Johannesburg
1,644 km²
Lagos
1,172 km²
South Africa
Nigeria
Area Comparison
Johannesburg is 1.4x larger than Lagos
Population Comparison
Johannesburg has 3.2x fewer people than Lagos
Yes — Johannesburg is 1.4x larger than Lagos by area. Johannesburg spans 1,644 km² (635 mi²) while Lagos covers 1,172 km² (453 mi²) — a difference of 472 km².
To put Johannesburg's size in perspective, its area of 1,644 km² is roughly the same size as London. Meanwhile, Lagos at 1,172 km² is about 1.3x the size of Berlin.
Johannesburg's footprint is roughly about 230,000 American football fields, 28 times the area of Manhattan, or 16 times the area of Paris — pick whichever unit feels intuitive. For Lagos, that's about 164,000 American football fields, 20 times the area of Manhattan, or 11 times the area of Paris.
Johannesburg, colloquially known as Jozi, Joburg or "The City of Gold", is the most populous city in South Africa. The City of Johannesburg itself has a population of 5,538,596, while the City of Johannesburg Metropolitan Municipality has a population of 6,599,190, making it one of the 100 largest urban areas in the world. Johannesburg is the provincial capital of Gauteng, the wealthiest province in South Africa, and seat of the country's highest court, the Constitutional Court.
Known as "Jozi", Johannesburg covers 1,644 km² with a population of 4.8 million. The city was established in 1886. Johannesburg is known for Apartheid Museum, Soweto township, Constitutional Court, among other attractions.
Johannesburg ranks among the world's 100 largest urban areas, with a metro population of about 6.6 million.
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.
Nicknamed "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.
Johannesburg has a population density of 2,920 people per km² — a moderately dense city. Lagos, with 13,131 people per km², is an extremely dense urban environment. Lagos is dramatically more crowded, with 4.5x the population density.
Density Gap
Lagos is 4.5x more densely populated
History
Lagos is ~414 years older
Johannesburg covers 1,644 km². Cities with a similar urban footprint include Bogotá (1,578 km²), London (1,572 km²), Bangkok (1,569 km²), Houston (1,725 km²), or São Paulo (1,521 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 Johannesburg to Lagos is 4,508 km (2,801 miles), with an estimated flight time of ~5h 48m.
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