India vs United States: Urban area over the long-term
India
42,636 km² per grid cell
in 2025
United States
230,837 km² per grid cell
in 2025
India rank
3rd
United States rank
1st
Urban area over the long-term over time
- India
- United States
How they compare
United States currently reports 230,837 km² per grid cell against 42,636 km² per grid cell in India, a difference of 188,201 km² per grid cell.
That makes United States's figure about 5.4 times India's.
The two have swapped places 1 time across 108 shared years of data; in 1000 it was India ahead.
India ranks 3rd and United States ranks 1st of 202 countries.
Across the 40 decades both report, India averaged higher in 22 and United States in 18.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | India | United States | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1000s | 2,365 km² per grid cell | 0.0222 km² per grid cell | 2,364 km² per grid cell | India |
| 1100s | 2,549 km² per grid cell | 0.0718 km² per grid cell | 2,549 km² per grid cell | India |
| 1200s | 2,741 km² per grid cell | 0.2387 km² per grid cell | 2,740 km² per grid cell | India |
| 1300s | 2,939 km² per grid cell | 0.7747 km² per grid cell | 2,938 km² per grid cell | India |
| 1400s | 3,144 km² per grid cell | 2.57 km² per grid cell | 3,142 km² per grid cell | India |
| 1500s | 3,356 km² per grid cell | 8.37 km² per grid cell | 3,348 km² per grid cell | India |
| 1600s | 3,962 km² per grid cell | 10.36 km² per grid cell | 3,952 km² per grid cell | India |
| 1700s | 4,520 km² per grid cell | 37.01 km² per grid cell | 4,483 km² per grid cell | India |
| 1710s | 4,587 km² per grid cell | 54.47 km² per grid cell | 4,533 km² per grid cell | India |
| 1720s | 4,653 km² per grid cell | 81.18 km² per grid cell | 4,572 km² per grid cell | India |
| 1730s | 4,718 km² per grid cell | 113.71 km² per grid cell | 4,604 km² per grid cell | India |
| 1740s | 4,781 km² per grid cell | 153.1 km² per grid cell | 4,628 km² per grid cell | India |
| 1750s | 4,842 km² per grid cell | 200.57 km² per grid cell | 4,642 km² per grid cell | India |
| 1760s | 4,903 km² per grid cell | 257.52 km² per grid cell | 4,645 km² per grid cell | India |
| 1770s | 4,962 km² per grid cell | 325.56 km² per grid cell | 4,636 km² per grid cell | India |
| 1780s | 5,019 km² per grid cell | 406.59 km² per grid cell | 4,612 km² per grid cell | India |
| 1790s | 5,075 km² per grid cell | 502.79 km² per grid cell | 4,572 km² per grid cell | India |
| 1800s | 5,129 km² per grid cell | 768.82 km² per grid cell | 4,361 km² per grid cell | India |
| 1810s | 5,223 km² per grid cell | 1,191 km² per grid cell | 4,031 km² per grid cell | India |
| 1820s | 4,813 km² per grid cell | 1,523 km² per grid cell | 3,290 km² per grid cell | India |
| 1830s | 5,071 km² per grid cell | 2,431 km² per grid cell | 2,640 km² per grid cell | India |
| 1840s | 4,563 km² per grid cell | 3,884 km² per grid cell | 678.81 km² per grid cell | India |
| 1850s | 4,993 km² per grid cell | 7,265 km² per grid cell | 2,272 km² per grid cell | United States |
| 1860s | 4,774 km² per grid cell | 12,597 km² per grid cell | 7,823 km² per grid cell | United States |
| 1870s | 4,358 km² per grid cell | 19,930 km² per grid cell | 15,573 km² per grid cell | United States |
| 1880s | 4,529 km² per grid cell | 28,112 km² per grid cell | 23,583 km² per grid cell | United States |
| 1890s | 5,471 km² per grid cell | 42,401 km² per grid cell | 36,930 km² per grid cell | United States |
| 1900s | 6,067 km² per grid cell | 53,032 km² per grid cell | 46,965 km² per grid cell | United States |
| 1910s | 5,316 km² per grid cell | 62,886 km² per grid cell | 57,569 km² per grid cell | United States |
| 1920s | 5,758 km² per grid cell | 65,617 km² per grid cell | 59,859 km² per grid cell | United States |
| 1930s | 6,545 km² per grid cell | 65,879 km² per grid cell | 59,334 km² per grid cell | United States |
| 1940s | 7,617 km² per grid cell | 65,806 km² per grid cell | 58,188 km² per grid cell | United States |
| 1950s | 7,972 km² per grid cell | 66,872 km² per grid cell | 58,899 km² per grid cell | United States |
| 1960s | 7,972 km² per grid cell | 81,736 km² per grid cell | 73,764 km² per grid cell | United States |
| 1970s | 8,223 km² per grid cell | 96,629 km² per grid cell | 88,406 km² per grid cell | United States |
| 1980s | 11,001 km² per grid cell | 112,780 km² per grid cell | 101,779 km² per grid cell | United States |
| 1990s | 15,372 km² per grid cell | 139,296 km² per grid cell | 123,924 km² per grid cell | United States |
| 2000s | 21,176 km² per grid cell | 169,621 km² per grid cell | 148,444 km² per grid cell | United States |
| 2010s | 29,893 km² per grid cell | 197,048 km² per grid cell | 167,155 km² per grid cell | United States |
| 2020s | 39,471 km² per grid cell | 222,878 km² per grid cell | 183,407 km² per grid cell | United States |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher urban area over the long-term, India or United States?
- United States, at 230,837 km² per grid cell against 42,636 km² per grid cell in India as of 2025.
- What is the difference in urban area over the long-term between India and United States?
- 188,201 km² per grid cell, with United States ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for India and United States?
- 108 years are reported by both, from 1000 to 2025.
- How do India and United States rank globally for urban area over the long-term?
- India ranks 3rd and United States ranks 1st of 202 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- HYDE (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as Urban area over the long-term. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Total built-up area of a country over time.