Delhi
1,484 km²
Shanghai
6,341 km²
India
China
Area Comparison
Delhi is 4.3x smaller than Shanghai
Population Comparison
Delhi has 1.5x fewer people than Shanghai
In terms of area, Shanghai is 4.3x the size of Delhi. Shanghai spans 6,341 km² (2,448 mi²) while Delhi covers 1,484 km² (573 mi²) — a difference of 4,857 km². You could fit Delhi inside Shanghai approximately 4 times.
To put Delhi's size in perspective, its area of 1,484 km² is roughly the same size as London. Meanwhile, Shanghai at 6,341 km² is about 1.5x the size of Los Angeles metro.
Delhi's footprint is roughly about 208,000 American football fields, 25 times the area of Manhattan, or 14 times the area of Paris — pick whichever unit feels intuitive. Shanghai, by comparison, equals about 888,000 American football fields, 110 times the area of Manhattan, or 60 times the area of Paris.
Delhi, officially the National Capital Territory (NCT) of Delhi, is a megacity and a union territory of India containing New Delhi, the capital of India. Straddling the Yamuna river, but spread chiefly to the west, or beyond its right bank, Delhi shares borders with the state of Uttar Pradesh in the east and with the state of Haryana in the remaining directions. Delhi became a union territory on 1 November 1956 and the NCT in 1995. The NCT covers an area of 1,484 square kilometres (573 sq mi).
Known as "City of Djinns", Delhi covers 1,484 km² with a population of 16.8 million. The city was founded around 1500 BC. Delhi is known for Red Fort, India Gate, Qutub Minar, among other attractions. The city's main transit system is the Delhi Metro.
Delhi is a megacity and union territory of India, containing New Delhi, the capital of the country.
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.
Nicknamed "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.
Looking beyond city limits, the Delhi metropolitan area covers 46,208 km², which is 7.3x larger than greater Shanghai at 6,341 km². The Delhi metro area is also more populous, with 32.9 million people compared to 28.5 million.
Delhi has a population density of 11,314 people per km² — an extremely dense urban environment. Shanghai, with 3,922 people per km², is a moderately dense city. Delhi is noticeably denser, packing 2.9 times more people per square kilometer.
Both cities are in Asia, but they represent different national approaches to urban development. Delhi (India) and Shanghai (China) offer a fascinating regional contrast.
Both cities share a humid subtropical climate, though local geography creates distinct microclimates in each. When it's noon in Shanghai, it's 9.5:00 AM in Delhi — a 2.5-hour time difference.
Size Ratio
Delhi fits inside Shanghai ~4 times
Density Gap
Delhi is 2.9x more densely populated
History
Delhi is ~2,791 years older
Delhi covers 1,484 km². Cities with a similar urban footprint include Mexico City (1,485 km²), São Paulo (1,521 km²), Bangkok (1,569 km²), London (1,572 km²), or Bogotá (1,578 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 Delhi to Shanghai is 4,255 km (2,644 miles), with an estimated flight time of ~5h 30m.
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