| Empire | Land area (million km2) | Contiguous[original research?] | Era | Population (million) | % of world population |
| 11a | 0 | a | -9999 | 0 | 0 |
| British Empire | 33.7 | No | 1922[2] | 458 (in 1938)[3] | 23.1% (458 million out of 2.295 billion in 1938)[3] |
| Mongol Empire | 33.0 | Yes | 1270 or 1309[4] | 110.0 (in the 13th century)[5] | 25.6% (110.0 million out of 429 million[6] in the 13th century) |
| Russian Empire | 23.7 | Yes | 1866[7][8] | 176.4 in 1913 | 9.8% (176.4 million out of 1.791 billion[9] in 1913) |
| Spanish Empire | 20.0 | No | 1740-1790 approx[10] | 68.2 [11] | 12.3% (68.2 million out of 556 million[9] in the 17th century) |
| Qing Empire, China | 14.7 | Yes | 1790[7][8] | 432.2 in 1851.[12] | 36.6% (381.0 million out of 1.041 billion in 1820)[9] |
| Yuan Dynasty | 14.0 | Yes | 1310[8] | 59.8 in 1291.[13][14] | 17.1% (59.8 million out of 350 million in 1290) |
| Umayyad Caliphate | 13.0 | Yes | 720 or 750[15] | 62.0 (in the 8th century)[16] | 29.5% (62.0 million out of 210 million[17] in the 7th century AD) |
| Second French Colonial Empire | 13.0 | No | 1938[10] | 112.9 in 1938 | 5.1% (112.9 million out of 2.295 billion in 1938) |
| Abbasid Caliphate | 11.1 | Yes | 750[8] | | 20.0% (50.0 million out of 250 million in 850)[9] |
| Portuguese Empire | 10.4 | No | 1815[10] | | |
| Rashidun Caliphate | 9.0 | Yes | 654[8][18] | | 19.1% (40.3 million out of 210 million in 7th century) |
| Empire of Brazil | 8.5 | Yes | 1880, similar to the Federative Republic of Brazil of today [10] | |
| Achaemenid Empire, Persia | 8.0 | Yes | BC 480[19] | 49.4 (in the 5th century BC)[20] | 44.0% (49.4 million out of 112.4 million[21] in the 5th century BC/480 BC)[20] |
| Japanese Empire | 7.4 | No | 1942[10] | 134.8 in 1938 | 5.9% (134.8 million out of 2.295 billion[9] in 1938) |
| Han Empire, China | 6.5 | Yes | 100[22] | 74.0 in 2[13][23] | 26.0% (59.6 million out of 230 million[9] in 2 AD) |
| Ming Empire, China | 6.5 | Yes | 1450[7][8] | 110.0 in 1600.[24][25] | 28.8% (160.0 million out of 556.2 million in 1600)[9] |
| Roman Empire | 6.5 | Yes | 117[26] | 80.0 (in 2nd century AD)[27][28] | 35.9% (80.0 million out of 223 million[27] in the 2nd century AD) |
| Nazi Germany | 6.4 | Yes | 1942 | 75.4 million out of 2.295 billion in 1938 | |
| Göktürk Khaganate | 6.0 | Yes | 557[7][22] | |
| Golden Horde Khanate | 6.0 | Yes | 1310[7][8] | |
| Uyghur Khaganate | 5.5 | Yes | 800[7][8] |
| Tang Empire, China | 5.4 | Yes | 715[7][8] | 53.0 in 755[13][29] | 28.0% (70.0 million out of 250 million in 850 AD)[9] |
| Empire of Alexander | 5.2 | Yes | BC 323[7][30] |
| Ottoman Empire | 5.2 | Yes | 1683[7][8] | | 7.1% (39.0 million out of 556 million[9] in the 17th century) |
