The Largest Empires In History, By The Numbers
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The Largest Empires In History, By The Numbers

Melissa Sartore
Updated October 14, 2024 9 items

What are the largest empires in history? 

That question is much more loaded than it may first appear to be. There's no single metric by which the size or influence of any empire is measured. As a result, there can be several answers to such a question. It's all in how you look at it.

The biggest empires in terms of land is generally considered to be the British Empire. But, when the population enters the conversation, several dynastic lines from Asia truly reign supreme. 

Then, there's influence. If one were to assess which empire left the biggest genetic imprint on history, Genghis Khan and his Mongolian legacy are still very much among us. Leadership, like that of Genghis Khan or someone like Alexander the Great in his vast Macedonian Empire, are also fair to consider. 

Culturally, groups like the Umayyads and the Persians made their own contributions, muddying the waters even more when trying to decipher which empire was the biggest. And, what about timespan? Egyptians ruled for thousands of years and, arguably, the Roman Empire continued through the Byzantine Empire and well into the 14th century.

Collectively, these factors make determining the biggest world empires a challenge. But, by looking at land and population at an empire's peak, it's possible to get clarity about just how much influence an empire really had. Below you will find the dates each of the largest empires existed, when they peaked, and the amount of land they controlled (out of the 57 million square miles on Earth) when they were at their biggest. Then, you'll find out exactly why they ultimately came to an end. 

  • The British Empire

    The British Empire

    Years: c. 1496 to 1997, with its peak in 1919-1920

    Square Miles: 13.71 million (the British dominated the sea, as well)

    Percentage Of The Planet: 24.1%

    Population At Its Peak: About 500 million people

    Why It Collapsed: The peak of the British Empire after World War I was followed by its demise in the aftermath of World War II. Weakened militarily and economically, the British Empire struggled to maintain influence and control over its colonies. 

    Independence movements in India, Ghana, and Malaya during the 1940s and 1950s were followed by the systematic decolonization of British lands worldwide. When the British returned Hong Kong to Chinese control in 1997, it marked the essential end of the Empire upon which the sun once never set. That said, Britain still controls islands and territories around the world. 

  • The Mongol Empire

    The Mongol Empire

    Years: 1206 to 1368, with its peak in 1270 or 1309

    Square Miles: 9.27 million

    Percentage Of The Planet: 15.8%

    Population At Its Peak: Over 100 million people

    Why It Collapsed: When Genghis Khan died in 1227, his expansive empire was divided among four of his male heirs. Continued growth of Mongol domination over Eurasia continued, but in-fighting and struggles over succession ultimately weakened their overall hold. Disease also contributed to the Mongol downfall, with the plague ravaging large areas under their control. After the Yuan Dynasty, established by Genghis Khan's grandson, Kublai Khan, collapsed in 1368, it was essentially the end of what had once been the largest contiguous empire the world has ever seen.

    Despite the end of Mongol rule, Genghis Khan's legacy endures. Scientists estimated in 2003 that there were no fewer than 16 million male descendants of the medieval warrior living at that time.

  • The Russian Empire

    The Russian Empire

    Years: 1721 to 1917, with its peak c. 1895

    Square Miles: 8.8 million

    Percentage Of The Planet: 15.4%

    Population At Its Peak: Roughly 126 million people

    Why It Collapsed: The end of the Russian Empire came with the abdication of Emperor Nicholas II on March 15, 1917. While his abdication ended the Romanov dynasty and coincided with the start of the Russian Revolution, the decline of the empire began decades earlier. 

    Ineffective leadership, the events of WWI, and overall social and economic instability in the expansive yet mostly rural Russian empire essentially reached its breaking point in 1917. When Russia entered into the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk in 1918 and withdrew from WWI, it was because the new leader, Vladimir Lenin, had come to power with heavy support from poor, war-weary Russians. 

  • Qing Dynasty

    Qing Dynasty

    Years: 1644-1912, with its peak in c. 1790

    Square Miles: 5.68 square miles

    Percentage Of The Planet: 10%

    Population At Its Peak: c. 430 million people

    Why It Collapsed: The demise of the Qing dynasty came after years of failed reforms, natural disasters, and revolution. In 1898, the Guangxu Emperor's Hundred Days' Reforms movement aimed to institute a constitutional monarchy in China. Additional changes to the educational system, economic policies, and military practices were met with staunch opposition from conservatives. Empress Dowager Cixi led a coup d'etat, exiling and executing the reformers in the process. 

    Drought and famine exacerbated discontent among the peasant population, contributing to the Boxer Rebellion of 1899 to 1901. Chinese opposition to foreign, imperialistic, and Christian influences ultimately failed but the efforts also weakened the Qing government still further. Another set of reforms was introduced by Cixi in 1901 - many of which echoed the ones that had failed just a few years earlier - but the subsequent uprising in 1911 sealed the fate of the Qing dynasty. The abdication of Emperor Puyi in 1912 set the stage for the establishment of the Republic of China. 

  • Spanish Empire

    Spanish Empire

    Years: 1492-1968, with its peak in 1810

    Square Miles: 5.29 million

    Percentage Of The Planet: 9.3%

    Population At Its Peak: 18.8 million c. 1760

    Why It Collapsed: Spain's imperial dominance in the Americas, in the Pacific, and in parts of Europe was undone by outside forces as well as internal strife. During the early 1800s, independence movements in the Americas drove out the Spanish administration while intervention by the United States pushed the once-dominant global power out of areas such as the Philippines by the end of the 19th century.

    Arguably, the loss of the Philipines in 1898 marked the end of one phase of imperial Spain. It wasn't until 1968, however, that Spain's last African colony, Equatorial Guinea, claimed independence. 

    The cultural legacy of the Spanish Empire remains very much intact. Hundreds of millions of people speak Spanish worldwide, while Catholicism has 1.375 billion adherents around the globe.

  • Islamic Caliphate

    Islamic Caliphate

    Years: 661-750 CE (Umayyad), 750-1258 CE (Abbasid), with a peak between 720 and 750 CE

    Square Miles: 4.29 million

    Percentage Of The Planet: 7.5%

    Population At Its Peak: 62 million

    Why It Collapsed: The Umayyad Caliphate was overthrown by the Abbasids in 750, and while the Umayyads sought refuge in Iberia, their usurpers continued to dominate southwest Asia, the Middle East, and North Africa. 

    The nature of Islamic rule was such that religion and politics were indistinguishable, but the expansion of the Abbasid realm weakened unity in the political sphere. By 1258 CE, outside incursions - namely when the Mongols sacked Baghdad - pushed the Abbasids into Egypt. From that point forward, the Abbasids had little influence outside of a small area, marking the end of the caliphate.