Hauts-de-France and Catalonia are almost exactly the same size

Hauts-de-France (region of France) covers about 32,000 km² (12,400 mi²) and Catalonia (autonomous community of Spain) about 32,000 km² (12,300 mi²). Their outlines are laid over each other below at one scale.

32,000km²Hauts-de-France
32,000km²Catalonia

50 km

Hauts-de-France
Catalonia

What fits

Catalonia is 100% of the size of Hauts-de-France.
The measured areas differ by 16.3 km², less than half a percent: closer than the measurement itself is certain.
Measured in Belgiums: Hauts-de-France is about 1.04, Catalonia about 1.04.

How they differ

Hauts-de-France is larger, but Catalonia has the larger population: 8.0 million against 6.0 million, 1.34× as many people.
Per square kilometre that is 251 in Catalonia against 188 in Hauts-de-France: Catalonia is 1.34× as densely populated.
Their centres are about 913 km apart.
A standard web map misstates the comparison: Hauts-de-France at 50°N is drawn about 2.4× too large and Catalonia at 42°N about 1.8×, so the map shows Hauts-de-France as 1.34× the size of Catalonia instead of 1.00×.
Together Hauts-de-France and Catalonia cover 64,000 km², close to the size of Latvia (64,600 km², 1.0% bigger).
At Catalonia's density, Hauts-de-France would have 8.0 million people (it has 6.0 million). At Hauts-de-France's density, Catalonia would have 6.0 million (it has 8.0 million).
Hauts-de-France's centre is 8.2° of latitude, about 910 km, farther north than Catalonia's.
Hauts-de-France is the 9th largest of the 18 regions of France and covers 5.0% of its area; it is the 6th most densely populated of them.
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.
Hauts-de-France lies about 8° of latitude (roughly 908 km) north of Catalonia.
Shared out evenly, each person in Hauts-de-France would have about 5,330 m² and each person in Catalonia about 3,980 m².
Laid side by side, Hauts-de-France and Catalonia would cover 64,000 km², about the same size as Latvia.
Together they have 14.0 million people, about as many people as Benin.

Side by side

	Hauts-de-France	Catalonia
Is a	RegionFrance	Autonomous communitySpain
Area, measured	32,000 km²12,400 mi²	32,000 km²12,300 mi²
Official area	31,800 km²Wikidata	31,900 km²Wikidata
Rank by area	9th of 18in France	6th of 19in Spain
Population	6.0 millionWikidata, 2022	8.0 millionWikidata, 2024
Rank by population	5th of 18in France	2nd of 19in Spain
Density	188 per km²	251 per km²
Capital	Lille	Barcelona
Latitude range	49°N to 51°N	41°N to 43°N

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

Wikidata's official figure of 31,800 km² agrees with our measured area of 32,000 km², to within 2%.
Wikidata's official figure of 31,900 km² agrees with our measured area of 32,000 km², to within 2%.

Similar in size to Hauts-de-France

Similar in size to Catalonia

More comparisons

Sources and method

Outlines: Natural Earth, 1:10m Admin 1 - States, Provinces, public domain. The outline of Hauts-de-France is the departments Natural Earth draws there, joined along their shared borders. The outline of Catalonia is the provinces 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