Ranked: The 20 Countries With the Longest Coastlines

Which Countries Have the World’s Longest Coastlines?

From Canada’s vast Arctic islands to the tropical archipelagos of Southeast Asia, the world’s longest coastlines stretch across remarkably different landscapes.

This visualization ranks the 20 countries with the longest coastlines, highlighting how geography shapes the amount of shoreline each country possesses.

The data comes from WorldAtlas, with updated figures for India from the Government of India’s Ministry of Earth Sciences.

Canada Has the World’s Longest Coastline by Far

Canada’s extraordinary coastline is largely a product of its Arctic geography, where tens of thousands of islands, bays, and channels create an exceptionally intricate shoreline.

In fact, more than 70% of the country’s coastline lies in the Arctic, making its northern geography central to its position at the top of the ranking.

The table below ranks the 20 countries with the longest coastlines in the world:

Rank	Country	Coastline Length
		Miles	Kilometers
1	Canada	125,567	202,080
2	Norway	61,567	99,083
3	Indonesia	36,122	58,133
4	Russia	23,396	37,653
5	Philippines	22,549	36,289
6	Japan	18,486	29,751
7	Australia	16,007	25,760
8	United States	12,380	19,924
9	New Zealand	9,404	15,134
10	China	9,009	14,500
11	Greece	8,498	13,676
12	United Kingdom	7,723	12,429
13	India	6,897	11,099
14	Mexico	5,797	9,330
15	Italy	4,722	7,600
16	Brazil	4,655	7,491
17	Denmark	4,545	7,314
18	Turkey	4,474	7,200
19	Chile	3,998	6,435
20	Micronesia	3,798	6,112

Norway’s coastline is shaped by its deeply indented fjords and nearly 239,100 coastal islands. At 61,567 miles (99,083 km), its coastline is roughly 70% longer than Indonesia’s, the third-ranked country.

Island Nations Dominate the Rankings

Indonesia’s coastline stretches across an archipelago of more than 17,500 islands, helping it secure third place globally.

Other island nations also rank prominently, including the Philippines (22,549 miles) in fifth place and Japan (18,486 miles) in sixth. Australia follows in seventh with 16,007 miles, while New Zealand ranks ninth with 9,404 miles.

These countries offer an interesting contrast with the world’s largest landmasses. Russia, the world’s largest country by land area, ranks fourth with 23,396 miles of coastline, while the United States ranks eighth with 12,380 miles.

This highlights why a country’s land area alone is not a reliable predictor of its total coastline length.

Why Coastline Rankings Can Differ

China rounds out the top 10 with 9,009 miles of coastline, followed by Greece at 8,498 miles and the United Kingdom at 7,723 miles.

India ranks 13th with 6,897 miles (11,099 km), following a revision to its official coastline measurement in 2025.

Coastline lengths can vary significantly depending on the measurement methodology. More detailed measurements capture smaller bays, inlets, and islands, often producing longer totals. This helps explain why rankings can differ across sources.

The ranking also includes only sovereign countries. For example, Greenland, the world’s largest island, has approximately 27,395 miles of coastline. If it were an independent country, it would rank fourth globally, ahead of Russia.

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• Source: https://www.visualcapitalist.com/countries-with-the-longest-coastlines/