Lagos
1,172 km²
Xi'an
10,097 km²
Nigeria
People's Republic of China
Area Comparison
Lagos is 8.6x smaller than Xi'an
Population Comparison
Lagos has 1.2x more people than Xi'an
Xi'an is significantly larger, covering 8.6 times the area of Lagos. Xi'an spans 10,097 km² (3,898 mi²) while Lagos covers 1,172 km² (453 mi²) — a difference of 8,925 km². You could fit Lagos inside Xi'an approximately 8 times.
To put Lagos's size in perspective, its area of 1,172 km² is about 1.3x the size of Berlin. Meanwhile, Xi'an at 10,097 km² is about 1.6x the size of Shanghai.
In more relatable units, Lagos's 1,172 km² is about 164,000 American football fields, 20 times the area of Manhattan, or 11 times the area of Paris. Xi'an works out to about 1,400,000 American football fields, 170 times the area of Manhattan, or 96 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.
Xi'an is the capital of the Chinese province of Shaanxi. A sub-provincial city on the Guanzhong plain, the city is the third-most populous city in Western China after Chongqing and Chengdu, as well as the most populous city in Northwestern China. Its total population was 12.95 million in the 2020 census, including an urban population of 9.28 million.
Nicknamed "Ancient Capital", Xi'an has an area of 10,097 km² and is home to 12.9 million people. Visitors come for Terracotta Army, Xi'an City Wall, Big Wild Goose Pagoda, and much more.
Xi'an's 2020 census recorded 12.95 million residents, making it the most populous city in Northwestern China.
Lagos has a population density of 13,131 people per km² — an extremely dense urban environment. Xi'an, with 1,283 people per km², is a relatively spread-out city. Lagos is dramatically more crowded, with 10.2x the population density.
Size Ratio
Lagos fits inside Xi'an ~8 times
Density Gap
Lagos is 10.2x more densely populated
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).
Xi'an covers 10,097 km². Cities with a similar urban footprint include Melbourne (9,993 km²), Wuhan (8,569 km²), Sydney (12,368 km²), Guangzhou (7,434 km²), or Chengdu (14,378 km²).
The straight-line distance from Lagos to Xi'an is 11,008 km (6,840 miles), with an estimated flight time of ~13h 27m.
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