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The Ganges Delta (also known as the Ganges–Brahmaputra Delta, the Sunderbans Delta, or the Bengal Delta) is a river delta in the South Asia region of Bengal, where the Ganges and Brahmaputra rivers discharge into the Bay of Bengal consisting of Bangladesh and the state of West Bengal, India. It is, with a surface area of some 100.000 km2, the world's largest Delta. About two-thirds of the delta is in Bangladesh, the rest comprises the state of West Bengal, India. It is also one of the most fertile regions in the world, thus earning the nickname the Green Delta. It is the world's largest delta, and empties into the Bay of Bengal. The delta extends from the Hooghly River on the west to the Meghna River on the east. It is about 350 km (220 mi) across at the Bay of Bengal. Kolkata and Haldia in India and Mongla and Chittagong in Bangladesh are the principal seaports the delta.

A number of large rivers flow through the Ganges Delta, including the Padma (main distributary of the Ganges) and the Jamuna (main distributary of the Brahmaputra), which combine and then join the Meghna before entering the sea.The Ganges Delta is the floodplain of three great rivers: the Ganges, the Brahmaputra and the Megna. Together, these three rivers drain a catchment of about 1.72 million km2, at the southern side of he Himalaya.

The Ganges Delta is among the most fertile regions in the world. Along the coast, the width of the delta is about 350 km. The distance from the convergence of the Brahmaputra and the Ganges to the coast is about 250 km. Downstream the confluence, the river is named Padma.The Meghna joins about halfway the Padma. With some 130 million inhabitants, the Ganges delta belongs to the most densely populated areas in the world.

• Continent: Asia
• Average rainfall (mm/y): 1474
• Basin of deposition: Bay of Bengal
• Delta area (km2): 105641
• Number of river mouths: 8
• Spring Tide (m): 3.63
• Major Cities: Dhaka, Kolkata
• Basin area (10^3 km2): 1664.7
• River length (km): 3902
• Maximum discharge (m3/s): 80984
• Minimum discharge (m3/s): 6041
• Maximum rainfall (mm/y): 2269
• Minimum rainfall (mm/y): 341
• Annual average discharge (m3/s): 29692

Three terrestrial ecoregions cover the delta. The Lower Gangetic plains moist deciduous forests ecoregion covers most of the delta region, although the forests have mostly been cleared for agriculture and only small enclaves remain. Thick stands of tall grass, known as canebrakes, grow in wetter areas. The Sundarbans freshwater swamp forests ecoregion lies closer to the Bay of Bengal; this ecoregion is flooded with a little brackish water during the dry season, and fresh water during the monsoon season. These forests, too, have been almost completely converted to intensive agriculture, with only 130 square kilometres (50 sq mi) of the ecoregion's 14,600 square kilometres (5,600 sq mi) protected. Where the delta meets the Bay of Bengal, Sundarbans mangroves form the world's largest mangrove ecoregion, covering an area of 20,400 square kilometres (7,900 sq mi) in a chain of 54 islands. They derive their name from the major mangrove species, Heritiera fomes, which are known locally as sundri or sundari.

Animals in the delta include the Indian Python (Python molurus), Clouded Leopard (Neofelis nebulosa), Indian Elephant (Elephas maximus indicus) and crocodiles, which live in the Sundarbans. About 1,020 endangered Bengal tigers (Panthera tigris tigris) are believed to inhabit the Sundarbans.Trees found in the delta include garjan, sundari, bamboo, mangrove date palm and mangrove palm.

It is estimated that 30,000 chital are in the Sundarbans part of the delta. Birds found in the delta include eagles, woodpeckers, kingfishers, the shalik (Acridotheres tristis), the Swamp Francolin (Francolinus gularis), and the doel (Copsychus saularis). Two species of dolphin can be found in the delta: the Irrawaddy Dolphin (Orcaella brevirostris) and the Ganges River Dolphin (Platanista gangetica gangetica). The Irrawaddy Dolphin is an oceanic dolphin that enters the delta from the Bay of Bengal. The Ganges River Dolphin is a true river dolphin, but is extremely rare and considered endangered.

The Ganges delta has the shape of a triangle, and is considered to be an "arcuate" delta (arc-shaped). It covers more than 105,000 km2 (41,000 sq mi), and although the delta lies mostly in Bangladesh and India, rivers from Bhutan, China, India, and Nepal drain into it from the north. About two-thirds of the delta is in Bangladesh. Most of the delta is comprised of alluvial soils made up by small sediment particles that finally settle down as river currents slow down in the estuary. Rivers carry these fine particles with them, even from their sources at glaciers as Fluvio-glacial. Red and red-yellow laterite soils are found as one heads beyond east. The soil has large amounts of minerals and nutrients, which is good for agriculture.

It is composed of a labyrinth of channels, swamps, lakes, and flood plain sediments (Chars). The Ganges Delta is separated into two parts: eastern (active), and the western (less active).

The Ganges Delta lies at the junction of three tectonic plates: the Indian Plate, the Eurasian Plate, and the Burma Plate. Huge sediment supply since the Himalayan collision made 400 km progragation of the shelf edge since Eocene. The edge of the paleoshelf in Eocene runs from Calcutta to the edge of the Shilong Plateau. The edge of the paleoshelf marks the transition from the thick continental crust in the northwest to the thin continental and oceanic crust in the southeast. The sediment thickness southeast of the edge of the paleoshelf beneath the Ganges Delta can exceed 16 km.

As there is a maze of many river branches, the area is difficult to pass. Most islands are only linked with the mainland by simple wooden ferryboats. Bridges are rare. Some islands are not yet connected to the electric grid, so island residents tend to use solar cells for a bit of electric supply.

Mostly the Ganges Delta lies in the tropical wet climate zone, and receives between 1,500 to 2,000 mm (59 to 79 in) of rainfall every year in the western part, and 2,000 to 3,000 mm (79 to 120 in) in the eastern part.

About two-thirds of the Bangladesh people work in agriculture, and grow crops on the fertile floodplains of the delta. The major crops that are grown in the Ganges Delta are tea, rice, and jute. Fishing is also an important activity in the delta region, with fish being a major source of food for many of the people in the area.

In recent years, scientists have been helping the poor people of the delta to improve fish farming methods. By turning unused ponds into feasible fish farms, and improving methods of raising fish in existing ponds, many people can now earn a living raising and selling fish. Using new systems, fish production in existing ponds has increased 800%. Shrimp and salmon are farmed in containers or cages that are submerged in open water—most of these fish are exported.There are also other crops grown along the Ganges River.

Between 125 and 143 million people live on the delta, despite risks from floods caused by monsoons, heavy runoff from the melting snows of the Himalayas, and tropical cyclones. A large part of the nation of Bangladesh lies in the Ganges Delta, and a lot of country's people depend on the delta for survival.

It is believed that upwards of 300 million people are supported by the Ganges Delta, and about 400 million people live in the Ganges River Basin, making it the most populous river basin in the world. Most of the Ganges Delta has a population density of more than 200 people per km2 (520 people per square mile), making it one of the most densely populated regions in the world.