Real size
How big is Switzerland really?
41,200 km²
15,900 sq mi · 36th smallest of the 167 here · about the size of Denmark
Normal web maps draw it 2.1× too big
Switzerland covers 41,200 km² (15,900 sq mi), about the size of Denmark. A normal web map draws it about 2.1 times too big, because it lies far from the equator (around 47°N), and those maps stretch land more the closer it gets to the North Pole.
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.
- Real area
- 41,200 km²
- Size rank
- 132nd of 167
- On a normal web map
- 2.1× too big
- Latitude
- 47°N
Countries about the same size
- DenmarkAbout the same size
- BhutanAbout the same size
- EstoniaEstonia is 1.1 times the size of Switzerland
- NetherlandsSwitzerland is 1.1 times the size of the Netherlands
- SlovakiaSlovakia is 1.2 times the size of Switzerland
Switzerland 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 Switzerland?
- Switzerland covers about 41,200 km² (15,900 sq mi). It is the 36th smallest of the 167 countries and territories on these pages (those over 5,000 km²).
- Why does Switzerland 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 Switzerland about 2.1 times too big.
- Is Switzerland bigger than Bhutan?
- They are about the same size: within 5% of each other.
- Is Switzerland bigger than Denmark?
- They are about the same size: within 5% of each other.