Real size
How big is India really?
3.16 million km²
1.22 million sq mi · 7th largest of the 167 here · about the size of Argentina
Normal web maps draw it 1.2× too big
India covers 3.16 million km² (1.22 million sq mi), about the size of Argentina. A normal web map draws it about 1.2 times too big: not much, but enough to make it look bigger than countries nearer the equator.
Measured from our map outlines, so official figures can differ by a few percent. Ranks count the 167 countries and territories on these pages: those over 5,000 km², not counting disputed territories.
Part of the land India holds or claims is disputed (2 disputes). Our area follows the borders drawn on today's map. See the disputed territories →
- Real area
- 3.16 million km²
- Size rank
- 7th of 167
- On a normal web map
- 1.2× too big
- Latitude
- 23°N
Countries about the same size
- ArgentinaIndia is 1.1 times the size of Argentina
- KazakhstanIndia is 1.2 times the size of Kazakhstan
- DR CongoIndia is 1.4 times the size of DR Congo
- AlgeriaIndia is 1.4 times the size of Algeria
- GreenlandIndia is 1.5 times the size of Greenland
India through history
Borders here have moved many times. Step through our maps, from 2000 BCE to today, to see who ruled this land before, and how big their realms really were.
Open the history map →Browse the eras →
Common questions
- How big is India?
- India covers about 3.16 million km² (1.22 million sq mi). It is the 7th largest of the 167 countries and territories on these pages (those over 5,000 km²).
- Why does India look so big on maps?
- Most web maps use the Mercator projection, which keeps shapes right but stretches area more and more toward the poles. Averaged over the whole country, it draws India about 1.2 times too big.
- Is India bigger than Kazakhstan?
- Yes. India is about 1.2 times the size of Kazakhstan.
- Is India bigger than Argentina?
- Yes. India is about 1.1 times the size of Argentina.
- Is India bigger than Australia?
- No. Australia is about 2.4 times the size of India.