Pays de la Loire is 1.01× the size of Catalonia

Pays de la Loire (region of France) covers about 32,100 km² (12,400 mi²) and Catalonia (autonomous community of Spain) about 32,000 km² (12,300 mi²). Below, both outlines are drawn at one scale and centred on each other.

32,100km²Pays de la Loire
32,000km²Catalonia

50 km

Pays de la Loire
Catalonia

What fits

Catalonia is 99% of the size of Pays de la Loire.
Pays de la Loire is larger by 161 km² (62.3 mi²), which is 0.5% of the area of Catalonia.
Measured in Belgiums: Pays de la Loire is about 1.05, Catalonia about 1.04.

How they differ

Pays de la Loire is larger, but Catalonia has the larger population: 8.0 million against 3.9 million, 2.07× as many people.
Per square kilometre that is 251 in Catalonia against 121 in Pays de la Loire: Catalonia is 2.08× as densely populated.
Their centres are about 659 km apart.
A standard web map misstates the comparison: Pays de la Loire at 47°N is drawn about 2.2× too large and Catalonia at 42°N about 1.8×, so the map shows Pays de la Loire as 1.22× the size of Catalonia instead of 1.01×.
Together Pays de la Loire and Catalonia cover 64,100 km², close to the size of Latvia (64,600 km², 0.7% bigger).
At Catalonia's density, Pays de la Loire would have 8.1 million people (it has 3.9 million). At Pays de la Loire's density, Catalonia would have 3.9 million (it has 8.0 million).
Pays de la Loire's centre is 5.7° of latitude, about 630 km, farther north than Catalonia's.
Pays de la Loire is the 8th largest of the 18 regions of France and covers 5.0% of its area; it is the 9th 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.
Pays de la Loire lies about 6° of latitude (roughly 632 km) north of Catalonia.
Shared out evenly, each person in Pays de la Loire would have about 8,280 m² and each person in Catalonia about 3,980 m².
Laid side by side, Pays de la Loire and Catalonia would cover 64,100 km², about the same size as Latvia.
Together they have 11.9 million people, about as many people as Belgium.

Side by side

	Pays de la Loire	Catalonia
Is a	RegionFrance	Autonomous communitySpain
Area, measured	32,100 km²12,400 mi²	32,000 km²12,300 mi²
Official area	32,100 km²Wikidata	31,900 km²Wikidata
Rank by area	8th of 18in France	6th of 19in Spain
Population	3.9 millionWikidata, 2022	8.0 millionWikidata, 2024
Rank by population	8th of 18in France	2nd of 19in Spain
Density	121 per km²	251 per km²
Capital	Nantes	Barcelona
Latitude range	46°N to 49°N	41°N to 43°N

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

Wikidata's official figure of 32,100 km² agrees with our measured area of 32,100 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 Pays de la Loire

Similar in size to Catalonia

More comparisons

Sources and method

Outlines: Natural Earth, 1:10m Admin 1 - States, Provinces, public domain. The outline of Pays de la Loire 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