Barcelona
101 km²
Guangzhou
7,434 km²
Spain
China
Area Comparison
Barcelona is 73.6x smaller than Guangzhou
Population Comparison
Barcelona has 11.3x fewer people than Guangzhou
Yes — Guangzhou is 73.6x larger than Barcelona by area. Guangzhou spans 7,434 km² (2,870 mi²) while Barcelona covers 101 km² (39 mi²) — a difference of 7,333 km². You could fit Barcelona inside Guangzhou approximately 73 times.
To put Barcelona's size in perspective, its area of 101 km² is roughly the same size as Paris (city proper). Meanwhile, Guangzhou at 7,434 km² is about 1.2x the size of Shanghai.
Picture Barcelona another way: its area is large enough to fit about 14,000 American football fields, 50 times the area of Monaco, or 30 times the area of Central Park. Guangzhou, by comparison, equals about 1,000,000 American football fields, 130 times the area of Manhattan, or 71 times the area of Paris.
Barcelona is a city on the northeastern coast of Spain. It is the capital and largest city of the autonomous community of Catalonia, as well as the second-most populous municipality of Spain. With a population of 1.7 million within city limits, its urban area extends to numerous neighbouring municipalities within the province of Barcelona and is home to around 5.7 million people, making it the fifth most populous urban area of the European Union after Paris, the Ruhr area, Madrid and Milan.
Known as "Ciutat Comtal", Barcelona covers 101 km² with a population of 1.7 million. The city was founded around 230 BC. Barcelona is known for Sagrada Familia, Park Güell, La Rambla, among other attractions. The city's main transit system is the Barcelona Metro (TMB).
Barcelona is the second-most populous municipality in Spain and the capital of the autonomous community of Catalonia.
Guangzhou, also known as Canton, is the capital and largest city of Guangdong in southern China. Located on the Pearl River, about 120 kilometres (75 mi) northwest of Hong Kong and 145 kilometres (90 mi) north of Macau, Guangzhou has a history of over 2,200 years and was a major terminus of the Silk Road.
Also known as "Canton", Guangzhou has an area of 7,434 km² and is home to 18.7 million people. Its history stretches back to 214 BC. Visitors come for Canton Tower, Chen Clan Ancestral Hall, Shamian Island, and much more. Getting around is easy with the Guangzhou Metro.
Guangzhou boasts a history of over 2,200 years and served as a major terminus of the ancient Silk Road
Looking beyond city limits, the Guangzhou metropolitan area covers 7,434 km², which is 9.3x larger than greater Barcelona at 803 km². The Guangzhou metro area is also more populous, with 18.7 million people compared to 5.6 million.
Barcelona has a population density of 16,436 people per km² — an extremely dense urban environment. Guangzhou, with 2,513 people per km², is a moderately dense city. Barcelona is dramatically more crowded, with 6.5x the population density.
This comparison spans continents — Barcelona in Europe versus Guangzhou in Asia. Despite the geographic distance, comparing their sizes reveals surprising insights about how cities grow worldwide.
Barcelona has a Mediterranean climate while Guangzhou experiences humid subtropical conditions. When it's noon in Guangzhou, it's 5:00 AM in Barcelona — a 7-hour time difference.
Size Ratio
Barcelona fits inside Guangzhou ~73 times
Density Gap
Barcelona is 6.5x more densely populated
Time Difference
7 hours apart
Barcelona covers 101 km². Cities with a similar urban footprint include Lisbon (100 km²), Paris (105 km²), Copenhagen (91 km²), Vancouver (115 km²), or Zurich (88 km²).
Guangzhou covers 7,434 km². Cities with a similar urban footprint include Wuhan (8,569 km²), Perth (6,417 km²), Shanghai (6,341 km²), Melbourne (9,993 km²), or Xi'an (10,097 km²).
The straight-line distance from Barcelona to Guangzhou is 9,935 km (6,173 miles), with an estimated flight time of ~12h 11m.
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