Schleswig-Holstein is 1.24× the size of Niigata

Schleswig-Holstein (state of Germany) covers about 15,400 km² (5,960 mi²) and Niigata (prefecture of Japan) about 12,500 km² (4,810 mi²). Below, both outlines are drawn at one scale and centred on each other.

15,400km²Schleswig-Holstein
12,500km²Niigata

50 km

Schleswig-Holstein
Niigata

What fits

Niigata is 81% of the size of Schleswig-Holstein.
Schleswig-Holstein is larger by 2,980 km² (1,150 mi²), which is 24% of the area of Niigata.
Measured in Belgiums: Schleswig-Holstein is about 0.50, Niigata about 0.41.

How they differ

Schleswig-Holstein also has the larger population: 3.0 million against 2.2 million, 1.35× as many people.
Per square kilometre that is 191 in Schleswig-Holstein against 176 in Niigata: Schleswig-Holstein is 1.09× as densely populated.
Their centres are about 8,720 km apart.
A standard web map misstates the comparison: Schleswig-Holstein at 54°N is drawn about 2.9× too large and Niigata at 38°N about 1.6×, so the map shows Schleswig-Holstein as 2.28× the size of Niigata instead of 1.24×.
Together Schleswig-Holstein and Niigata cover 27,900 km², close to the size of Albania (28,300 km², 1.6% bigger).
The gap between them, 2,980 km², is about the size of Samoa (2,780 km²).
At Niigata's density, Schleswig-Holstein would have 2.7 million people (it has 3.0 million). At Schleswig-Holstein's density, Niigata would have 2.4 million (it has 2.2 million).
Schleswig-Holstein's centre is 16.7° of latitude, about 1,850 km, farther north than Niigata's.
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.
Niigata is the 5th largest of the 47 prefectures of Japan and covers 3.3% of its area; it is the 34th most densely populated of them.
Schleswig-Holstein lies about 17° of latitude (roughly 1,850 km) north of Niigata.
Shared out evenly, each person in Schleswig-Holstein would have about 5,230 m² and each person in Niigata about 5,680 m².
Laid side by side, Schleswig-Holstein and Niigata would cover 27,900 km², about the same size as Albania.
Together they have 5.1 million people, about as many people as Nicaragua.

Side by side

	Schleswig-Holstein	Niigata
Is a	StateGermany	PrefectureJapan
Area, measured	15,400 km²5,960 mi²	12,500 km²4,810 mi²
Official area	15,800 km²Wikidata	12,600 km²Wikidata
Rank by area	12th of 16in Germany	5th of 47in Japan
Population	3.0 millionWikidata, 2022	2.2 millionWikidata, 2021
Rank by population	9th of 16in Germany	15th of 47in Japan
Density	191 per km²	176 per km²
Capital	Kiel	Niigata
Latitude range	53°N to 55°N	37°N to 39°N

Population: Wikidata 2022 and Wikidata 2021. Official figures: Wikidata (CC0).

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.
Wikidata's official figure of 12,600 km² agrees with our measured area of 12,500 km², to within 2%.

Similar in size to Schleswig-Holstein

Similar in size to Niigata

More comparisons

Sources and method

Outlines: Natural Earth, 1:10m Admin 1 - States, Provinces, 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