About 71 percent of the Earth's surface is water-covered, and the oceans hold about 96.5 percent of all Earth's water. Water also exists in the air as water vapor, in rivers and lakes, in icecaps and glaciers, in the ground as soil moisture and in aquifers, and even in you and your dog. read more
The oceans contain 96.5% of all water. The total volume of water on Earth is estimated at 1.386 billion km³ (333 million cubic miles). This represents 0.22 % of the total mass of the Earth. More: About 97.5% of water on Earth is salt water and 2.5% fresh water. Of the 2.5% fresh water, only 0.3% is in liquid form on the surface. read more
I Googled it and up popped NOAA's response: "It's hard to imagine, but an astounding 96 percent of the Earth's water can be found in our oceans. Of the tiny percentage that's not in the ocean, about two percent is frozen up in glaciers and ice caps. Less than one percent of all the water on Earth is fresh. read more
The ocean holds about 97 percent of the Earth's water; the remaining three percent is found in glaciers and ice, below the ground, in rivers and lakes. Of the world's total water supply of about 332 million cubic miles of water, about 97 percent is found in the ocean. read more