Catalonia is 1.02× the size of Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur

Catalonia (autonomous community of Spain) covers about 32,000 km² (12,300 mi²) and Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur (region of France) about 31,300 km² (12,100 mi²). Below, both outlines are drawn at one scale and centred on each other.

32,000km²Catalonia
31,300km²Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur

50 km

Catalonia
Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur

What fits

Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur is 98% of the size of Catalonia.
Catalonia is larger by 626 km² (242 mi²), which is 2.0% of the area of Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur.
Measured in Belgiums: Catalonia is about 1.04, Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur about 1.02.

How they differ

Catalonia also has the larger population: 8.0 million against 5.2 million, 1.55× as many people.
Per square kilometre that is 251 in Catalonia against 165 in Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur: Catalonia is 1.52× as densely populated.
Their centres are about 440 km apart.
On a standard web map Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur looks larger than Catalonia: Catalonia at 42°N is drawn about 1.8× too large and Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur at 44°N about 1.9×, so the map shows Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur as 1.05× the size of Catalonia, when Catalonia is 1.02× the size of Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur.
Together Catalonia and Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur cover 63,300 km², close to the size of Latvia (64,600 km², 2.0% bigger).
The gap between them, 626 km², is about the size of Micronesia (634 km²).
At Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur's density, Catalonia would have 5.3 million people (it has 8.0 million). At Catalonia's density, Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur would have 7.9 million (it has 5.2 million).
Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur's centre is 2.2° of latitude, about 240 km, farther north than Catalonia's.
Catalonia is the 6th largest of the 19 autonomous communities and cities of Spain and covers 6.3% of its area; it is the 6th most densely populated of them.
Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur is the 10th largest of the 18 regions of France and covers 4.9% of its area; it is the 7th most densely populated of them.
Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur lies about 2° of latitude (roughly 240 km) north of Catalonia.
Shared out evenly, each person in Catalonia would have about 3,980 m² and each person in Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur about 6,060 m².
Laid side by side, Catalonia and Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur would cover 63,300 km², about the same size as Latvia.
Together they have 13.2 million people, 96% as many people as Burundi.

Side by side

	Catalonia	Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur
Is a	Autonomous communitySpain	RegionFrance
Area, measured	32,000 km²12,300 mi²	31,300 km²12,100 mi²
Official area	31,900 km²Wikidata	31,400 km²Wikidata
Rank by area	6th of 19in Spain	10th of 18in France
Population	8.0 millionWikidata, 2024	5.2 millionWikidata, 2022
Rank by population	2nd of 19in Spain	7th of 18in France
Density	251 per km²	165 per km²
Capital	Barcelona	Marseille
Latitude range	41°N to 43°N	43°N to 45°N

Population: Wikidata 2024 and Wikidata 2022. Official figures: Wikidata (CC0).

Wikidata's official figure of 31,900 km² agrees with our measured area of 32,000 km², to within 2%.
Wikidata's official figure of 31,400 km² agrees with our measured area of 31,300 km², to within 2%.

Similar in size to Catalonia

Similar in size to Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur

More comparisons

Sources and method

Outlines: Natural Earth, 1:10m Admin 1 - States, Provinces, public domain. The outline of Catalonia is the provinces Natural Earth draws there, joined along their shared borders. The outline of Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur is the departments Natural Earth draws there, joined along their shared borders.
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