Brussels
161 km²
Shanghai
6,341 km²
Belgium
China
Area Comparison
Brussels is 39.4x smaller than Shanghai
Population Comparison
Brussels has 19.7x fewer people than Shanghai
Yes — Shanghai is 39.4x larger than Brussels by area. Shanghai spans 6,341 km² (2,448 mi²) while Brussels covers 161 km² (62 mi²) — a difference of 6,180 km². You could fit Brussels inside Shanghai approximately 39 times.
To put Brussels's size in perspective, its area of 161 km² is roughly the same size as Washington D.C.. Meanwhile, Shanghai at 6,341 km² is about 1.5x the size of Los Angeles metro.
In more relatable units, Brussels's 161 km² is about 23,000 American football fields, 80 times the area of Monaco, or 47 times the area of Central Park. Shanghai works out to about 888,000 American football fields, 110 times the area of Manhattan, or 60 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.
Shanghai is a direct-administered municipality and the most populous urban area in China. It has a population of 29,558,908 in the urban area as of 2025. The city is located on the Chinese shoreline on the southern estuary of the Yangtze River, with the Huangpu River bisecting the city. Shanghai is a global center for finance, business and economics, research, science and technology, manufacturing, transportation, tourism, and culture. The Port of Shanghai is the world's busiest container port.
Also known as "Pearl of the Orient", Shanghai has an area of 6,341 km² and is home to 24.9 million people. The city dates back to 1291. Visitors come for The Bund, Oriental Pearl Tower, Shanghai Tower, and much more. Getting around is easy with the Shanghai Metro.
Shanghai's urban population reached 29.5 million in 2025, making it the most populous urban area in all of China.
Brussels has a population density of 7,826 people per km² — a densely populated city. Shanghai, with 3,922 people per km², is a moderately dense city. Brussels is noticeably denser, packing 2.0 times more people per square kilometer.
Size Ratio
Brussels fits inside Shanghai ~39 times
Density Gap
Brussels is 2.0x more densely populated
History
Shanghai is ~698 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).
Shanghai covers 6,341 km². Cities with a similar urban footprint include Perth (6,417 km²), Istanbul (5,461 km²), Guangzhou (7,434 km²), Wuhan (8,569 km²), or Dubai (4,114 km²).
The straight-line distance from Brussels to Shanghai is 9,010 km (5,599 miles), with an estimated flight time of ~11h 6m.
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