List of largest empires

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Created by N V Raghunath
Last edited March 24, 2026

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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.

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]

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 Template:Convert.[11]

Empires at their greatest extent

File:The Harmsworth atlas and Gazetter 1908 (135853015).jpg
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. Template:Sticky header

Empire Maximum land area
Million km2 Million sq mi % of world Year
British Empire 35.5[13] Template:Convert Template:Percent Template:Date table sorting[13]
Mongol EmpireTemplate:Efn 24.0[13][14] Template:Convert Template:Percent Template:Date table sorting[14] or Template:Date table sorting[13]
Russian EmpireTemplate:Efn 22.8[13][14] Template:Convert Template:Percent Template:Date table sorting[13][14]
Qing dynastyTemplate:Efn 14.7[13][14] Template:Convert Template:Percent Template:Date table sorting[13][14]
Spanish Empire 13.7[13] Template:Convert Template:Percent Template:Date table sorting[13]
Second French colonial empire 11.5[13] Template:Convert Template:Percent Template:Date table sorting[13]
Abbasid Caliphate 11.1[13] Template:Convert Template:Percent Template:Date table sorting[13]
Umayyad Caliphate 11.1[13] Template:Convert Template:Percent Template:Date table sorting[13]
Yuan dynasty 11.0[13] Template:Convert Template:Percent Template:Date table sorting[13]
United StatesTemplate:Efn 9.5[15] Template:Convert Template:Percent Template:Date table sorting[15]
Xiongnu Empire 9.0[14][16] Template:Convert Template:Percent Template:Date table sorting[14][16]
Empire of BrazilTemplate:Efn Template:Significant figures[17] Template:Convert Template:Percent Template:Date table sorting[17]
Empire of Japan 7.4[18]–Template:Convert Template:Convert–3.285[19] Template:Percent–Template:Percent Template:Date table sorting[18][19]
Eastern Han dynasty 6.5[16] Template:Convert Template:Percent Template:Date table sorting[16]
Ming dynasty 6.5[13][14] Template:Convert Template:Percent Template:Date table sorting[13][14]
Rashidun Caliphate 6.4[13] Template:Convert Template:Percent Template:Date table sorting[13]
First Turkic Khaganate 6.0[14][16] Template:Convert Template:Percent Template:Date table sorting[14][16]
Golden Horde Khanate 6.0[13][14] Template:Convert Template:Percent Template:Date table sorting[13][14]
Western Han dynasty 6.0[14][16] Template:Convert Template:Percent Template:Date table sorting[14][16]
Achaemenid Empire 5.5[14][16] Template:Convert Template:Percent Template:Date table sorting[14][16]
Second Portuguese EmpireTemplate:Efn 5.5[13] Template:Convert Template:Percent Template:Date table sorting[13]
Tang dynasty 5.4[13][14] Template:Convert Template:Percent Template:Date table sorting[13][14]
Macedonian Empire 5.2[14][16] Template:Convert Template:Percent Template:Date table sorting[14][16]
Ottoman Empire 5.2[13][14] Template:Convert Template:Percent Template:Date table sorting[13][14]
Northern Yuan dynasty 5.0[13] Template:Convert Template:Percent Template:Date table sorting[13]
Roman Empire 5.0[14][16] Template:Convert Template:Percent Template:Date table sorting[14][16]
Xin dynasty 4.7[16] Template:Convert Template:Percent Template:Date table sorting[16]
Tibetan Empire 4.6[13][14] Template:Convert Template:Percent Template:Date table sorting[13][14]
Xianbei state 4.5[20] Template:Convert Template:Percent Template:Date table sorting[20]
First Mexican Empire 4.429[21] Template:Convert Template:Percent Template:Date table sorting[21]
Timurid Empire 4.4[13][14] Template:Convert Template:Percent Template:Date table sorting[13][14]
Fatimid Caliphate 4.1[13][14] Template:Convert Template:Percent Template:Date table sorting[13][14]
Eastern Turkic Khaganate 4.0[16] Template:Convert Template:Percent Template:Date table sorting[16]
Hunnic Empire 4.0[14][16] Template:Convert Template:Percent Template:Date table sorting[14][16]
Mughal Empire 4.0[13][14] Template:Convert Template:Percent Template:Date table sorting[13][14]
Great Seljuq Empire 3.9[13][14] Template:Convert Template:Percent Template:Date table sorting[13][14]
Seleucid Empire 3.9[14][16] Template:Convert Template:Percent Template:Date table sorting[14][16]
Italian Empire 3.798[22] Template:Convert Template:Percent Template:Date table sorting[22]
Ilkhanate 3.75[13][14] Template:Convert Template:Percent Template:Date table sorting[13][14]
Dzungar Khanate 3.6[20] Template:Convert Template:Percent Template:Date table sorting[20]
Chagatai Khanate 3.5[13][14] Template:Convert Template:Percent Template:Date table sorting[13] or Template:Date table sorting[13][14]
Sasanian Empire 3.5[14][16] Template:Convert Template:Percent Template:Date table sorting[14][16]
Western Turkic Khaganate 3.5[16] Template:Convert Template:Percent Template:Date table sorting[16]
Western Xiongnu 3.5[16] Template:Convert Template:Percent Template:Date table sorting[16]
First French colonial empire 3.4[13] Template:Convert Template:Percent Template:Date table sorting[13]
Ghaznavid Empire 3.4[13][14] Template:Convert Template:Percent Template:Date table sorting[13][14]
Maurya Empire 3.4[16]–5.0[14] Template:Convert–Template:Convert Template:Percent–Template:Percent Template:Date table sorting[16] or Template:Date table sorting[14]
Delhi Sultanate 3.2[13][14] Template:Convert Template:Percent Template:Date table sorting[13][14]
German colonial empire Template:Convert Template:Significant figures[23] Template:Percent Template:Date table sorting[23]
Northern Song dynasty 3.1[13][14] Template:Convert Template:Percent Template:Date table sorting[13][14]
Uyghur Khaganate 3.1[13][14] Template:Convert Template:Percent Template:Date table sorting[13][14]
Western Jin dynasty 3.1[16] Template:Convert Template:Percent Template:Date table sorting[16]
Danish Empire 3.0[24] Template:Convert Template:Percent Template:Date table sorting[24]
