South China Sea at a glance
- 1,354 maverage depth
- 560 mmedian depth
- 5,232 mmaximum depth
- 3.1 million km²water area
South China Sea is a sea. Inside its outline the GEBCO grid has about 3.1 million km² of water, with an average depth of about 1,354 m (the middle value is 560 m) and a maximum of 5,232 m, found at 14.55° N, 119.08° E.
Open the map at the deepest cell and tap to read the depth.
How deep is each part of the South China Sea?
The bar splits the South China Sea's water by depth. Each colour is a depth band, and the shares add up to 100%.
- 0 to 200 m: 45.8%
- 200 to 1,000 m: 8.1%
- 1,000 to 4,000 m: 36.7%
- 4,000 to 6,000 m: 9.4%
- below 6,000 m: 0%
Named features near the deepest point: Manila Trench (19 km), Reed Tablemount (433 km), Sulu Trench (855 km), Galathea Depth (903 km).
The South China Sea if sea level dropped
The slider on the map lowers the sea in steps. This table shows how much of the South China Sea's water would be land at each step.
| Sea level lowered by | Becomes land | Share of its water |
|---|---|---|
| 10 m | 77,896 km² | 2.5% |
| 20 m | 170,571 km² | 5.4% |
| 50 m | 652,316 km² | 20.7% |
| 80 m | 1.1 million km² | 34% |
| 120 m | 1.3 million km² | 42.3% |
| 200 m | 1.4 million km² | 45.8% |
| 500 m | 1.6 million km² | 49.5% |
| 1,000 m | 1.7 million km² | 53.9% |
| 2,000 m | 2.2 million km² | 68.7% |
| 3,000 m | 2.5 million km² | 80.9% |
| 4,000 m | 2.9 million km² | 90.6% |
| 6,000 m | 3.1 million km² | 100% |
A simple bathtub model: it lowers the sea everywhere by the same amount and does not simulate how water would really drain.
Nearby seas
- Sulu Sea average depth about 1,639 m
- Sibuyan Sea average depth about 608 m
- Gulf of Thailand average depth about 42 m
- Celebes Sea average depth about 3,561 m
- Gulf of Tonkin average depth about 36 m
- Visayan Sea average depth about 118 m
Nearest by the centre of each outline. All oceans and seas
Frequently asked questions
How deep is the South China Sea?
On average about 1,354 m in the GEBCO grid (the middle value is 560 m). The deepest cell inside its outline is 5,232 m, at 14.55° N, 119.08° E.
How big is the South China Sea?
About 3.1 million km² of water inside its Natural Earth outline, counted from the grid cells that are below sea level.
How much of the South China Sea would be land if sea level dropped?
With the sea 10 m lower, about 77,896 km² (2.5%) of its water would be land. At 6,000 m lower, 100% would be. This is a simple bathtub model that lowers the sea evenly everywhere.
Data: depths from the GEBCO_2026 grid, statistics worked out inside the Natural Earth outline of the sea. See data sources and licences. The GEBCO Grid should NOT be used for navigation or for any other purpose involving safety at sea.