Kiribati vs US size comparison
How Big Is Kiribati Compared to the US?
The US is about 12,000 times the size of Kiribati. Kiribati is about 4.8 times as densely populated. Drag Kiribati over the US below to see the difference at true size.
Hawaii and the territories are not drawn.
Printable Kiribati vs US size comparison
Free to print or share: Kiribati laid over the US at true size, with both areas, on one landscape A4 or US Letter page.
Key facts
- Area of Kiribati
- 811 km² (313 sq mi)
- Area of the US
- 9,833,517 km² (3,796,741 sq mi)
- Size difference
- The US is about 12,000 times bigger
- Closest US state in size
- Rhode Island (4,001 km²)
- Population (2025)
- Kiribati 136,488; the US 341,784,857
- Kiribati's rank by area
- 174th-largest of 197
How big Kiribati is compared with the US
The US is about 12,000 times the size of Kiribati: 9,833,517 km² (3,796,741 sq mi) against 811 km² (313 sq mi). Even the 48 contiguous states alone, without Alaska, could hold Kiribati about 9,983 times. Kiribati is smaller than every US state, even Rhode Island. It is the 174th-largest of the world's 197 countries, and the eighth-largest of 14 in Oceania; the US is the third-largest.
Kiribati has about 136,500 people (2025), the 180th-most populous country in the world, against 342 million in the US. With 168 people per km² it is about 4.8 times as crowded as the US (35 per km²), the 58th-most densely populated country.
Kiribati and the US on a world map
Kiribati reaches from 11°S to 5°N; the US from 19°N to 71°N, with Hawaii in the south and Alaska in the far north. Most world maps use the Mercator projection, which enlarges places more the further they are from the Equator. It draws Kiribati about 1.0 times its real size and the US about 2.3 times (Alaska far more than Florida). So on a normal world map the US looks about 28,000 times the size of Kiribati, when it is really about 12,000 times. The equal-area map above shows the real difference.
Where Kiribati is
Kiribati's capital, South Tarawa, is 11,620 km (7,220 miles) from Washington, D.C. as the crow flies. Kiribati is an island country with no land borders.
Kiribati and US in numbers
| Kiribati | US | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Area | 811 km² 313 sq mi | 9,833,517 km² 3,796,741 sq mi | The US is 12,125× bigger |
| Population (2025) | 136,488 | 341,784,857 | The US has 2,504× more |
| Rank by area | 174th-largest | Third-largest | of 197 countries |
| People per km² | 168 | 35 | Kiribati is 4.8× denser |
| Capital | South Tarawa | Washington, D.C. | 11,620 km apart |
| Neighbouring countries | 0 | 2 |
Kiribati compared with US states
Frequently asked questions
Is Kiribati bigger than the US?
No. The US is about 12,000 times the size of Kiribati: 9,833,517 km² (3,796,741 sq mi) against 811 km² (313 sq mi).
How many times would Kiribati fit into the US?
About 12,000 times (12,125). Into the 48 contiguous states alone, about 9,983 times.
Which US state is Kiribati closest in size to?
Rhode Island (4,001 km²). Rhode Island is about 4.9 times the size of Kiribati.
Is Kiribati bigger than Texas?
No. Texas is about 858 times the size of Kiribati.
Which has more people, Kiribati or the US?
The US: about 342 million people in 2025, about 2,504 times the 136,500 in Kiribati.
Why does Kiribati look so small on a world map?
Most world maps use the Mercator projection, which stretches places more the further they are from the Equator. The US is further from the Equator than Kiribati, so it is stretched more. On a Mercator map the US looks about 28,000 times the size of Kiribati, not 12,000.
Where does Kiribati rank by size?
Kiribati is the 174th-largest of the world's 197 countries by total area and the eighth-largest in Oceania. The US is the third-largest.
How far is Kiribati from the US?
Kiribati's capital, South Tarawa, is 11,620 km (7,220 miles) from Washington, D.C. in a straight line.
Sources
- Areas: CIA World Factbook (total area, land and water). US states: US Census Bureau.
- Populations: World Bank, World Development Indicators (2025).
- Outlines are drawn on an equal-area projection, so their sizes on the map match their real areas.