Ranked: The 20 Countries With the Longest Coastlines

Which Countries Have the World’s Longest Coastlines?

Key Takeaways

• Canada has the world’s longest coastline at 125,567 miles (202,080 km), more than twice the length of Norway’s.

• Norway ranks second with 61,567 miles of coastline, thanks to its numerous islands and deep fjords.

• Indonesia, the world’s largest archipelagic nation, ranks third with 36,122 miles of coastline.

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:

RankCountryCoastline Length

MilesKilometers

1 Canada125,567202,080

2 Norway61,56799,083

3 Indonesia36,12258,133

4 Russia23,39637,653

5 Philippines22,54936,289

6 Japan18,48629,751

7 Australia16,00725,760

8 United States12,38019,924

9 New Zealand9,40415,134

10 China9,00914,500

11 Greece8,49813,676

12 United Kingdom7,72312,429

13 India6,89711,099

14 Mexico5,7979,330

15 Italy4,7227,600

16 Brazil4,6557,491

17 Denmark4,5457,314

18 Turkey4,4747,200

19 Chile3,9986,435

20 Micronesia3,7986,112

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/