Largest Deserts in the World Ranked by Size
Published: 17 Mar 2026
Most people think the Sahara is the largest desert in the world, but that’s actually incorrect. The world’s largest desert is Antarctica, a massive polar desert covered in ice that receives very little rainfall each year.
Deserts are some of the most extreme environments on Earth. While many deserts are known for scorching heat and endless sand dunes, others are cold, rocky and frozen.
In this guide, you’ll discover the 10 largest deserts in the world ranked by size, including hot and cold deserts across different continents. You’ll also learn which desert is the biggest, how deserts are classified, see the largest deserts by continent and explore fascinating facts about these unique landscapes.
What Is a Desert?
A desert is a dry region that receives very little rainfall, usually less than 250 mm (10 inches) of precipitation annually. Deserts can be hot, cold, sandy, rocky or even covered in ice. What defines a desert is not temperature, but extreme dryness and limited precipitation.
Many people imagine deserts as endless sand dunes and intense heat, but some of the world’s largest deserts are actually frozen polar deserts. Antarctica, for example, is the largest desert in the world because it receives very little rainfall throughout the year.
Despite the harsh conditions, desert ecosystems support specially adapted plants and animals. Some plants store water for long periods, while many desert animals survive by avoiding daytime heat or conserving moisture. These unique adaptations allow life to exist in some of the driest environments on Earth.
Deserts are generally divided into four main types:
- Hot and dry deserts
- Cold deserts
- Coastal deserts
- Semi-arid deserts
From the Sahara Desert in Africa to the icy Antarctic Desert, these arid regions cover nearly one-third of Earth’s land surface and play an important role in the planet’s climate and ecosystems.
World’s Largest Deserts Ranked by Total Area
The table below lists the 10 largest deserts in the world by total area, including hot and cold deserts, along with their size, type, and location. Antarctica and the Arctic dominate the ranking, while the Sahara is the largest hot desert on Earth.
| Rank | Desert | Area (km²) | Type | Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Antarctic Desert | 14,200,000 | Polar | Antarctica |
| 2 | Arctic Desert | 13,900,000 | Polar | Arctic Region |
| 3 | Sahara Desert | 9,200,000 | Hot | North Africa |
| 4 | Great Australian Desert | 2,700,000 | Hot | Australia |
| 5 | Arabian Desert | 2,330,000 | Hot | Middle East |
| 6 | Gobi Desert | 1,295,000 | Cold Winter | China & Mongolia |
| 7 | Kalahari Desert | 900,000 | Hot | Southern Africa |
| 8 | Patagonian Desert | 673,000 | Cold Winter | Argentina |
| 9 | Syrian Desert | 500,000 | Hot | Middle East |
| 10 | Great Basin Desert | 492,000 | Cold Winter | United States |
Map of the Largest Deserts in the World
This deserts map shows the largest deserts across continents, from Africa’s vast sands to Antarctica’s icy plains. With a glance, you can see where each desert sits and how massive they really are.
Top 10 Largest Deserts in the World
Below are the 10 largest deserts in the world ranked by total area. This list includes both hot and cold deserts, showing how extreme environments can exist across different continents.
1. Antarctic Desert
The Antarctic Desert is the largest desert in the world. It covers the entire continent of Antarctica and is classified as a cold desert because it receives extremely low precipitation despite being covered in ice.
2. Arctic Desert
Surrounding the North Pole, the Arctic Desert stretches across Canada, Russia, Greenland and other northern regions, remaining under ice for most of the year with little vegetation.
3. Sahara Desert
The Sahara is the largest hot desert in the world and the most famous desert in Africa. It stretches across multiple countries in North Africa and is known for its vast sand dunes and extreme temperatures.
4. Great Australian Desert
Located in central Australia, this desert region includes multiple smaller deserts. It is one of the driest areas on the continent, featuring sand dunes, rocky plains and sparse vegetation.
5. Arabian Desert
The Arabian Desert covers much of the Arabian Peninsula, especially Saudi Arabia. It is one of the hottest and driest deserts on Earth, with massive sand seas and harsh climate conditions.
6. Gobi Desert
The Gobi Desert lies between northern China and southern Mongolia. Unlike sandy deserts, it is mostly rocky and cold, with extreme seasonal temperature changes.
7. Kalahari Desert
The Kalahari is one of the biggest deserts in Africa, located in southern Africa. It is not completely dry and has some grass and plants. Many animals live here, making it different from typical deserts.
8. Patagonian Desert
The Patagonian Desert in Argentina is the largest desert in South America. It is dry, windy and cold with vast open plains shaped by strong winds.
9. Syrian Desert
The Syrian Desert lies across Syria, Jordan, Iraq, and Saudi Arabia. It is a rocky desert historically used as a trade and travel route across the Middle East.
10. Great Basin Desert
The Great Basin Desert in the United States is a cold desert characterized by mountain ranges and valleys. It experiences hot summers and freezing winters.