Sui dynasty 3.0[16] Template:Convert Template:Percent Template:Date table sorting[16]
Safavid empire 2.9[20] Template:Convert Template:Percent Template:Date table sorting[20]
Samanid Empire 2.85[13][14] Template:Convert Template:Percent Template:Date table sorting[13][14]
Eastern Jin dynasty 2.8[16] Template:Convert Template:Percent Template:Date table sorting[16]
Median EmpireTemplate:Efn 2.8[14][16] Template:Convert Template:Percent Template:Date table sorting[14][16]
Parthian Empire 2.8[14][16] Template:Convert Template:Percent 1[14][16]
Rouran Khaganate 2.8[14][16] Template:Convert Template:Percent Template:Date table sorting[14][16]
Byzantine Empire 2.7[14]–2.8[16] Template:Convert–Template:Convert Template:Percent–Template:Percent Template:Date table sorting[14] or Template:Date table sorting[16]
Indo-Scythian Kingdom 2.6[16] Template:Convert Template:Percent Template:Date table sorting[16]
Liao dynasty 2.6[13][14] Template:Convert Template:Percent Template:Date table sorting[13][14]
Greco-Bactrian Kingdom 2.5[16] Template:Convert Template:Percent Template:Date table sorting[16]
Later Zhao 2.5[16] Template:Convert Template:Percent Template:Date table sorting[16]
Maratha Empire 2.5[14] Template:Convert Template:Percent Template:Date table sorting[14]
Belgian colonial empire Template:Convert Template:Significant figures[25] Template:Percent Template:Date table sorting[25]
Jin dynasty (1115–1234) 2.3[13][14] Template:Convert Template:Percent Template:Date table sorting[13][14]
Khwarazmian Empire 2.3[14]–3.6[13] Template:Convert–Template:Convert Template:Percent–Template:Percent Template:Date table sorting[14] or Template:Date table sorting[13]
Qin dynasty 2.3[16] Template:Convert Template:Percent Template:Date table sorting[16]
Dutch Empire 2.1[20] Template:Convert Template:Percent Template:Date table sorting[20]
First French Empire 2.1[13] Template:Convert Template:Percent Template:Date table sorting[13]
Kievan Rus' 2.1[13][14] Template:Convert Template:Percent Template:Date table sorting[13][14]
Mamluk Sultanate 2.1[13][14] Template:Convert Template:Percent Template:Date table sorting[13] or Template:Date table sorting[14]
Southern Song dynasty 2.1[13] Template:Convert Template:Percent Template:Date table sorting[13]
Third Portuguese Empire 2.1[13] Template:Convert Template:Percent Template:Date table sorting[13]
Almohad Caliphate 2.0[14]–2.3[13] Template:Convert–Template:Convert Template:Percent–Template:Percent Template:Date table sorting[14] or Template:Date table sorting[13]
Cao Wei 2.0[16] Template:Convert Template:Percent Template:Date table sorting[16]
Former Qin 2.0[16] Template:Convert Template:Percent Template:Date table sorting[16]
Former Zhao 2.0[16] Template:Convert Template:Percent Template:Date table sorting[16]
Ghurid dynasty 2.0[20] Template:Convert Template:Percent Template:Date table sorting[20]
Inca Empire 2.0[13][14] Template:Convert Template:Percent Template:Date table sorting[13][14]
Kushan Empire 2.0[14]–2.5[16] Template:Convert–Template:Convert Template:Percent–Template:Percent Template:Date table sorting[14][16]
Liu Song dynasty 2.0[16] Template:Convert Template:Percent Template:Date table sorting[16]
Northern Wei 2.0[16] Template:Convert Template:Percent Template:Date table sorting[16]
Western Roman Empire 2.0[16] Template:Convert Template:Percent Template:Date table sorting[16]
Ayyubid dynasty 1.7[13]–2.0[14] Template:Convert–Template:Convert Template:Percent–Template:Percent Template:Date table sorting[13] or Template:Date table sorting[14]
Gupta Empire 1.7[16]–3.5[14] Template:Convert–Template:Convert Template:Percent–Template:Percent Template:Date table sorting[16] or Template:Date table sorting[14]
Hephthalite Empire 1.7[26]–4.0[16] Template:Convert–Template:Convert Template:Percent–Template:Percent Template:Date table sorting[26] or Template:Date table sorting[16]
Buyid dynasty 1.6[13][14] Template:Convert Template:Percent Template:Date table sorting[13][14]
Eastern Wu 1.5[16] Template:Convert Template:Percent Template:Date table sorting[16]
Northern Qi 1.5[16] Template:Convert Template:Percent Template:Date table sorting[16]
Northern Xiongnu 1.5[16] Template:Convert Template:Percent Template:Date table sorting[16]
Northern Zhou 1.5[16] Template:Convert Template:Percent Template:Date table sorting[16]
Neo-Assyrian Empire 1.4[14][27] Template:Convert Template:Percent Template:Date table sorting[14][27]
Eastern Maurya Kingdom 1.3[16] Template:Convert Template:Percent Template:Date table sorting[16]
Liang dynasty 1.3[14][16] Template:Convert Template:Percent Template:Date table sorting,[16] Template:Date table sorting,[16] or Template:Date table sorting[14]
Qajar Empire Template:Convert 0.50[28] Template:Percent Template:Date table sorting[28]
Kingdom of Aksum 1.25[14] Template:Convert Template:Percent Template:Date table sorting[14]
Shang dynasty 1.25[14][27] Template:Convert Template:Percent Template:Date table sorting[14][27]
Francia 1.2[13][14] Template:Convert Template:Percent Template:Date table sorting[13][14]
Srivijaya 1.2[14] Template:Convert Template:Percent Template:Date table sorting[14]
Indo-Greek Kingdom 1.1[16] Template:Convert Template:Percent Template:Date table sorting[16]
Mali Empire 1.1[13][14] Template:Convert Template:Percent Template:Date table sorting[13][14]
Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth 1.1[13][14] Template:Convert Template:Percent Template:Date table sorting[14] or Template:Date table sorting[13]
Almoravid dynasty 1.0[14] Template:Convert Template:Percent Template:Date table sorting[14]
Pushyabhuti dynasty 1.0[13][14] Template:Convert Template:Percent Template:Date table sorting[13] or Template:Date table sorting[13][14]
Gurjara-Pratihara dynasty 1.0[13] Template:Convert Template:Percent Template:Date table sorting[13]
Holy Roman Empire 1.0[13] Template:Convert Template:Percent Template:Date table sorting[13]
Khazar Khanate 1.0[13]–3.0[14] Template:Convert–Template:Convert Template:Percent–Template:Percent Template:Date table sorting[13] or Template:Date table sorting[14]
