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China vs United States: size comparison

The United States is 3% bigger than China: 3,795,967 sq mi (9,831,510 km²) versus 3,692,260 sq mi (9,562,910 km²). In other words, China fits into the United States 1.03 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 China on top of United States at true size

1.03× China fits into the United States 1.03 times

  • United States 3,795,967 sq mi below, in its real place
  • China 3,692,260 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. China 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 China United States
Area 3,692,260 sq mi 9,562,910 km² · World Bank 3,795,967 sq mi 9,831,510 km² · World Bank
Population 1.41 billion World Bank, 2025 342 million World Bank, 2025
Density 381 per sq mi 147 per km² 90 per sq mi 35 per km²
End to end about 3,120 mi (5,020 km) about 2,890 mi (4,650 km)
Size rank 4th of 193 countries 3rd of 193 countries
Mercator enlarges it ×1.6 centered at 37° N ×2.3 centered at 40° N

Which is bigger, China or the United States?

China and the United States are the third and fourth largest countries in the world, and which one comes first depends on how coastal waters and disputed territories are counted. With the World Bank figures, the United States is ahead.

The difference is 103,707 sq mi (268,600 km²), roughly the size of New Zealand (103,363 sq mi).

China is the 4th-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 China, which only comes second when everything is counted.

Population and density

China has a population of 1.41 billion and the United States 342 million (World Bank, 2025).

That’s 381 per sq mi (147 per km²) in China and 90 per sq mi (35 per km²) in the United States: China has 4.23 times as many people per square mile as the United States.

Although it’s smaller, China has more people: 4.12 times as many as the United States.

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. China, centered at 37° N, comes out 1.6 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 1.48 times the space of China, but in reality it’s 1.03 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 China is about 3,120 mi (5,020 km), running southwest to northeast; for the United States (without Alaska and Hawaii) it’s about 2,890 mi (4,650 km), southwest to northeast.

End to end, China is 8% longer than the United States, even though it covers less area: its shape is more stretched out.

Frequently asked questions

Is China bigger than the United States?

No. China covers 3,692,260 sq mi (9,562,910 km²) and the United States 3,795,967 sq mi (9,831,510 km²): the United States is 3% bigger.

How many times does China fit into the United States?

1.03 times: 3,795,967 sq mi (9,831,510 km²) divided by 3,692,260 sq mi (9,562,910 km²). These are the same areas as in the True size map (World Bank).

Which has more people, China or the United States?

China: 1.41 billion people versus 342 million (4.12 times as many). Per square mile, 381 per sq mi (147 per km²) in China 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 1.6 times for China. On an equal-area projection, like the map on this page, they appear in their true proportion.

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