| Fatimid Caliphate | 5.1 | Yes | 969[7][8] |
| Maurya Empire, India | 5.0 | Yes | BC 250[7] | 50.0 in the 2nd century BC | 33.3% (50.0 million out of 150 million in the 2nd century BC[31]) |
| Northern Yuan Dynasty, Mongolia | 5.0 | Yes | 1550[8] |
| First Mexican Empire | 4.9 | Yes | 1822[citation needed] |
| Xin Dynasty, China | 4.7 | Yes | 10[22] |
| Tufan Tibet Empire | 4.6 | Yes | 800[7][8] |
| Timurid Empire | 4.6 | Yes | 1405[7][8] |
| Mughal Empire, India | 4.6 | Yes | 1690[7][8] | 175.0 in 1700 | 29.2% (175.0 million out of 600 million[32] in 1700) |
| Xiongnu Empire | 4.03 | Yes | BC 176[33] |
| Pala Empire, India | 4.0 | Yes | 850 | | 24.0% (60.0 million out of 250 million in 850)[9] |
| Hunnic Empire | 4.0 | Yes | 441[22] |
| Hepthalite Khanate White Huns, India | 4.0 | Yes | 490[22] |
| Eastern Turks Khanate | 4.0 | Yes | 624[22] |
| Afsharid Dynasty, Persia | 4.0 | Yes | 1747[citation needed] |
| Western Turks Khanate | 4.0 | Yes | 630[22] |
| Rouran Khaganate Juan-juan | 4.0 | Yes | 405[7][22] |
| Karkota Dynasty Kashmir, India | 4.0 | Yes | 750[7][8] |
| Seleucid Empire | 3.9 | Yes | BC 301[7][30] |
| Great Seljuq Empire | 3.9 | Yes | 1080[7][8] |
| Italian Empire | 3.8 | No | 1940[citation needed] | 51.9 in 1938 | 2.3% (51.9 million out of 2.295 billion in 1938) |
| Kushan Empire, India | 3.8 | Yes | 200[22] | | 19.0% (42.37 million out of 223 million in 140)[9] |
| Ilkhanate | 3.75 | Yes | 1310[7][8] |
| Dutch Empire | 3.7 | No | 1940[citation needed] | 60.0 in 1940. | 3.5% (60.0 million out of 1.700 billion in 1907) |
| Chola Dynasty, India | 3.6 | Yes | 1050[34][35] |
| Khwarazmian Empire | 3.6 | Yes | 1218[8] |
| Sassanid Empire, Persia | 3.5 | Yes | 550[7] | 78.0 (in the 7th century AD) | 37.1% (78.0 million out of 210 million[17] in the 7th century AD) |
| Gupta Empire, India | 3.5 | Yes | 400[7] | | 26.36% (58.0 million out of 220 million in 400 AD) [3] |
| Chagatai Khanate | 3.5 | Yes | 1310 or 1350[7][8] |
| Safavid Dynasty, Persia | 3.5 | Yes | 1512[citation needed] |
| German Colonial Empire | 3.5 | No | 1914[citation needed] | 64.9 in 1914 | 3.7% (64.9 million out of 1.753 billion in 1910) |
| Western Jin Dynasty, China | 3.5 | Yes | 300[22] | 48.0 in 1195.[13][36] | |
| Shaybanid Uzbek Dynasty | 3.5 | Yes | 1510[8] |
| Byzantine Empire | 3.5 | Yes | 555[22] |
| Song Dynasty Northern Song, China | 3.5 | Yes | 1100[7][8] | 123.0 in 1103[13][37] | 22.0% (59.0 million out of 268 million in 1000)[9] |
| Ghaznavid Empire, Persia | 3.4 | Yes | 1029[7][8] |
| First French Colonial Empire | 3.4 | No | 1670[8] |
| Almoravid Caliphate | 3.3 | Yes | 1147[8] |