Khmer Empire 1.0[13][14] Template:Convert Template:Percent Template:Date table sorting[13][14]
New Kingdom of Egypt 1.0[14][27] Template:Convert Template:Percent Template:Date table sorting[27] or Template:Date table sorting[14]
Ptolemaic Kingdom 1.0[16] Template:Convert Template:Percent Template:Date table sorting[16]
Qara Khitai 1.0[13]–1.5[14] Template:Convert–Template:Convert Template:Percent–Template:Percent Template:Date table sorting[13] or Template:Date table sorting[14]
Scythia 1.0[26] Template:Convert Template:Percent Template:Date table sorting[26]
Shu Han 1.0[16] Template:Convert Template:Percent Template:Date table sorting[16]
Tahirid dynasty 1.0[13] Template:Convert Template:Percent Template:Date table sorting[13]
Western Xia 1.0[14] Template:Convert Template:Percent Template:Date table sorting[14]
Swedish Empire 0.99[29] Template:Convert Template:Percent Template:Date table sorting[29]
Kingdom of Armenia 0.9[30] Template:Convert Template:Percent Template:Date table sorting[30]
Akkadian Empire 0.8[27] Template:Convert Template:Percent Template:Date table sorting[27]
Avar Khaganate 0.8[16] Template:Convert Template:Percent Template:Date table sorting[16]
Chu 0.8[16] Template:Convert Template:Percent Template:Date table sorting[16]
Huns 0.8[16] Template:Convert Template:Percent Template:Date table sorting[16]
Songhai Empire 0.8[13] Template:Convert Template:Percent Template:Date table sorting[13]
Hyksos 0.65[27] Template:Convert Template:Percent Template:Date table sorting[27]
Twenty-sixth Dynasty of Egypt 0.65[27] Template:Convert Template:Percent Template:Date table sorting[27]
Rozvi Empire 0.624[31] Template:Convert Template:Percent Template:Date table sorting[31]
Austro-Hungarian Empire Template:Convert Template:Significant figures[32] Template:Percent Template:Date table sorting[32]
Caliphate of Córdoba 0.6[13] Template:Convert Template:Percent Template:Date table sorting[13]
First Portuguese Empire 0.6[13] Template:Convert Template:Percent Template:Date table sorting[13]
Visigothic Kingdom 0.6[16] Template:Convert Template:Percent Template:Date table sorting[16]
Zhou dynasty 0.55[33] Template:Convert Template:Percent Template:Date table sorting[33]
Sikh Empire Template:Convert 0.20[34] Template:Percent Template:Date table sorting[34]
Emirate of Córdoba 0.5[13] Template:Convert Template:Percent Template:Date table sorting[13]
Kosala 0.5[16] Template:Convert Template:Percent Template:Date table sorting[16]
Lydia 0.5[27] Template:Convert Template:Percent Template:Date table sorting[27]
Magadha 0.5[16] Template:Convert Template:Percent Template:Date table sorting[16]
Middle Kingdom of Egypt 0.5[27] Template:Convert Template:Percent Template:Date table sorting[27]
Neo-Babylonian Empire 0.5[27] Template:Convert Template:Percent Template:Date table sorting[27]
Satavahana dynasty 0.5[16] Template:Convert Template:Percent Template:Date table sorting[16]
Twenty-fifth Dynasty of Egypt 0.5[27] Template:Convert Template:Percent Template:Date table sorting[27]
Western Satraps 0.5[16] Template:Convert Template:Percent Template:Date table sorting[16]
New Hittite Kingdom 0.45[27] Template:Convert Template:Percent Template:Date table sortingTemplate:Spaced en dashTemplate:Date table sorting[27]
Xia dynasty 0.45[27] Template:Convert Template:Percent Template:Date table sorting[27]
Bulgarian Empire 0.4[35]Template:Request quotation Template:Convert Template:Percent Template:Date table sorting[35]Template:Request quotation
Kingdom of France (Middle Ages) 0.4[13] Template:Convert Template:Percent Template:Date table sorting[13]
Middle Assyrian Empire 0.4[27] Template:Convert Template:Percent Template:Date table sorting[27]
Old Kingdom of Egypt 0.4[27] Template:Convert Template:Percent Template:Date table sorting[27]
Sokoto Caliphate 0.4[36] Template:Convert Template:Percent Template:Date table sorting[36]
Latin Empire 0.35[16] Template:Convert Template:Percent Template:Date table sorting[16]
Ancient Carthage 0.3[16] Template:Convert Template:Percent Template:Date table sorting[16]
Indus Valley CivilisationTemplate:Efn 0.3[33] Template:Convert Template:Percent Template:Date table sorting[33]
Mitanni 0.3[27] Template:Convert Template:Percent Template:Date table sortingTemplate:Spaced en dashTemplate:Date table sorting[27]
Ashanti Empire 0.25[37] Template:Convert Template:Percent Template:Date table sorting[37]
First Babylonian Empire 0.25[27] Template:Convert Template:Percent Template:Date table sorting[27]
Aztec Empire 0.22[13] Template:Convert Template:Percent Template:Date table sorting[13]
Zulu Empire Template:Convert 0.08[38] Template:Percent Template:Date table sorting[38]
Elamite Empire 0.2[27] Template:Convert Template:Percent Template:Date table sorting[27]
Phrygia 0.2[27] Template:Convert Template:Percent Template:Date table sorting[27]
Second Dynasty of Isin 0.2[27] Template:Convert Template:Percent Template:Date table sorting[27]
Urartu 0.2[27] Template:Convert Template:Percent Template:Date table sorting[27]
Eastern Zhou 0.15[27] Template:Convert Template:Percent Template:Date table sorting[27]
Middle Hittite Kingdom 0.15[27] Template:Convert Template:Percent Template:Date table sorting[27]
Old Assyrian Empire 0.15[27] Template:Convert Template:Percent Template:Date table sorting[27]
Old Hittite Empire 0.15[27] Template:Convert Template:Percent Template:Date table sorting[27]
Oyo Empire 0.15[39] Template:Convert Template:Percent Template:Date table sorting[39]
Bornu Empire Template:Convert 0.05[40] Template:Percent Template:Date table sorting[40]
Larsa 0.1[27] Template:Convert Template:Percent Template:Date table sortingTemplate:Spaced en dashTemplate:Date table sorting[27]
Neo-Sumerian Empire 0.1[27] Template:Convert Template:Percent Template:Date table sorting[27]
Tarascan empire 0.075[41] Template:Convert Template:Percent Template:Date table sorting[41]
Lagash 0.05[33] Template:Convert Template:Percent Template:Date table sorting[33]
Sumer 0.05[27] Template:Convert Template:Percent Template:Date table sorting[27]
Template:Notelist

