How large is the Indian Ocean compared with the Atlantic and Pacific oceans?

The Indian Ocean is the smallest of the world's three major oceans, which also include the Pacific Ocean and the Atlantic Ocean.1

In terms of surface area, the Indian Ocean is significantly smaller than its counterparts. Based on data excluding marginal seas, the comparative surface areas are as follows:231

| Ocean | Surface Area (million sq km) | Surface Area (million sq mi) |
| :--- | :--- | :--- |
| Pacific Ocean | 168.723 | 65.144 |
| Atlantic Ocean | 85.133 | 32.870 |
| Indian Ocean | 70.560 | 27.243 |

The Indian Ocean covers approximately one-fifth of the total ocean area of the world. While the Pacific is the largest in both surface area and volume, the Atlantic follows as the second largest, leaving the Indian Ocean as the smallest of the three major basins.13