq mi).
  2. [b]
    More recent reassessment of the historical evidence, both archaeological and textual, has led modern scholars to question previous notions of the extent of the realm of the Medes and even its existence as a unified state.[26] If the largest empire in the year 600 BC was not the Median Empire, it was Late Egypt with an area of 0.55 million km2 (0.21 million sq mi).

Largest empires by share of world population

The home and colonial populations of the world's empires in 1908, as given by The Harmsworth Atlas and Gazetteer

Because of the trend of increasing world population over time, absolute population figures are for some purposes less relevant for comparison between different empires than their respective shares of the world population at the time.[45] For the majority of the time since roughly 400 BC, the two most populous empires' combined share of the world population has been 30–40%. Most of the time, the most populous empire has been located in China.[46]

More information Empire, Percentage ...
Empire population as percentage of world population
Empire Percentage[47] Year[47]
Qing dynasty 37 1800
Northern Song dynasty 33 1100
Western Han dynasty 32 1
Mongol Empire 31 1290
Roman Empire 30 150
Jin dynasty (266–420) 28 280
Ming dynasty 28 1600
Qin dynasty 24 220 BC
Mughal Empire 24 1700
Tang dynasty 23 900
Delhi Sultanate 23 1350
British Empire 23 1938
Empire of Japan 20 1943
Maurya Empire 19 250 BC
Former Qin 19 376
Northern Zhou 16 580
Macedonian Empire 15 323 BC
Empire of Harsha 15 647
Gupta Empire 13 450
Northern Wei 13 500
Umayyad Caliphate 13 750
Achaemenid Empire 12 450 BC
Former Yan 12 366
Jin dynasty (1115–1234) 12 1200
Nazi Germany 12 1943
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