China vs United States: Land area in square kilometers
China
9.39 million sq. km
in 2023
United States
9.15 million sq. km
in 2023
China rank
2nd
United States rank
3rd
Land area in square kilometers over time
- China
- United States
How they compare
China currently reports 9.39 million sq. km against 9.15 million sq. km in United States, a difference of 240,790 sq. km.
Across all 63 years both countries report, China has been ahead every year.
China ranks 2nd and United States ranks 3rd of 215 countries.
China has averaged higher in every one of the 7 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | China | United States | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 9.39 million sq. km | 9.16 million sq. km | 229,290 sq. km | China |
| 1970s | 9.39 million sq. km | 9.16 million sq. km | 229,290 sq. km | China |
| 1980s | 9.39 million sq. km | 9.16 million sq. km | 229,290 sq. km | China |
| 1990s | 9.39 million sq. km | 9.16 million sq. km | 229,281 sq. km | China |
| 2000s | 9.39 million sq. km | 9.16 million sq. km | 229,191 sq. km | China |
| 2010s | 9.39 million sq. km | 9.15 million sq. km | 240,790 sq. km | China |
| 2020s | 9.39 million sq. km | 9.15 million sq. km | 240,790 sq. km | China |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher land area in square kilometers, China or United States?
- China, at 9.39 million sq. km against 9.15 million sq. km in United States as of 2023.
- What is the difference in land area in square kilometers between China and United States?
- 240,790 sq. km, with China ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for China and United States?
- 63 years are reported by both, from 1961 to 2023.
- How do China and United States rank globally for land area in square kilometers?
- China ranks 2nd and United States ranks 3rd 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.