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.[42] Template:Sticky header

Empire Land area Year
Million km2 Million sq mi
Upper and Lower Egypt 0.1[27] Template:Convert Template:Date table sorting[27]
Old Kingdom of Egypt 0.25[27] Template:Convert Template:Date table sorting[27]
0.4[27] Template:Convert Template:Date table sorting[27]
Akkadian Empire 0.65[27] Template:Convert Template:Date table sorting[27]
0.8[27] Template:Convert Template:Date table sorting[27]
New Kingdom of Egypt 1.0[27] Template:Convert Template:Date table sorting[27]
Shang dynasty 1.25[27] Template:Convert Template:Date table sorting[27]
Neo-Assyrian Empire 1.4[27] Template:Convert Template:Date table sorting[27]
Median EmpireTemplate:Efn 2.8[16] Template:Convert Template:Date table sorting[16]
Achaemenid Empire 3.6[16] Template:Convert Template:Date table sorting[16]
5.5[16] Template:Convert Template:Date table sorting[16]
Xiongnu Empire 9.0[16] Template:Convert Template:Date table sorting[16]
Umayyad Caliphate 11.1[13] Template:Convert Template:Date table sorting[13]
Mongol Empire 13.5[13] Template:Convert Template:Date table sorting[13]
24.0[13] Template:Convert Template:Date table sorting[13]
British Empire 24.5[13] Template:Convert Template:Date table sorting[13]
35.5[13] Template:Convert Template:Date table sorting[13]
Template:Notelist

