Switzerland is 1.30× the size of Catalonia
Switzerland (Europe) covers about 41,400 km² (16,000 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.
- 41,400km²Switzerland
- 32,000km²Catalonia
100 km
- Switzerland
- Catalonia
What fits
- Catalonia is 77% of the size of Switzerland.
- Switzerland is larger by 9,460 km² (3,650 mi²), which is 30% of the area of Catalonia.
- Measured in Belgiums: Switzerland is about 1.35, Catalonia about 1.04.
How they differ
- Switzerland also has the larger population: 9.1 million against 8.0 million, 1.13× as many people.
- Per square kilometre that is 251 in Catalonia against 220 in Switzerland: Catalonia is 1.14× as densely populated.
- Their centres are about 770 km apart.
- A standard web map misstates the comparison: Switzerland at 47°N is drawn about 2.1× too large and Catalonia at 42°N about 1.8×, so the map shows Switzerland as 1.54× the size of Catalonia instead of 1.30×.
- Together Switzerland and Catalonia cover 73,400 km², close to the size of Panama (74,500 km², 1.5% bigger).
- The gap between them, 9,460 km², is about the size of Lebanon (10,000 km²).
- At Catalonia's density, Switzerland would have 10.4 million people (it has 9.1 million). At Switzerland's density, Catalonia would have 7.0 million (it has 8.0 million).
- Switzerland's centre is 5.0° of latitude, about 560 km, farther north than Catalonia's.
- Switzerland ranks 135th of 246 countries and territories by area.
- 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.
- Switzerland lies about 5° of latitude (roughly 557 km) north of Catalonia.
- Shared out evenly, each person in Switzerland would have about 4,550 m² and each person in Catalonia about 3,980 m².
- Laid side by side, Switzerland and Catalonia would cover 73,400 km², about the same size as Panama.
- Together they have 17.1 million people, about as many people as Guatemala.
- Counted as a country, Catalonia would rank 140th by area and 101st by population.
Side by side
| Switzerland | Catalonia | |
|---|---|---|
| Is a | CountryEurope | Autonomous communitySpain |
| Area, measured | 41,400 km²16,000 mi² | 32,000 km²12,300 mi² |
| Official area | 41,300 km²Wikidata | 31,900 km²Wikidata |
| Rank by area | 134th of 239worldwide | 6th of 19in Spain |
| Population | 9.1 millionWikidata, 2025 | 8.0 millionWikidata, 2024 |
| Rank by population | 96th of 237worldwide | 2nd of 19in Spain |
| Density | 220 per km² | 251 per km² |
| Capital | Bern | Barcelona |
| Latitude range | 46°N to 48°N | 41°N to 43°N |
Population: Wikidata 2025 and Wikidata 2024. Official figures: Wikidata (CC0).
- Wikidata's official figure of 41,300 km² agrees with our measured area of 41,400 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 Switzerland
Similar in size to Catalonia
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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. 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