Barcelona
101 km²
Shenzhen
1,997 km²
Spain
China
Area Comparison
Barcelona is 19.8x smaller than Shenzhen
Population Comparison
Barcelona has 10.6x fewer people than Shenzhen
Shenzhen is significantly larger, covering 19.8 times the area of Barcelona. Shenzhen spans 1,997 km² (771 mi²) while Barcelona covers 101 km² (39 mi²) — a difference of 1,896 km². You could fit Barcelona inside Shenzhen approximately 19 times.
To put Barcelona's size in perspective, its area of 101 km² is roughly the same size as Paris (city proper). Meanwhile, Shenzhen at 1,997 km² is roughly the same size as Tokyo (city proper).
In more relatable units, Barcelona's 101 km² is about 14,000 American football fields, 50 times the area of Monaco, or 30 times the area of Central Park. Shenzhen, by comparison, equals about 280,000 American football fields, 34 times the area of Manhattan, or 19 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.
Shenzhen is a prefecture-level city in the province of Guangdong, China. A special economic zone, it is located on the east bank of the Pearl River estuary on the central coast of Guangdong, bordering Hong Kong to the south, Dongguan to the north, Huizhou to the northeast, and Macau to the southwest. With a population of 17.5 million in 2020, Shenzhen is the third-most-populous city by urban population in China after Shanghai and Beijing.
Nicknamed "China's Silicon Valley", Shenzhen has an area of 1,997 km² and is home to 17.6 million people. Its history stretches back to 1979. Visitors come for Ping An Finance Centre, Window of the World, OCT Loft, and much more. Getting around is easy with the Shenzhen Metro.
Shenzhen grew from a small town into China's third-most-populous urban city, hitting 17.5 million residents by 2020
Looking beyond city limits, the Shenzhen metropolitan area covers 1,997 km², which is 2.5x larger than greater Barcelona at 803 km². The Shenzhen metro area is also more populous, with 17.6 million people compared to 5.6 million.
Barcelona has a population density of 16,436 people per km² — an extremely dense urban environment. Shenzhen, with 8,793 people per km², is a densely populated city. Barcelona is noticeably denser, packing 1.9 times more people per square kilometer.
This comparison spans continents — Barcelona in Europe versus Shenzhen in Asia. Despite the geographic distance, comparing their sizes reveals surprising insights about how cities grow worldwide.
Barcelona has a Mediterranean climate while Shenzhen experiences humid subtropical conditions. When it's noon in Shenzhen, it's 5:00 AM in Barcelona — a 7-hour time difference.
Size Ratio
Barcelona fits inside Shenzhen ~19 times
Density Gap
Barcelona is 1.9x more densely populated
Time Difference
7 hours apart
History
Barcelona is ~2,209 years older
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).
Shenzhen covers 1,997 km². Cities with a similar urban footprint include Ho Chi Minh City (2,061 km²), Tokyo (2,194 km²), Riyadh (1,798 km²), Houston (1,725 km²), or Johannesburg (1,644 km²).
The straight-line distance from Barcelona to Shenzhen is 10,039 km (6,238 miles), with an estimated flight time of ~12h 19m.
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