| Tughlaq Dynasty, India | 3.2 | Yes | 1320[8] | | 18.91% (70.0 million out of 370 million in 1330)[9] |
| Ghurids Sultanate, Persia | 3.2 | Yes | 1200[8] |
| Sui Dynasty, China | 3.1 | Yes | 610[8] | 53.0 in 606[13][38] | |
| Khazar Khanate | 3.0 | Yes | 850[7] |
| Kalmar Union | 3.0 | Yes | 1397[citation needed] |
| Kievan Rus' | 3.0 | Yes | 1050[7][8] |
| Kara-Khanid Khanate | 3.0 | Yes | 1025[8] |
| Qajar Dynasty, Persia | 3.0 | Yes | 1796[citation needed] |
| Danish colonial empire | 3.0 | No | 1800[citation needed] |
| Grand Duchy of Moscow | 3.0 | Yes | 1505[citation needed] |
| Samanid Dynasty, Persia | 2.85 | Yes | 928[7][8] |
| Median Empire | 2.8 | Yes | BC 585[7][30] |
| Qin Dynasty, China | 2.8 | Yes | BC 206[22] |
| Parthian Empire, Persia | 2.8 | Yes | 1[7][30] |
| Eastern Jin Dynasty, China | 2.8 | Yes | 347[22] |
| Liu Song Dynasty, China | 2.8 | Yes | 420[22] |
| Khilji Dynasty, India | 2.7 | Yes | 1312 or 1320[7][8] |
| Ayyubid Caliphate | 2.7 | Yes | 1190[7] |
| Majapahit Empire | 2.7 | No | 1389[22] |
| Liao Dynasty, China | 2.6 | Yes | 947[7][8] |
| Indo-Greek Yavana Kingdom,India | 2.5 | Yes | BC 150[22] |
| Bactrian Empire | 2.5 | Yes | BC 184[22] |
| Later Zhao Dynasty, China | 2.5 | Yes | 329[22] |
| Maratha Empire, India | 2.5 | Yes | 1760[7] |
| Belgian Empire | 2.5 | No | 1914[citation needed] |
| Kara-Khitan Khanate Western Liao | 2.5 | Yes | 1210[7] |
| Jin Dynasty Jurchen, China | 2.3 | Yes | 1126[7][8] |
| Southern Qi Dynasty, China | 2.3 | Yes | 502[22] |
| Southern Song Dynasty, China | 2.1 | Yes | 1127[8] | 73.0 in 1193.[13][39] | |
| Bahriyya Mamluks, Egypt | 2.1 | Yes | 1300[8] |
| Burjiyya Mamluks, Egypt | 2.1 | Yes | 1400[7] |
| First French Empire | 2.1 | Yes | 1813[8] |
| Wei Dynasty, China | 2.0 | Yes | 263[22] |
| Earlier Zhao Dynasty, China | 2.0 | Yes | 316[22] | 64 in 156[13][40] | |
| Former Qin Dynasty, China | 2.0 | Yes | 376[22] |
| Western Roman Empire | 2.0 | Yes | 395[22] |
| Northern Wei Dynasty, China | 2.0 | Yes | 450[22] |
| Saffarid Dynasty, Persia | 2.0 | Yes | 900[citation needed] |
| Almohad Caliphate | 2.0 | Yes | 1200[7] |
| Satavahana Dynasty Salivahana, India | 2.0 | Yes | 90 AD[22] |
| Inca Empire | 2.0 | Yes | 1527[7][8] |
| Gurjara Pratihara Dynasty, India | 1.8 | Yes | 860[8] |
| Sibir Khanate | 1.8 | Yes | 1520[8] |
| Rashtrakuta Dynasty, India | 1.7 | Yes | 805[citation needed] |
| Buyid Sultanate, Persia | 1.6 | Yes | 980[7][8] |
| Mamluk Sultanate, India | 1.6 | Yes | 1228[8] |
| Indo-Parthians Pahalvas Kingdom, India | 1.5 | Yes | 50[22] |
| Wu Dynasty, China | 1.5 | Yes | 221[22] |
| Northern Zhou Dynasty, China | 1.5 | Yes | 577[22] |
| Nanda Dynasty, India | 1.5 | Yes | BC 350 or 321[22][41] |
