China vs. USA: Which Country Is Larger?

It depends on what you measure:

🌍 Land Area Only (Excluding Coastal Waters)

• China: ~9.60 million km² (3.71M sq mi)
• USA: ~9.53 million km² (3.68M sq mi) (50 states + DC)

→ China is slightly larger (~0.7%) by pure land area.

🌊 Total Area (Land + Inland Water + Territorial Waters)

• USA: ~9.83 million km² (3.80M sq mi)
• China: ~9.71 million km² (3.75M sq mi)

→ USA is larger (~1.2%) when including Great Lakes, coastal waters, etc.

🌐 Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ – 200 nm offshore rights)

• USA: ~11.4 million km² (world's largest)
• China: ~4.7 million km² (disputed in South China Sea)

→ USA dominates by EEZ.

👥 Population (2024 est.)

• China: ~1.41 billion
• USA: ~340 million

Summary: China wins on land; USA wins on total area, EEZ, and usable arable land per capita.