Shanghai
6,341 km²
Stockholm
188 km²
China
Sweden
Area Comparison
Shanghai is 33.7x larger than Stockholm
Population Comparison
Shanghai has 25.4x more people than Stockholm
Yes — Shanghai is 33.7x larger than Stockholm by area. Shanghai spans 6,341 km² (2,448 mi²) while Stockholm covers 188 km² (73 mi²) — a difference of 6,153 km². You could fit Stockholm inside Shanghai approximately 33 times.
To put Shanghai's size in perspective, its area of 6,341 km² is about 1.5x the size of Los Angeles metro. Meanwhile, Stockholm at 188 km² is roughly the same size as Washington D.C..
Shanghai's footprint is roughly about 888,000 American football fields, 110 times the area of Manhattan, or 60 times the area of Paris — pick whichever unit feels intuitive. For Stockholm, that's about 26,000 American football fields, 93 times the area of Monaco, or 55 times the area of Central Park.
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.
Known as "Pearl of the Orient", Shanghai covers 6,341 km² with a population of 24.9 million. The city was established in 1291. Shanghai is known for The Bund, Oriental Pearl Tower, Shanghai Tower, among other attractions. The city's main transit system is the Shanghai Metro.
Shanghai's urban population reached 29.5 million in 2025, making it the most populous urban area in all of China.
Stockholm is the capital and most populous city of Sweden, as well as the largest urban area in the Nordic countries. Approximately 1 million people live in the municipality, with 1.6 million in the urban area, and 2.5 million in the metropolitan area. The city stretches across fourteen islands where Lake Mälaren flows into the Baltic Sea. Outside the city to the east, and along the coast, is the island chain of the Stockholm archipelago.
Nicknamed "Venice of the North", Stockholm has an area of 188 km² and is home to 1.0 million people. It was established in 1252. Visitors come for Gamla Stan, Vasa Museum, Royal Palace, and much more. Getting around is easy with the Stockholm Metro (Tunnelbana).
Stockholm stretches across fourteen islands where Lake Mälaren flows into the Baltic Sea, forming the Nordic countries' largest urban area.
Looking beyond city limits, the Stockholm metropolitan area covers 6,519 km², which is 1.0x larger than greater Shanghai at 6,341 km². The Shanghai metro area is also more populous, with 28.5 million people compared to 2.4 million.
Shanghai has a population density of 3,922 people per km² — a moderately dense city. Stockholm, with 5,213 people per km², is a densely populated city. Both cities have comparable density, though Stockholm is slightly more compact.
This comparison spans continents — Shanghai in Asia versus Stockholm in Europe. Despite the geographic distance, comparing their sizes reveals surprising insights about how cities grow worldwide.
Shanghai has a humid subtropical climate while Stockholm experiences humid continental conditions. Summers are notably different: Shanghai averages 28°C compared to 18°C in Stockholm. When it's noon in Shanghai, it's 5:00 AM in Stockholm — a 7-hour time difference.
Size Ratio
Stockholm fits inside Shanghai ~33 times
Density Gap
Stockholm is 1.3x more densely populated
Time Difference
7 hours apart
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).
Stockholm covers 188 km². Cities with a similar urban footprint include Washington D.C. (177 km²), Buenos Aires (203 km²), Helsinki (214 km²), Amsterdam (219 km²), or Brussels (161 km²).
The straight-line distance from Shanghai to Stockholm is 7,765 km (4,825 miles), with an estimated flight time of ~9h 38m.
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