Timeline of largest empires at the time

Empire Land area during time
as largest empire 		Approximate period[33]
Million km2[33] Million sq mi
Upper Egypt 0.1 Template:Convert Template:Date table sorting
Old Kingdom of Egypt 0.25–0.4 Template:Convert–Template:Convert Template:Date table sortingTemplate:Spaced en dashTemplate:Date table sorting
Akkadian Empire 0.2–0.6 Template:Convert–Template:Convert Template:Date table sortingTemplate:Spaced en dashTemplate:Date table sorting
Indus Valley CivilisationTemplate:Efn 0.15 Template:Convert Template:Date table sorting
Middle Kingdom of Egypt 0.2–0.5 Template:Convert–Template:Convert Template:Date table sortingTemplate:Spaced en dashTemplate:Date table sorting
Xia dynasty 0.4 Template:Convert Template:Date table sorting
Hyksos 0.65 Template:Convert Template:Date table sorting
New Kingdom of Egypt 0.65–1.0 Template:Convert–Template:Convert Template:Date table sortingTemplate:Spaced en dashTemplate:Date table sorting
Shang dynasty 0.9–1.1 Template:Convert–Template:Convert Template:Date table sortingTemplate:Spaced en dashTemplate:Date table sorting
New Kingdom of Egypt 0.5–0.6 Template:Convert–Template:Convert Template:Date table sortingTemplate:Spaced en dashTemplate:Date table sorting
Zhou dynasty 0.35–0.45 Template:Convert–Template:Convert Template:Date table sortingTemplate:Spaced en dashTemplate:Date table sorting
Neo-Assyrian Empire 0.4–1.4 Template:Convert–Template:Convert Template:Date table sortingTemplate:Spaced en dashTemplate:Date table sorting
Median EmpireTemplate:Efn 3.0 Template:Convert Template:Date table sorting
Achaemenid Empire 2.5–5.5 Template:Convert–Template:Convert Template:Date table sortingTemplate:Spaced en dashTemplate:Date table sorting
Macedonian Empire 5.2 Template:Convert Template:Date table sorting
Seleucid Empire 4.0 Template:Convert Template:Date table sorting
Maurya Empire 3.5 Template:Convert Template:Date table sorting
Han dynasty 2.5 Template:Convert Template:Date table sorting
Xiongnu Empire 5.7 Template:Convert Template:Date table sorting
Han dynasty 4.2–6.5 Template:Convert–Template:Convert Template:Date table sortingTemplate:Spaced en dashTemplate:Date table sorting AD
Roman Empire 4.4 Template:Convert Template:Date table sorting–Template:Date table sorting
Sasanian Empire 3.5 Template:Convert Template:Date table sorting
Hunnic Empire 4.0 Template:Convert Template:Date table sorting
Sasanian Empire 3.5 Template:Convert Template:Date table sorting
Göktürk Khaganate 3.0–5.2 Template:Convert–Template:Convert Template:Date table sorting–Template:Date table sorting
Rashidun Caliphate 5.2 Template:Convert Template:Date table sorting
Umayyad Caliphate 9.0–11.0 Template:Convert–Template:Convert Template:Date table sorting–Template:Date table sorting
Abbasid Caliphate 8.3–11.0 Template:Convert–Template:Convert Template:Date table sorting–Template:Date table sorting
Tibet 2.5–4.7 Template:Convert–Template:Convert Template:Date table sorting–Template:Date table sorting
Song dynasty 3.0 Template:Convert Template:Date table sorting
Seljuk Empire 3.0–4.0 Template:Convert–Template:Convert Template:Date table sorting–Template:Date table sorting
Tibet 2.5 Template:Convert Template:Date table sorting
Jin dynasty (1115–1234) 2.3 Template:Convert Template:Date table sorting
Mongol Empire 18.0–24.0 Template:Convert–Template:Convert Template:Date table sorting–Template:Date table sorting
Yuan dynasty 11.0 Template:Convert Template:Date table sorting
Timurid Empire 4.0 Template:Convert Template:Date table sorting
Ming dynasty 4.7–6.5 Template:Convert–Template:Convert Template:Date table sorting–Template:Date table sorting
Ottoman Empire 4.3 Template:Convert Template:Date table sorting
Tsardom of Russia 6.0–12.0 Template:Convert–Template:Convert Template:Date table sorting–Template:Date table sorting
Russian Empire 14.0–17.0 Template:Convert–Template:Convert Template:Date table sorting–Template:Date table sorting
British Empire 23.0–34.0 Template:Convert–Template:Convert Template:Date table sorting–Template:Date table sorting
Soviet Union 22.5 Template:Convert Template:Date table sorting–Template:Date table sorting
Template:Notelist

