List of deserts by area

This article provides a list of deserts ranked by the total area that they cover on Earth. Only deserts greater than 50,000 km2 (19,300 sq mi) are included in this ranking.

Rank Name Type Map Area
(km2)		 Area
(sq mi)		 Location[note 1] Countries
1 Antarctic Desert Polar ice and tundra 14,200,000[1] 5,500,000 Antarctica N/A
2 Arctic Desert Polar ice and tundra 13,900,000[1] 5,400,000 Northern America
Northern Europe
Eastern Europe		 Canada (Yukon, Northwest Territories, and Nunavut), Finland, Greenland, Iceland, Norway (Svalbard and Jan Mayen), Russia (Siberia), Sweden, and the United States (Alaska)
3 Sahara Desert Subtropical 9,200,000[1] 3,600,000 Northern Africa
Western Africa
Middle Africa		 Algeria, Chad, Egypt, Eritrea, Libya, Mali, Mauritania, Morocco, Niger, Sudan, Tunisia, and Western Sahara
4 Arabian Desert Subtropical 2,330,000[1] 900,000 Western Asia
Northern Africa		 Egypt (Sinai Peninsula), Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Oman, Palestine, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, and Yemen
5 Great Australian Desert Subtropical 1,371,000[2] 529,000 Australasia Australia
6 Gobi Desert Cold winter 1,295,000[1] 500,000 Eastern Asia China and Mongolia
7 Kalahari Desert Subtropical 900,000[1] 350,000 Southern Africa Botswana, Namibia, and South Africa
8 Patagonian Desert Cold winter 673,000[1] 260,000 South America Argentina and Chile
9 Syrian Desert Subtropical 500,000[1] 193,100 Western Asia Iraq, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, and Syria
10 Great Basin Desert Cold winter 492,000[3] 190,000 Northern America United States (Nevada, Utah, California, and Idaho)
11 Chihuahuan Desert Subtropical 450,000[4] 175,000 Central America
Northern America		 Mexico and the United States
12 Karakum Desert Cold winter 350,000[1] 140,000 Central Asia Turkmenistan
– Great Victoria Desert[note 2] Subtropical 348,750[1] 134,650 Australasia Australia
13 Colorado Plateau Cold winter 340,000[4] 130,000 Northern America United States
14 Sonoran Desert Subtropical 310,000[4] 120,000 Central America
Northern America		 Mexico and the United States
15 Kyzylkum Desert Cold winter 300,000[4] 115,000 Central Asia Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan
16 Taklamakan Desert Cold winter 270,000[4] 105,000 Eastern Asia China
– Great Sandy Desert[note 2] Subtropical 267,250[2] 103,190 Australasia Australia
17 Thar Desert Subtropical 264,091[5] 101,966 Southern Asia India and Pakistan
18 Ogaden Desert Tropical 200,000[6] 77,000 Eastern Africa Ethiopia, Somalia, and Somaliland
19 Ustyurt Plateau Cold winter 200,000[7] 77,000 Central Asia Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan
– Tanami Desert[note 2] Subtropical 184,500[2] 71,200 Australasia Australia
– Simpson Desert[note 2] Subtropical 176,500[2] 68,100 Australasia Australia
– Gibson Desert[note 2] Subtropical 156,000[2] 60,000 Australasia Australia
20 Margo Desert Subtropical 150,000[3] 58,000 Southern Asia Afghanistan
21 Registan Desert Subtropical 146,000[3] 56,000 Southern Asia Afghanistan
22 Atacama Desert Mild coastal 140,000[4] 54,000 South America Chile and Peru
23 Danakil Desert Tropical 136,956[8] 52,879 Eastern Africa Djibouti, Eritrea, and Ethiopia
24 Mojave Desert Subtropical 124,000[3] 48,000 Northern America United States
– Little Sandy Desert[note 2] Subtropical 115,000[2] 43,100 Australasia Australia
25 Chalbi Desert Tropical 98,000[6] 38,000 Eastern Africa Kenya
26 Columbia Basin Cold winter 83,100[3] 32,100 Northern America Canada and the United States
27 Namib Desert Cool coastal 81,000[3] 31,000 Middle Africa
Southern Africa		 Angola, Namibia, and South Africa
– Strzelecki Desert[note 2] Subtropical 80,250[2] 30,980 Australasia Australia
28 Great Salt Desert Subtropical 77,000[3] 30,000 Southern Asia Iran
29 Ferlo Desert Tropical/subtropical 70,000 27,000 Western Africa Senegal
30 Ladakh Cold winter 59,146[3] 22,836 Southern Asia India[note 3]
31 Lut Desert Subtropical 52,000[3] 20,000 Southern Asia Iran

See also

Notes

  1. ^ As per the United Nations geoscheme.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g Part of the Great Australian Desert.
  3. ^ Ladakh exists as an Indian union territory, but it is part of the Kashmir dispute, which involves India against Pakistan and China.

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j "Top ten largest (non-polar) deserts". Archived from the original on 2021-01-26. Retrieved 2021-05-14.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g Areas of Australian and territory deserts by Geoscience Australia
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i "Hot and cold deserts of the world". Retrieved 2022-03-03.
  4. ^ a b c d e f "Largest Desert in the World". Archived from the original on 2007-08-17. Retrieved 2021-05-14.
  5. ^ Michael A. Mares, Oklahoma Museum of Natural History, ed. (1999). Encyclopedia of Deserts. University of Oklahoma Press. p. 291. ISBN 978-0-80613-146-7.
  6. ^ a b The Deserts of Africa
  7. ^ "Ustyurt Plateau | Central Asia, Aral Sea, Desert". Encyclopedia Britannica. 9 August 2025. Retrieved 17 August 2025.
  8. ^ The Nine Deserts In Africa
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