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Brazil vs United States: size comparison

The United States is 16% bigger than Brazil: 3,795,967 sq mi (9,831,510 km²) versus 3,285,892 sq mi (8,510,420 km²). In other words, Brazil fits into the United States 1.16 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 Brazil on top of United States at true size

1.16× Brazil fits into the United States 1.16 times

  • United States 3,795,967 sq mi below, in its real place
  • Brazil 3,285,892 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. Brazil 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 Brazil United States
Area 3,285,892 sq mi 8,510,420 km² · World Bank 3,795,967 sq mi 9,831,510 km² · World Bank
Population 213 million World Bank, 2025 342 million World Bank, 2025
Density 65 per sq mi 25 per km² 90 per sq mi 35 per km²
End to end about 2,730 mi (4,400 km) about 2,890 mi (4,650 km)
Size rank 5th of 193 countries 3rd of 193 countries
Mercator enlarges it ×1.1 centered at 11° S ×2.3 centered at 40° N

Which is bigger, Brazil or the United States?

Brazil is the largest country in South America and covers almost half of the continent. It borders every South American country except Chile and Ecuador.

The difference is 510,076 sq mi (1,321,090 km²), roughly the size of Peru (496,225 sq mi).

Brazil is the 5th-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: less than Brazil, which only comes second when everything is counted.

Population and density

Brazil has a population of 213 million and the United States 342 million (World Bank, 2025).

That’s 65 per sq mi (25 per km²) in Brazil and 90 per sq mi (35 per km²) in the United States: the United States has 39% more people per square mile than Brazil.

The United States has more land and more people too: 61% more than Brazil.

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. Brazil, centered at 11° S, comes out 1.1 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 2.50 times the space of Brazil, but in reality it’s 1.16 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 Brazil is about 2,730 mi (4,400 km), running north to south; 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 6% longer than Brazil.

Frequently asked questions

Is Brazil bigger than the United States?

No. Brazil covers 3,285,892 sq mi (8,510,420 km²) and the United States 3,795,967 sq mi (9,831,510 km²): the United States is 16% bigger.

How many times does Brazil fit into the United States?

1.16 times: 3,795,967 sq mi (9,831,510 km²) divided by 3,285,892 sq mi (8,510,420 km²). These are the same areas as in the True size map (World Bank).

Which has more people, Brazil or the United States?

The United States: 342 million people versus 213 million (61% more). Per square mile, 65 per sq mi (25 per km²) in Brazil 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 1.1 times for Brazil. On an equal-area projection, like the map on this page, they appear in their true proportion.

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