Biggest Deserts by Continent
Biggest Desert in Africa
The Sahara Desert is the largest desert in Africa and the largest hot desert in the world. It spans across multiple North African countries and is known for extreme heat, vast sand dunes and one of the harshest climates on Earth.
Biggest Desert in Asia
The Arabian Desert is the largest desert in Asia, covering much of the Arabian Peninsula. It features vast sand seas, rocky plains and extremely low rainfall throughout the year.
Biggest Desert in Australia
The Great Australian Desert is a collection of multiple desert regions that cover much of central Australia. It is one of the driest parts of the continent, with arid landscapes, dunes and sparse vegetation.
Biggest Desert in South America
The Patagonian Desert holds the title of the biggest desert in South America. Located in Argentina, it is a cold and windy desert shaped by strong winds and long-term rainfall shadows from the Andes Mountains.
Largest Desert in North America
In North America, the Great Basin Desert is the largest desert. It is a cold desert characterized by mountain ranges, dry valleys and extreme seasonal temperature changes.
Largest Desert in Antarctica
The Antarctic Desert is the largest desert on Earth and covers the entire continent of Antarctica. Despite being covered in ice, it is classified as a desert due to extremely low annual precipitation.
Does Europe Have a Large Desert?
Europe does not have a major true desert like other continents. However, some semi-arid and dry regions exist but none qualify as large desert systems.
Famous Deserts Around the World
Deserts are not just empty landscapes of sand. Many are famous because of their size, unique environments, and fascinating natural features.
The Sahara Desert is the largest hot desert in the world. It stretches across North Africa and is known for its vast sand dunes, extreme heat, and camel caravans used for travel in some regions.
The Gobi Desert in Asia is mostly made of rock and gravel rather than sand. It is also famous for important dinosaur fossil discoveries made by scientists.
Antarctica is a cold, icy desert and the largest desert in the world. Despite its frozen surface, it is classified as a desert because it receives extremely low rainfall.
Other well-known deserts such as the Kalahari, Patagonian, and Arabian deserts may be smaller, but each has its own unique climate, wildlife and landscape.
Together, these deserts show how diverse Earth’s dry regions can be, ranging from scorching sand dunes to frozen polar environments.
Is Antarctica the Largest Desert in the World?
Yes, the largest desert in the world is Antarctica. This may seem surprising because it is covered in ice but a desert is defined by precipitation, not temperature.
Antarctica receives extremely low annual rainfall, making it one of the driest places on Earth. Because of this, it is classified as a cold desert and is larger than all hot deserts, including the Sahara.
This shows that deserts are not always hot and sandy, they can also be icy, frozen and extreme environments.
Interesting Facts About the World’s Largest Deserts
Deserts aren’t just empty lands, they’re full of surprises! Here are some cool facts about the world’s biggest deserts:
- Antarctica is the largest desert in the world, but it’s covered in ice instead of sand. It hardly rains there, which is why it counts as a desert.
- The Sahara is the largest hot desert. Its sand dunes can move with the wind and sometimes cover entire villages!
- The Gobi Desert isn’t sandy at all, it’s mostly rocks and gravel. Scientists have found dinosaur fossils there.
- The Kalahari Desert has some plants and animals that you won’t see anywhere else, like the meerkat.
- The Patagonian Desert in South America is very windy and its dry plains make it look almost like a painting.
- Deserts can be hot or cold. Even the icy deserts like Antarctica or the Arctic count because they don’t get much rain.
- Life finds a way. Many deserts have plants and animals that survive with almost no water. Some cacti can store water for years and some desert foxes can survive extreme heat.
READ: Top 10 Highest Mountains in the World
READ: Major Mountain Ranges of the World
Summary
The world’s deserts are amazing and very diverse. Some, like the Sahara are hot and sandy, while others like Antarctica, are icy and cold. They cover millions of square kilometers and have unique plants, animals and landscapes.
Learn more about desert ecosystems and wildlife at National Geographic that helps us to understand how life adapts to extreme conditions and shows just how incredible our planet is. Whether hot, cold, sandy or rocky, deserts are full of surprises waiting to be explored.
Largest Desert in the World – FAQs
Antarctica is the world’s largest desert. It is classified as a cold desert because it receives extremely low precipitation and covers about 14 million square kilometers.
The largest hot desert in the world is the Sahara Desert. It spans across North Africa and covers around 9.2 million square kilometers.
No. The Sahara is the largest hot desert, but the largest desert overall is Antarctica.
The largest desert in the world, Antarctica, is located at the South Pole and covers the entire continent of Antarctica.
The largest cold desert in the world is Antarctica followed by the Arctic Desert.
The Sahara Desert is the most famous desert in the world, known for its vast sand dunes, extreme heat and iconic landscapes.
Deserts cover about 33–35% of Earth’s land surface including both hot and cold deserts.