Largest empires by share of world population

File:The Harmsworth atlas and Gazetter 1908 (135853022).jpg
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.[43] 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.[44]

Empire Empire population
as percentage of
world population[45] 		Year[45]
Qing dynasty 37 Template:Date table sorting
Northern Song dynasty 33 Template:Date table sorting
Western Han dynasty 32 Template:Date table sorting
Mongol Empire 31 Template:Date table sorting
Roman Empire 30 Template:Date table sorting
Jin dynasty (266–420) 28 Template:Date table sorting
Ming dynasty 28 Template:Date table sorting
Qin dynasty 24 Template:Date table sorting
Mughal Empire 24 Template:Date table sorting
Tang dynasty 23 Template:Date table sorting
Delhi Sultanate 23 Template:Date table sorting
British Empire 23 Template:Date table sorting
Empire of Japan 20 Template:Date table sorting
Maurya Empire 19 Template:Date table sorting
Former Qin 19 Template:Date table sorting
Northern Zhou 16 Template:Date table sorting
Macedonian Empire 15 Template:Date table sorting
Empire of Harsha 15 Template:Date table sorting
Gupta Empire 13 Template:Date table sorting
Northern Wei 13 Template:Date table sorting
Umayyad Caliphate 13 Template:Date table sorting
Achaemenid Empire 12 Template:Date table sorting
Former Yan 12 Template:Date table sorting
Jin dynasty (1115–1234) 12 Template:Date table sorting
Nazi Germany 12 Template:Date table sorting

