China vs Russia: Land area in square kilometers
China
9.39 million sq. km
in 2023
Russia
16.38 million sq. km
in 2023
China rank
2nd
Russia rank
1st
Land area in square kilometers over time
- China
- Russia
How they compare
Russia currently reports 16.38 million sq. km against 9.39 million sq. km in China, a difference of 6.99 million sq. km.
That makes Russia's figure about 1.7 times China's.
Across all 32 years both countries report, Russia has been ahead every year.
China ranks 2nd and Russia ranks 1st of 215 countries.
Russia has averaged higher in every one of the 4 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | China | Russia | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 9.39 million sq. km | 16.38 million sq. km | 6.99 million sq. km | Russia |
| 2000s | 9.39 million sq. km | 16.38 million sq. km | 6.99 million sq. km | Russia |
| 2010s | 9.39 million sq. km | 16.38 million sq. km | 6.99 million sq. km | Russia |
| 2020s | 9.39 million sq. km | 16.38 million sq. km | 6.99 million sq. km | Russia |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher land area in square kilometers, China or Russia?
- Russia, at 16.38 million sq. km against 9.39 million sq. km in China as of 2023.
- What is the difference in land area in square kilometers between China and Russia?
- 6.99 million sq. km, with Russia ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for China and Russia?
- 32 years are reported by both, from 1992 to 2023.
- How do China and Russia rank globally for land area in square kilometers?
- China ranks 2nd and Russia ranks 1st 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.