Berlin
892 km²
Shenzhen
1,997 km²
Germany
China
Area Comparison
Berlin is 2.2x smaller than Shenzhen
Population Comparison
Berlin has 4.8x fewer people than Shenzhen
In terms of area, Shenzhen is 2.2x the size of Berlin. Shenzhen spans 1,997 km² (771 mi²) while Berlin covers 892 km² (344 mi²) — a difference of 1,105 km². You could fit Berlin inside Shenzhen approximately 2 times.
To put Berlin's size in perspective, its area of 892 km² is about 1.1x the size of New York City. Meanwhile, Shenzhen at 1,997 km² is roughly the same size as Tokyo (city proper).
In more relatable units, Berlin's 892 km² is about 125,000 American football fields, 15 times the area of Manhattan, or 8 times the area of Paris. Shenzhen works out to about 280,000 American football fields, 34 times the area of Manhattan, or 19 times the area of Paris.
Berlin is the capital of Germany, as well as its largest city by both area and population. With 3.7 million inhabitants, it has the highest population within its city limits of any city in the European Union. The city is also one of the states of Germany, being the third-smallest state in the country by area. Berlin is surrounded by the state of Brandenburg, bordering Brandenburg's capital Potsdam to the southwest.
Berlin covers 892 km² with a population of 3.6 million. The city was established in 1237. Berlin is known for Brandenburg Gate, Berlin Wall, Reichstag Building, among other attractions. The city's main transit system is the BVG (U-Bahn & S-Bahn).
Berlin holds the highest population within city limits of any city in the European Union, with 3.7 million inhabitants.
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.
Also known as "China's Silicon Valley", Shenzhen has an area of 1,997 km² and is home to 17.6 million people. It was established in 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 Berlin metropolitan area covers 3,743 km², which is 1.9x larger than greater Shenzhen at 1,997 km². The Shenzhen metro area is also more populous, with 17.6 million people compared to 6.1 million.
Berlin has a population density of 4,092 people per km² — a moderately dense city. Shenzhen, with 8,793 people per km², is a densely populated city. Shenzhen is noticeably denser, packing 2.1 times more people per square kilometer.
This comparison spans continents — Berlin in Europe versus Shenzhen in Asia. Despite the geographic distance, comparing their sizes reveals surprising insights about how cities grow worldwide.
Berlin has a oceanic climate while Shenzhen experiences humid subtropical conditions. Summers are notably different: Shenzhen averages 29°C compared to 19°C in Berlin. When it's noon in Shenzhen, it's 5:00 AM in Berlin — a 7-hour time difference.
Size Ratio
Berlin fits inside Shenzhen ~2 times
Density Gap
Shenzhen is 2.1x more densely populated
Time Difference
7 hours apart
History
Berlin is ~742 years older
Berlin covers 892 km². Cities with a similar urban footprint include Santiago (838 km²), Kyoto (828 km²), San Diego (964 km²), Abu Dhabi (972 km²), or Dallas (997 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 Berlin to Shenzhen is 8,722 km (5,420 miles), with an estimated flight time of ~10h 46m.
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