See also

References

  1. ↑ Size and duration of empires: Systematics of size. Social Science Research({Template:Date).
  2. ↑ Expansion and Contraction Patterns of Large Polities: Context for Russia. International Studies Quarterly({Template:Date).
  3. ↑ Size and duration of empires: Systematics of size. Social Science Research({Template:Date).
  4. ↑ The Oxford World History of Empire: Volume One: The Imperial Experience{{#if:|, {{{last}}}}. Oxford University Press(2020). ISBN 978-0-19-977311-4
  5. ↑ Size and duration of empires: Systematics of size. Social Science Research({Template:Date).
  6. ↑ Size and Duration of Empires: Growth-Decline Curves, 3000 to 600 B.C.. Social Science Research({Template:Date).
  7. ↑ Size and Duration of Empires: Growth-Decline Curves, 600 B.C. to 600 A.D.. Social Science History({Template:Date).
  8. ↑ Expansion and Contraction Patterns of Large Polities: Context for Russia. International Studies Quarterly({Template:Date).
  9. ↑ More People, Fewer States{{#if:|, {{{last}}}}. Cambridge University Press(2024). ISBN 978-1-009-42783-8
  10. ↑ Size and Duration of Empires: Growth-Decline Curves, 600 B.C. to 600 A.D.. Social Science History({Template:Date).
  11. ↑ World. Central Intelligence Agency(2022-07-18).
  12. ↑ Imperialism: From the Colonial Age to the Present{{#if:Magdoff|, Magdoff}. NYU Press(1979). ISBN 978-0-85345-498-4
  13. ↑ 13.000 13.001 13.002 13.003 13.004 13.005 13.006 13.007 13.008 13.009 13.010 13.011 13.012 13.013 13.014 13.015 13.016 13.017 13.018 13.019 13.020 13.021 13.022 13.023 13.024 13.025 13.026 13.027 13.028 13.029 13.030 13.031 13.032 13.033 13.034 13.035 13.036 13.037 13.038 13.039 13.040 13.041 13.042 13.043 13.044 13.045 13.046 13.047 13.048 13.049 13.050 13.051 13.052 13.053 13.054 13.055 13.056 13.057 13.058 13.059 13.060 13.061 13.062 13.063 13.064 13.065 13.066 13.067 13.068 13.069 13.070 13.071 13.072 13.073 13.074 13.075 13.076 13.077 13.078 13.079 13.080 13.081 13.082 13.083 13.084 13.085 13.086 13.087 13.088 13.089 13.090 13.091 13.092 13.093 13.094 13.095 13.096 13.097 13.098 13.099 13.100 13.101 13.102 13.103 13.104 13.105 13.106 13.107 13.108 13.109 13.110 13.111 13.112 13.113 13.114 13.115 13.116 13.117 13.118 13.119 13.120 13.121 13.122 13.123 13.124 13.125 Expansion and Contraction Patterns of Large Polities: Context for Russia. International Studies Quarterly({Template:Date).
  14. ↑ 14.000 14.001 14.002 14.003 14.004 14.005 14.006 14.007 14.008 14.009 14.010 14.011 14.012 14.013 14.014 14.015 14.016 14.017 14.018 14.019 14.020 14.021 14.022 14.023 14.024 14.025 14.026 14.027 14.028 14.029 14.030 14.031 14.032 14.033 14.034 14.035 14.036 14.037 14.038 14.039 14.040 14.041 14.042 14.043 14.044 14.045 14.046 14.047 14.048 14.049 14.050 14.051 14.052 14.053 14.054 14.055 14.056 14.057 14.058 14.059 14.060 14.061 14.062 14.063 14.064 14.065 14.066 14.067 14.068 14.069 14.070 14.071 14.072 14.073 14.074 14.075 14.076 14.077 14.078 14.079 14.080 14.081 14.082 14.083 14.084 14.085 14.086 14.087 14.088 14.089 14.090 14.091 14.092 14.093 14.094 14.095 14.096 14.097 14.098 14.099 14.100 14.101 14.102 14.103 14.104 14.105 14.106 14.107 14.108 14.109 14.110 14.111 14.112 14.113 14.114 14.115 14.116 14.117 14.118 14.119 East-West Orientation of Historical Empires. Journal of World-Systems Research({Template:Date).
  15. ↑ 15.0 15.1 More People, Fewer States: The Past and Future of World Population and Empire Sizes{{#if:Taagepera|, Taagepera}. Cambridge University Press(2024). ISBN 978-1-009-42780-7
  16. ↑ 16.000 16.001 16.002 16.003 16.004 16.005 16.006 16.007 16.008 16.009 16.010 16.011 16.012 16.013 16.014 16.015 16.016 16.017 16.018 16.019 16.020 16.021 16.022 16.023 16.024 16.025 16.026 16.027 16.028 16.029 16.030 16.031 16.032 16.033 16.034 16.035 16.036 16.037 16.038 16.039 16.040 16.041 16.042 16.043 16.044 16.045 16.046 16.047 16.048 16.049 16.050 16.051 16.052 16.053 16.054 16.055 16.056 16.057 16.058 16.059 16.060 16.061 16.062 16.063 16.064 16.065 16.066 16.067 16.068 16.069 16.070 16.071 16.072 16.073 16.074 16.075 16.076 16.077 16.078 16.079 16.080 16.081 16.082 16.083 16.084 16.085 16.086 16.087 16.088 16.089 16.090 16.091 16.092 16.093 16.094 16.095 16.096 16.097 16.098 16.099 16.100 16.101 16.102 16.103 16.104 16.105 16.106 16.107 16.108 16.109 16.110 16.111 16.112 16.113 16.114 16.115 16.116 Size and Duration of Empires: Growth-Decline Curves, 600 B.C. to 600 A.D.. Social Science History({Template:Date).
