Lagos
1,172 km²
Shenzhen
1,997 km²
Nigeria
China
Area Comparison
Lagos is 1.7x smaller than Shenzhen
Population Comparison
Lagos has 1.1x fewer people than Shenzhen
In terms of area, Shenzhen is 1.7x the size of Lagos. Shenzhen spans 1,997 km² (771 mi²) while Lagos covers 1,172 km² (453 mi²) — a difference of 825 km².
To put Lagos's size in perspective, its area of 1,172 km² is about 1.3x the size of Berlin. Meanwhile, Shenzhen at 1,997 km² is roughly the same size as Tokyo (city proper).
Lagos's footprint is roughly about 164,000 American football fields, 20 times the area of Manhattan, or 11 times the area of Paris — pick whichever unit feels intuitive. Shenzhen, by comparison, equals about 280,000 American football fields, 34 times the area of Manhattan, or 19 times the area of Paris.
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.
Known as "Lasgidi", Lagos covers 1,172 km² with a population of 15.4 million. The city was established in 1472. Lagos is known for Victoria Island, Lekki Conservation Centre, Nike Art Gallery, among other attractions. The city's main transit system is 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.
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.
Often called "China's Silicon Valley", Shenzhen has an area of 1,997 km² and is home to 17.6 million people. The city dates back to 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 Lagos metropolitan area covers 2,706 km², which is 1.4x larger than greater Shenzhen at 1,997 km². The Lagos metro area is also more populous, with 21.0 million people compared to 17.6 million.
Lagos has a population density of 13,131 people per km² — an extremely dense urban environment. Shenzhen, with 8,793 people per km², is a densely populated city. Both cities have comparable density, though Lagos is slightly more compact.
This comparison spans continents — Lagos in Africa versus Shenzhen in Asia. Despite the geographic distance, comparing their sizes reveals surprising insights about how cities grow worldwide.
Lagos has a tropical savanna climate while Shenzhen experiences humid subtropical conditions. When it's noon in Shenzhen, it's 5:00 AM in Lagos — a 7-hour time difference.
Density Gap
Lagos is 1.5x more densely populated
Time Difference
7 hours apart
History
Lagos is ~507 years older
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).
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 Lagos to Shenzhen is 11,819 km (7,344 miles), with an estimated flight time of ~14h 24m.
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