Canada vs China: Land area in square kilometers
Canada
8.79 million sq. km
in 2023
China
9.39 million sq. km
in 2023
Canada rank
4th
China rank
2nd
Land area in square kilometers over time
- Canada
- China
How they compare
China currently reports 9.39 million sq. km against 8.79 million sq. km in Canada, a difference of 599,510 sq. km.
That makes China's figure about 1.1 times Canada's.
Across all 63 years both countries report, China has been ahead every year.
Canada ranks 4th and China ranks 2nd of 215 countries.
China has averaged higher in every one of the 7 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Canada | China | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 8.97 million sq. km | 9.39 million sq. km | 422,660 sq. km | China |
| 1970s | 8.97 million sq. km | 9.39 million sq. km | 422,660 sq. km | China |
| 1980s | 8.97 million sq. km | 9.39 million sq. km | 422,660 sq. km | China |
| 1990s | 8.97 million sq. km | 9.39 million sq. km | 422,651 sq. km | China |
| 2000s | 8.97 million sq. km | 9.39 million sq. km | 422,621 sq. km | China |
| 2010s | 8.97 million sq. km | 9.39 million sq. km | 422,620 sq. km | China |
| 2020s | 8.83 million sq. km | 9.39 million sq. km | 555,288 sq. km | China |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher land area in square kilometers, Canada or China?
- China, at 9.39 million sq. km against 8.79 million sq. km in Canada as of 2023.
- What is the difference in land area in square kilometers between Canada and China?
- 599,510 sq. km, with China ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Canada and China?
- 63 years are reported by both, from 1961 to 2023.
- How do Canada and China rank globally for land area in square kilometers?
- Canada ranks 4th and China ranks 2nd of 215 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as Land area in square kilometers. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Total land area, measured in square kilometers (km²). Land area is a country's total area, excluding area under inland water bodies, national claims to continental shelf, and exclusive economic zones. In most cases the definition of inland water bodies includes major rivers and lakes.