  17. ↑ 17.0 17.1 Área Territorial Brasileira. www.ibge.gov.br. Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics. Retrieved 16 October 2016.
  18. ↑ 18.0 18.1 The Dialectics of Remembrance: Memories of Empire in Cold War Japan. Comparative Studies in Society and History({Template:Date).
  19. ↑ 19.0 19.1 The Rise and Fall of the Japanese Empire{{#if:James|, James}. Routledge(2010-11-01). ISBN 9781136925467
  20. ↑ 20.00 20.01 20.02 20.03 20.04 20.05 20.06 20.07 20.08 20.09 The Oxford World History of Empire: Volume One: The Imperial Experience{{#if:|, {{{last}}}}. Oxford University Press(2020). ISBN 978-0-19-977311-4
  21. ↑ 21.0 21.1 Myths, Misdeeds and Misunderstandings: The Roots of Conflict in US-Mexican Relations{{#if:|, {{{last}}}}. Scholarly Resources Inc.(1997). ISBN 0-8420-2662-2
  22. ↑ 22.0 22.1 The Economics of World War II: Six Great Powers in International Comparison{{#if:Harrison|, Harrison}. Cambridge University Press(2000). ISBN 978-0-521-78503-7
  23. ↑ 23.0 23.1 Template:Cite EB1911
  24. ↑ 24.0 24.1 Denmark and Russia: What can we learn from the historical comparison of two great Arctic agricultural empires?. European Historical Economics Society(June 2020). Retrieved 2020-07-04.
  25. ↑ 25.0 25.1 European Colonial Expansion Since 1871{{#if:|, {{{last}}}}. J.B. Lippincott(1941)
  26. ↑ 26.0 26.1 26.2 26.3 A theory for formation of large empires. Journal of Global History({Template:Date).
  27. ↑ 27.00 27.01 27.02 27.03 27.04 27.05 27.06 27.07 27.08 27.09 27.10 27.11 27.12 27.13 27.14 27.15 27.16 27.17 27.18 27.19 27.20 27.21 27.22 27.23 27.24 27.25 27.26 27.27 27.28 27.29 27.30 27.31 27.32 27.33 27.34 27.35 27.36 27.37 27.38 27.39 27.40 27.41 27.42 27.43 27.44 27.45 27.46 27.47 27.48 27.49 27.50 27.51 27.52 27.53 27.54 27.55 27.56 27.57 27.58 27.59 27.60 27.61 27.62 27.63 27.64 27.65 27.66 27.67 27.68 27.69 Size and Duration of Empires: Growth-Decline Curves, 3000 to 600 B.C.. Social Science Research({Template:Date).
  28. ↑ 28.0 28.1 A Class-book of Modern Geography: With Examination Questions{{#if:Hughes|, Hughes}. G. Philip & Son(1873)
  29. ↑ 29.0 29.1 Swedish defensive fortress warfare in the Great Northern War 1702–1710{{#if:Sundberg|, Sundberg}. Åbo Akademis förlag(2018). ISBN 978-951-765-897-3
  30. ↑ 30.0 30.1 Տիգրան Մեծի անձի և գործունեության գնահատականի շուրջ. Vem({Template:Date).
  31. ↑ 31.0 31.1 Lost Lands and Forgotten People{{#if:Cornell|, Cornell}. Sterling Publishing Company(1978). ISBN 978-0-8069-3926-1
  32. ↑ 32.0 32.1 Template:Cite EB1911
  33. ↑ 33.0 33.1 33.2 33.3 33.4 33.5 33.6 33.7 Size and duration of empires: Systematics of size. Social Science Research({Template:Date).
  34. ↑ 34.0 34.1 The First Anglo-Sikh War{{#if:Singh|, Singh}. Amberley Publishing Limited(2010-08-15). ISBN 978-1-4456-2038-1
  35. ↑ 35.0 35.1 Българската езическа култура VII -IX в./Bulgarian Pagan Culture VII – IX cтр. 38{{#if:|, {{{last}}}}. Класика и стил(2008). ISBN 9789543270392
  36. ↑ 36.0 36.1 The European Colonial Empires: 1815-1919{{#if:Wesseling|, Wesseling}. Routledge(2015-10-23). ISBN 978-1-317-89507-7
  37. ↑ 37.0 37.1 Africans: The History of a Continent{{#if:Iliffe|, Iliffe}. Cambridge University Press(1995-08-25). ISBN 978-0-521-48422-0
  38. ↑ 38.0 38.1 The Rise of a Zulu Empire. Scientific American({Template:Date).
  39. ↑ 39.0 39.1 Africa and Africans in the Making of the Atlantic World, 1400-1800{{#if:Thornton|, Thornton}. Cambridge University Press(1998-04-28). ISBN 978-0-521-62724-5
  40. ↑ 40.0 40.1 A Class-book of Modern Geography: With Examination Questions, Notes, & Index{{#if:|, {{{last}}}}. G. Philip & son(1892)
  41. ↑ 41.0 41.1 Template:Cite thesis
  42. ↑ Expansion and Contraction Patterns of Large Polities: Context for Russia. International Studies Quarterly({Template:Date).
  43. ↑ The Oxford World History of Empire: Volume One: The Imperial Experience{{#if:|, {{{last}}}}. Oxford University Press(2020). ISBN 978-0-19-977311-4
  44. ↑ Ecology and Power: Struggles over Land and Material Resources in the Past, Present and Future{{#if:Myrdal|, Myrdal}. Routledge(2013). ISBN 978-1-136-33529-7
  45. ↑ 45.0 45.1 The Oxford World History of Empire: Volume One: The Imperial Experience{{#if:|, {{{last}}}}. Oxford University Press(2020). ISBN 978-0-19-977311-4

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