Brussels
161 km²
Lagos
1,172 km²
Belgium
Nigeria
Area Comparison
Brussels is 7.3x smaller than Lagos
Population Comparison
Brussels has 12.2x fewer people than Lagos
Lagos is significantly larger, covering 7.3 times the area of Brussels. Lagos spans 1,172 km² (453 mi²) while Brussels covers 161 km² (62 mi²) — a difference of 1,011 km². You could fit Brussels inside Lagos approximately 7 times.
To put Brussels's size in perspective, its area of 161 km² is roughly the same size as Washington D.C.. Meanwhile, Lagos at 1,172 km² is about 1.3x the size of Berlin.
Picture Brussels another way: its area is large enough to fit about 23,000 American football fields, 80 times the area of Monaco, or 47 times the area of Central Park. Lagos, by comparison, equals about 164,000 American football fields, 20 times the area of Manhattan, or 11 times the area of Paris.
Brussels, officially the Brussels-Capital Region, is a region of Belgium comprising 19 municipalities, including the City of Brussels, which is the capital of Belgium. The Brussels-Capital Region is located in the central portion of the country. It is a part of both the French Community of Belgium and the Flemish Community, and is separate from the Flemish Region (Flanders), within which it forms an enclave, and the Walloon Region (Wallonia), located less than 4 km (2.5 mi) south.
Known as "Capital of Europe", Brussels covers 161 km² with a population of 1.3 million. The city was established in 1989. Brussels is known for Grand Place, Manneken Pis, Atomium, among other attractions.
The Brussels-Capital Region comprises 19 municipalities and forms an enclave entirely within the Flemish Region.
Lagos, or Lagos City, is a large metropolitan port city in southwestern Nigeria. As of November 2025, the size of the city's population has been estimated to be between 17 and 21 million residents, making Lagos the largest city in Nigeria, the most populous urban area on the African continent, and one of the fastest-growing megacities in the world.
Often called "Lasgidi", Lagos has an area of 1,172 km² and is home to 15.4 million people. It was established in 1472. Visitors come for Victoria Island, Lekki Conservation Centre, Nike Art Gallery, and much more. Getting around is easy with the Lagos Rail (Blue & Red Lines).
Lagos is the most populous urban area on the African continent, with an estimated 17 to 21 million residents as of 2025.
Brussels has a population density of 7,826 people per km² — a densely populated city. Lagos, with 13,131 people per km², is an extremely dense urban environment. Lagos is noticeably denser, packing 1.7 times more people per square kilometer.
Size Ratio
Brussels fits inside Lagos ~7 times
Density Gap
Lagos is 1.7x more densely populated
History
Lagos is ~517 years older
Brussels covers 161 km². Cities with a similar urban footprint include Minneapolis (149 km²), Washington D.C. (177 km²), Miami (143 km²), Stockholm (188 km²), or Buenos Aires (203 km²).
Lagos covers 1,172 km². Cities with a similar urban footprint include San Antonio (1,209 km²), Rio de Janeiro (1,221 km²), Hong Kong (1,114 km²), Rome (1,285 km²), or Los Angeles (1,302 km²).
The straight-line distance from Brussels to Lagos is 4,929 km (3,063 miles), with an estimated flight time of ~6h 18m.
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