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Australia vs United States: size comparison

The United States is 27% bigger than Australia: 3,795,967 sq mi (9,831,510 km²) versus 2,988,902 sq mi (7,741,220 km²). In other words, Australia fits into the United States 1.27 times. Here you can see both overlaid at their true size, with their population, density and end-to-end distance.

By the Mapsfera Team

Map of Australia on top of United States at true size

1.27× Australia fits into the United States 1.27 times

  • United States 3,795,967 sq mi below, in its real place
  • Australia 2,988,902 sq mi on top, centered on the United States
Move them in “True size map”

Drag both across a Mercator map and watch how they change with latitude.

Lambert azimuthal equal-area projection centered on the United States: it preserves areas, so both appear in their true proportion. Australia has been rotated across the globe, without changing its shape or size, until its center sits on the center of the United States.

Alaska and Hawaii are not shown on the map (16% of the area of the United States), but they are included in the figures.

The figures

Figure Australia United States
Area 2,988,902 sq mi 7,741,220 km² · World Bank 3,795,967 sq mi 9,831,510 km² · World Bank
Population 27.6 million World Bank, 2025 342 million World Bank, 2025
Density 9.2 per sq mi 3.6 per km² 90 per sq mi 35 per km²
End to end about 2,520 mi (4,050 km) about 2,890 mi (4,650 km)
Size rank 6th of 193 countries 3rd of 193 countries
Mercator enlarges it ×1.3 centered at 26° S ×2.3 centered at 40° N

Which is bigger, Australia or the United States?

Australia is a country the size of a continent, but almost all its people live near the coast, mostly in the east and southeast: much of the interior is desert.

The difference is 807,065 sq mi (2,090,290 km²), roughly the size of Mexico (755,677 sq mi).

Australia is the 6th-largest country in the world, and the United States is the 3rd-largest.

Without Alaska and Hawaii, the United States covers about 3,060,000 sq mi (7,930,000 km²), measured on its outline.

Population and density

Australia has a population of 27.6 million and the United States 342 million (World Bank, 2025).

That’s 9.2 per sq mi (3.6 per km²) in Australia and 90 per sq mi (35 per km²) in the United States: the United States has 9.75 times as many people per square mile as Australia.

The United States has more land and more people too: 12.4 times as many as Australia.

Why they look different on a regular world map

On the Mercator projection, used by Google Maps and many world maps, everything gets bigger the farther it is from the equator. Australia, centered at 26° S, comes out 1.3 times bigger than it really is overall; the United States, at 40° N, 2.3 times.

That’s why on those maps the gap looks bigger than it is: on paper the United States takes up 2.33 times the space of Australia, but in reality it’s 1.27 times.

That doesn’t happen on the map on this page: it uses an equal-area projection centered on the United States. To move them across a Mercator map yourself, open them in the True size map.

From end to end

The longest straight line between two points of Australia is about 2,520 mi (4,050 km), running west to east; for the United States (without Alaska and Hawaii) it’s about 2,890 mi (4,650 km), southwest to northeast.

End to end, the United States is 15% longer than Australia.

Frequently asked questions

Is Australia bigger than the United States?

No. Australia covers 2,988,902 sq mi (7,741,220 km²) and the United States 3,795,967 sq mi (9,831,510 km²): the United States is 27% bigger.

How many times does Australia fit into the United States?

1.27 times: 3,795,967 sq mi (9,831,510 km²) divided by 2,988,902 sq mi (7,741,220 km²). These are the same areas as in the True size map (World Bank).

Which has more people, Australia or the United States?

The United States: 342 million people versus 27.6 million (12.4 times as many). Per square mile, 9.2 per sq mi (3.6 per km²) in Australia and 90 per sq mi (35 per km²) in the United States.

Why does the United States look bigger on maps?

Because of the Mercator projection: the United States is farther from the equator (centered at 40° N), and that map enlarges its area 2.3 times, versus 1.3 times for Australia. On an equal-area projection, like the map on this page, they appear in their true proportion.

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