| Indo-Scythians Shaka Kingdom, India | 1.5 | Yes | BC 100[30] |
| Tulunids Emirate | 1.5 | Yes | 900[22] |
| Idrisid Dynasty, Morocco | 1.5 | Yes | 828[7] |
| Suri Dynasty, India | 1.5 | Yes | 1545 AD[7][8] |
| Neo-Assyrian Empire | 1.4 | Yes | BC 670[7][30] |
| Songhai Empire | 1.4 | Yes | 1500[42] |
| Harsha Empire Pusyabhutis, India | 1.35 | Yes | 625 or 648[7][8] |
| Liang Dynasty, China | 1.3 | Yes | 502 or 549[7][22] |
| Western Wei Dynasty, China | 1.3 | Yes | 557[22] |
| Later Liang Dynasty, China | 1.3 | Yes | 923[8] |
| Later Tang Dynasty, China | 1.3 | Yes | 923[8] |
| Mali Empire | 1.29 | Yes | 1312[43] | | 10.0% (45.0 million out of 450 million[44] in the mid-15th century) |
| Shang Dynasty, China | 1.25 | Yes | BC 1122[7][30] |
| Western Zhou Dynasty, China | 1.25 | Yes | BC 1122[30] |
| Aksumite Empire | 1.25 | Yes | 350[7] |
| Carolingian Dynasty, Francia | 1.2 | Yes | 814[7][8] |
| Polish-Lithuanian Empire | 1.2 | Yes | 1650[7][8] |
| Srivijaya Empire | 1.2 | Yes | 1200[7] |
| Sunga Empire, India | 1.2 | Yes | BC 150[7] |
| Kingdom of Kush Meroë 25th Dynasty, Sudan | 1.2 | Yes | BC 700[7] |
| Thai Empire Siam Empire | 1.12 | Yes | 1782[citation needed] |
| Chalukya Dynasty, India | 1.1 | Yes | 636[citation needed] |
| Swedish Empire | 1.1 | No | 1658[citation needed] |
| Lodhi Dynasty, India | 1.1 | Yes | 1517[citation needed] |
| 18th Dynasty, Egypt | 1.0 | Yes | BC 1450[30] |
| New Kingdom in Egypt | 1.0 | Yes | BC 1300[7][30] |
| Ptolemaic Dynasty, Egypt | 1.0 | No | BC 301[30] |
| Eastern Wei Dynasty, China | 1.0 | Yes | 550[22] |
| Northern Qi Dynasty, China | 1.0 | Yes | 550[22] |
| Tahirid Dynasty, Persia | 1.0 | Yes | 800[8] |
| Kalachuri Dynasty, India | 1.0 | Yes | 1050[7][8] |
| Holy Roman Empire | 1.0 | Yes | 1050[8] |
| Western Xia Dynasty Tangut, China | 1.0 | Yes | 1100[7] |
| Western Chalukya Empire, India | 1.0 | Yes | 1121[citation needed] |
| Khmer Empire | 1.0 | Yes | 1290[7][8] |
| Avars Empire | 1.0 | Yes | 600[22] |
| Kanem Empire, Chad | 1.0 | Yes | 1200[8] |
| Maha-Meghavahana Dynasty, India | 0.9 | Yes | BC 10[30] |
| Konbaung Dynasty, Burma | 0.9 | Yes | 1800 AD[citation needed] |
| Volga Bulgars Khanate | 0.9 | Yes | 1100[7][8] |
| Akkadian Empire | 0.8 | Yes | BC 2250[30] |
| Later Jin Dynasty, China | 0.8 | Yes | 936[8] |
| Ghana Empire | 0.8 | Yes | 1067[22] |
| Pagan Kingdom Bagan, Burma | 0.8 | Yes | 1200[8] |
| Western Satraps Dynasty, India | 0.8 | Yes | 100[22] |
| Himyarite Kingdom, Yemen | 0.8 | Yes | 400 AD[30] |
| Balhae Kingdom, Korea | 0.8 | Yes | 830[7] |
| Khanate of Kazan | 0.7 | Yes | 1540[8] |
| Merovingian Dynasty, Francia | 0.7 | Yes | 558[8] |
| Bulgarian Empire | 0.7 | Yes | 900[citation needed] |
