Because of the way that they are formed, volcanoes most often have a degree of isolation from any neighbours. The primeval powers that lead to their creation thrust them upwards in cone or shield-like structures. Despite their often (comparatively) lowly heights, volcanoes make up almost half of the world’s most prominent peaks. So I have created a list of the Top 50 most prominent volcanoes in the world.

Unlike its sister list of the Top 50 highest volcanoes in the world (which is here) this list shows the well dispersed global geographical locations of the most prominent. They have representatives on each continent. On the other hand, the Top 50 highest are all in South America.
The highest is Ojos del Salado on the Chile/Argentina border and the most prominent is Kilimanjaro in Tanzania. Two of the volcanic seven summits (Sidley and Giluwe) do not make the list. This is notwithstanding the fact that they are both higher than most of the others. There is a preponderance of island volcanoes – 19 on the list.
Their heights range from 6892m (Ojos del Salado) to 2797m (Ruapehu). Contrast this with the lowest volcano on the ‘by height’ list which is 5971m (with a prominence of ‘only’ 1262m).
Here is my list of the Top 50 most prominent volcanoes in the world. I have also included the next two most prominent ones because the topographical prominences are close. I have added the dates of ascent of those that I have climbed. [There are 10 as of the end of 2023.]

Many of the volcanoes on the list are quite popular. So there quite a few people who will have climbed a fair number of them. For example, see this list.
Rank | Peak | Elev-M | Prom-M | Country | Ascent Date |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Kilimanjaro | 5895 | 5885 | Tanzania | 23rd February 2014 |
2 | Pico de Orizaba | 5636 | 4922 | Mexico | 11th November 2014 |
3 | Elbrus | 5642 | 4741 | Russia | 24th July 2016 |
4 | Damavand | 5610 | 4667 | Iran | 6th August 2015 |
5 | Klyuchevskaya Sopka | 4750 | 4649 | Russia | |
6 | Mauna Kea | 4205 | 4205 | United States | |
7 | Volcán Chimborazo | 6267 | 4122 | Ecuador | |
8 | Mount Rainier | 4392 | 4037 | United States | 1st August 2013 |
9 | Ras Dashen | 4543 | 3990 | Ethiopia | |
10 | Volcán Tajumulco | 4220 | 3980 | Guatemala | 21st November 2018 |
11 | Mount Cameroon | 4040 | 3901 | Cameroon | |
12 | Mount Kenya | 5199 | 3825 | Kenya | |
13 | Gunung Kerinci | 3805 | 3805 | Indonesia | |
14 | Mount Erebus | 3790 | 3790 | Antarctica | |
15 | Fuji-san | 3776 | 3776 | Japan | |
16 | Gunung Rinjani | 3726 | 3726 | Indonesia | |
17 | Pico de Teide | 3718 | 3718 | Spain | 8th September 2018 |
18 | Ojos del Salado | 6893 | 3685 | Chile/Argentina | 3rd December 2014 |
19 | Gunung Semeru | 3676 | 3676 | Indonesia | |
20 | Mount Ararat | 5137 | 3611 | Turkey | 6th September 2023 |
21 | Mount Blackburn | 4996 | 3533 | United States | |
22 | Volcan Karisimbi | 4519 | 3324 | Congo DRC/Rwanda | |
23 | Etna | 3323 | 3323 | Italy | |
24 | Volcán Lautaro | 3585 | 3307 | Chile | |
25 | Gunung Slamet | 3428 | 3284 | Indonesia | |
26 | Sabalan | 4811 | 3283 | Iran | |
27 | Mount Meru | 4565 | 3170 | Tanzania | |
28 | Vulkan Shiveluch | 3307 | 3168 | Russia | |
29 | Ichinskaya Sopka | 3607 | 3125 | Russia | |
30 | Gunung Lawu | 3265 | 3118 | Indonesia | |
31 | Mount Siple | 3110 | 3110 | Antarctica | |
32 | Piton des Neiges | 3071 | 3071 | Reunion | |
33 | Gunung Raung | 3332 | 3069 | Indonesia | |
34 | Haleakala | 3055 | 3055 | United States | |
35 | Volcán Popocatépetl | 5413 | 3033 | Mexico | |
36 | Gunung Agung | 3031 | 3031 | Indonesia | |
37 | Pico Basilé | 3008 | 3008 | Equatorial Guinea | |
38 | Koryakskaya Sopka | 3456 | 2999 | Russia | |
39 | Mount Shasta | 4317 | 2975 | United States | |
40 | Mount Apo | 2954 | 2954 | Philippines | |
41 | Emi Koussi | 3445 | 2934 | Chad | |
42 | Mount Pulag | 2922 | 2922 | Philippines | |
43 | Kuh-e Taftan | 3941 | 2901 | Iran | |
44 | Shishaldin Volcano | 2869 | 2869 | United States | |
45 | Pico do Fogo | 2829 | 2829 | Cape Verde | |
46 | Arjuno | 3339 | 2811 | Indonesia | |
47 | Ruapehu | 2797 | 2797 | New Zealand | 2nd February 2018 |
48 | Ciremai | 3078 | 2792 | Indonesia | |
49 | Redoubt Volcano | 3108 | 2773 | United States | |
50 | Cerro Tupungato | 6573 | 2768 | Chile/Argentina | |
51 | Argopuro | 3088 | 2745 | Indonesia | |
51 | Big Ben | 2745 | 2745 | Heard and McDonald Islands |
I would like to hear from (or of) any person who is looking to complete climbs of all of the volcanoes in either of these lists. Please use the contact form for this.