Rank |
Name |
Type |
Image |
Area (km2) |
Area (sq mi) |
Location[note 1] |
Nation(s)
|
1 |
Antarctic Desert |
Polar ice and tundra |
 |
14,200,000,000,000,000 14,200,000[1] |
05,482,651 5,482,651 |
Antarctica |
N/A
|
2 |
Arctic Desert |
Polar ice and tundra |
 |
13,900,000 13,900,000[1] |
05,366,820 5,366,820 |
Eastern Europe Northern America Northern Asia Northern Europe |
United States (Alaska), Canada (Yukon, Nunavut and Northwest Territories), Finland, Greenland, Iceland, Norway (Svalbard and Jan Mayen), Russia (Siberia), and Sweden
|
3 |
Saharan Desert |
Subtropical |
 |
09,200,000 9,200,000[1] |
03,552,140 3,552,140 |
Eastern Africa Middle Africa Northern Africa Western Africa |
Algeria, Chad, Egypt, Eritrea, Libya, Mali, Mauritania, Morocco, the Niger, the Sudan, Tunisia, and Western Sahara
|
4 |
Arabian Desert |
Subtropical |
 |
02,330,000 2,330,000[2] |
00,899,618 899,618 |
Middle East |
Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Israel, Palestine and Yemen
|
5 |
Great Australian Desert |
Subtropical |
 |
01,371,000 1,371,000[3] |
00,529,346 529,346 |
Australasia |
Australia
|
6 |
Gobi Desert |
Cold winter |
 |
01,295,000 1,295,000[1] |
00,500,002 500,002 |
Eastern Asia |
China and Mongolia
|
7 |
Kalahari Desert |
Subtropical |
 |
00,900,000 900,000[4] |
00,347,492 347,492 |
Southern Africa |
Botswana, Namibia, and South Africa
|
8 |
Patagonian Desert |
Cold winter |
 |
00,673,000 673,000[1] |
00,259,847 259,847 |
South America |
Argentina and Chile
|
9 |
Syrian Desert |
Subtropical |
 |
00,500,000 500,000[5] |
00,193,051 193,051 |
Western Asia |
Iraq, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Syria
|
10 |
Great Basin Desert |
Cold winter |
 |
00,492,098 492,098[5] |
00,190,000 190,000 |
Northern America |
Nevada, Utah, California and Idaho (United States)
|
11 |
Chihuahuan Desert |
Subtropical |
 |
00,453,248 453,248[5] |
00,175,000 175,000 |
Central America Northern America |
Mexico and the United States
|
12 |
Karakum Desert |
Cold winter |
 |
00,350,000 350,000[5] |
00,135,136 135,136 |
Central Asia |
Turkmenistan
|
– |
Great Victoria Desert[note 2] |
Subtropical |
 |
00,348,750 348,750[1] |
00,134,653 134,653 |
Australasia |
Australia
|
13 |
Taklamakan Desert |
Cold winter |
 |
00,270,000 337,000 |
00,104,248 130,191 |
Eastern Asia |
China
|
14 |
Colorado Plateau |
Cold winter |
 |
00,337,000 336,700[5] |
00,130,116 130,116 |
Northern America |
United States
|
15 |
Sonoran Desert |
Subtropical |
 |
00,310,000 310,000[5] |
00,119,692 119,692 |
Central America Northern America |
Mexico and the United States
|
16 |
Kyzylkum Desert |
Cold winter |
 |
00,300,000 300,000[5] |
00,115,831 115,831 |
Central Asia |
Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan
|
17 |
Ogaden Desert |
Subtropical |
 |
00,256,000 256,000 |
00,098,842 98,842 |
Eastern Africa |
Ethiopia, Somalia, and Somaliland
|
18 |
Thar Desert |
Subtropical |
 |
238,254[6] |
00,077,220 77,220 |
Southern Asia |
India and Pakistan
|
19
|
Puntland Desert |
Subtropical |
 |
00,200,000 200,000 |
00,077,220 77,220 |
Eastern Africa |
Somalia
|
20 |
Ustyurt Plateau |
Temperate |
 |
00,200,000 200,000 |
00,077,220 77,220 |
Central Asia |
Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan
|
21 |
Guban Desert |
Subtropical |
 |
00,175,000 175,000 |
00,067,568 67,568 |
Eastern Africa |
Somalia/Somaliland
|
22 |
Namib Desert |
Cool coastal |
 |
00,160,000 160,000 |
00,061,776 61,776 |
Middle Africa Southern Africa |
Angola, Namibia, and South Africa
|
23 |
Margo Desert |
Subtropical |
|
00,150,000 150,000 |
00,057,915 57,915 |
Southern Asia |
Afghanistan
|
24 |
Registan Desert |
Subtropical |
|
00,146,000 146,000 |
00,056,371 56,371 |
Southern Asia |
Afghanistan
|
25 |
Atacama Desert |
Mild coastal |
 |
00,140,000 140,000[5] |
00,054,054 54,054 |
South America |
Chile and Peru
|
26 |
Danakil Desert |
Subtropical |
 |
00,137,000 137,000 |
00,052,896 52,896 |
Eastern Africa |
Djibouti, Eritrea, and Ethiopia
|
27 |
Mojave Desert |
Subtropical |
 |
00,124,000 124,000[7][8] |
00,047,877 47,877 |
Northern America |
United States
|
28 |
Chalbi Desert |
Subtropical |
 |
00,100,000 100,000 |
00,038,610 38,610 |
Eastern Africa |
Kenya
|
29 |
Columbia Basin |
Cold winter |
 |
00,083,139 83,139[5] |
00,032,100 32,100 |
Northern America |
Canada and the United States
|
30 |
Kavir Desert |
Subtropical |
 |
00,077,000 77,000[9] |
00,029,730 29,730 |
Southern Asia |
Iran
|
31 |
Ferlo Desert |
Subtropical |
 |
00,070,000 70,000 |
00,027,027 27,027 |
Western Africa |
Senegal
|
32 |
Ladakh Desert[10] |
Cold winter |
 |
00,059,146 59,146 |
00,022,836 22,836 |
Southern Asia |
India
|
33 |
Lut Desert |
Subtropical |
 |
00,052,000 52,000[9] |
00,020,077 20,077 |
Southern Asia |
Iran
|