| Shu Dynasty, China | 0.7 | Yes | 221[22] |
| Yadava Gauli Kingdom, India | 0.7 | Yes | 1250[8] |
| Paramara Dynasty, India | 0.7 | Yes | 1050[22] |
| Kingdom of Dali Hou li,China | 0.7 | Yes | 1200[citation needed] |
| Vijayanagara Tuluvas Empire, India | 0.7 | Yes | 1529[citation needed] | | 5.0% (25.0 million out of 500 million[9] in the 16th century) |
| Kingdom of Nanzhao, China | 0.7 | Yes | 830[8] |
| Austro-Hungarian Empire | 0.676615 | Yes | [citation needed] | 52.8 in 1914 | 2.9% (51.3 million out of 1.753 billion in 1910) |
| 15th Dynasty Hyksos, Egypt | 0.65 | Yes | BC 1650[30] |
| 26th Dynasty, Egypt | 0.65 | Yes | BC 550[30] |
| Vakataka Kingdom, India | 0.65 | Yes | 450 AD[30] |
| Visigoths Kingdom | 0.6 | Yes | 580[22] |
| Caliphate of Córdoba | 0.6 | Yes | 1000[8] |
| Rai Dynasty Chachas Sindh,India | 0.6 | Yes | 675 AD[22] |
| Maukhari Kannauj Dynasty, India | 0.6 | Yes | 600 AD[8] |
| Bahmani Sultanate, India | 0.6 | Yes | 1470 AD[8] |
| Nizams Dynasty, India | 0.6 | Yes | 1740 AD[citation needed] |
| Sikh Empire, India | 0.5609 | Yes | 1845[citation needed] |
| Middle Kingdom, Egypt | 0.5 | Yes | BC 1850[30] |
| Lydian Empire | 0.5 | Yes | BC 585[30] |
| Neo-Babylonian Empire | 0.5 | Yes | BC 562[30] |
| Kosala Dynasty, India | 0.5 | Yes | BC 543[22] |
| Shishunaga Dynasty,India | 0.5 | Yes | BC 510[22] |
| Chu Dynasty, China | 0.5 | Yes | BC 350[22] |
| Pandyan Dynasty, India | 0.5 | Yes | 1251[citation needed] |
| Later Han Dynasty, China | 0.5 | Yes | 947[8] |
| Kangju Empire Transoxiana | 0.5 | Yes | BC 100[22] |
| Ostrogothic Kingdom | 0.5 | Yes | 510 AD[8] |
| Goguryeo Kingdom, Korea | 0.45 | Yes | 476[30] |
| Xia Dynasty, China based on the hypothesis that prehistorical cities of Erlitou culture were once united | 0.45 | Yes | BC 1800[30] |
| New Kingdom, Hittite | 0.45 | Yes | BC 1250 or 1220[30] |
| Crimean Khanate | 0.4 | Yes | 1500[8] |
| Armenian Empire | 0.4 | Yes | BC 83[22] |
| Old Kingdom, Egypt | 0.4 | Yes | BC 2400[30] |
| Middle Kingdom, Assyria under Tiglath-Pileser I | 0.4 | Yes | BC 1080[30] |
| Latin Empire | 0.35 | Yes | 1204[22] |
| Harappan Empire, India | 0.3 | Yes | BC 1800[41] |
| Mitanni Empire | 0.3 | Yes | BC 1450[30] |
| Carthaginian Empire | 0.3 | No | BC 220[30] |
| 1st Dynasty, Babylon | 0.25 | Yes | BC 1690[30] |
| Serbian Empire | 0.25 | Yes | 1350[citation needed] |
| Aztec Empire | 0.22 | Yes | 1520[8] |
| Middle Elamite | 0.2 | Yes | BC 1160[30] |
| 2nd Dynasty, Isin | 0.2 | Yes | BC 1130[30] |
| Urartu Empire | 0.2 | Yes | BC 800[30] |
| Phrygian Dynasty | 0.2 | Yes | BC 750[30] |
| Old Kingdom, Assyria | 0.15 | Yes | BC 1730[30] |
| Eastern Zhou Dynasty, China | 0.15 | Yes | BC 770 |