Belgium is 1.99× the size of Schleswig-Holstein

Belgium (Europe) covers about 30,700 km² (11,800 mi²) and Schleswig-Holstein (state of Germany) about 15,400 km² (5,960 mi²). Below, both outlines are drawn at one scale and centred on each other.

30,700km²Belgium
15,400km²Schleswig-Holstein

50 km

Belgium
Schleswig-Holstein

What fits

Schleswig-Holstein is 50% of the size of Belgium.
Belgium is larger by 15,200 km² (5,880 mi²), which is 99% of the area of Schleswig-Holstein.
Measured in Switzerlands: Belgium is about 0.74, Schleswig-Holstein about 0.37.

How they differ

Belgium also has the larger population: 11.8 million against 3.0 million, 4.00× as many people.
Per square kilometre that is 386 in Belgium against 191 in Schleswig-Holstein: Belgium is 2.02× as densely populated.
Their centres are about 528 km apart.
A standard web map misstates the comparison: Belgium at 51°N is drawn about 2.5× too large and Schleswig-Holstein at 54°N about 2.9×, so the map shows Belgium as 1.69× the size of Schleswig-Holstein instead of 1.99×.
Together Belgium and Schleswig-Holstein cover 46,100 km², close to the size of Estonia (45,800 km², 0.6% smaller).
The gap between them, 15,200 km², is about the size of East Timor (15,100 km²).
At Schleswig-Holstein's density, Belgium would have 5.9 million people (it has 11.8 million). At Belgium's density, Schleswig-Holstein would have 6.0 million (it has 3.0 million).
Schleswig-Holstein's centre is 3.5° of latitude, about 390 km, farther north than Belgium's.
Belgium ranks 141st of 246 countries and territories by area.
Schleswig-Holstein is the 12th largest of the 16 states of Germany and covers 4.3% of its area; it is the 10th most densely populated of them.
Schleswig-Holstein lies about 4° of latitude (roughly 394 km) north of Belgium.
Shared out evenly, each person in Belgium would have about 2,590 m² and each person in Schleswig-Holstein about 5,230 m².
Laid side by side, Belgium and Schleswig-Holstein would cover 46,100 km², about the same size as Estonia.
Together they have 14.8 million people, about as many people as Rwanda.
Counted as a country, Schleswig-Holstein would rank 159th by area and 137th by population.

Side by side

	Belgium	Schleswig-Holstein
Is a	CountryEurope	StateGermany
Area, measured	30,700 km²11,800 mi²	15,400 km²5,960 mi²
Official area	30,700 km²Wikidata	15,800 km²Wikidata
Rank by area	140th of 239worldwide	12th of 16in Germany
Population	11.8 millionWikidata, 2025	3.0 millionWikidata, 2022
Rank by population	80th of 237worldwide	9th of 16in Germany
Density	386 per km²	191 per km²
Capital	Brussels	Kiel
Latitude range	49°N to 51°N	53°N to 55°N

Population: Wikidata 2025 and Wikidata 2022. Official figures: Wikidata (CC0).

Wikidata's official figure of 30,700 km² agrees with our measured area of 30,700 km², to within 2%.
Our measured 15,400 km² is 2.3% below Wikidata's official figure of 15,800 km². Official figures can include inland water or count land that an outline draws differently.

Similar in size to Belgium

Similar in size to Schleswig-Holstein

More comparisons

Sources and method

Outlines: Natural Earth, 1:10m Admin 1 - States, Provinces, public domain for the region; Natural Earth, 1:10m Admin 0 - Countries, public domain
Boundary: De facto, as drawn by Natural Earth. A region is drawn whole, every island included; a country is its main territory.
Area: Measured on the WGS84 ellipsoid from the full-detail outlines, shown rounded.
Drawing: Each outline is projected with an equal-area projection centred on its own centroid, so areas stay true and the two can be laid over each other.
Data built: 2026-11-12

Full method