Joelin Atlas

Place comparison

Hong Kong compared with New York City: area, population and density

Hong Kong has about 1.4 times New York City’s land, but New York has about 1.1 times Hong Kong’s population, so New York City is about 1.6 times as dense on average.

Equal-area outline comparison

Outlines are centered and scaled by official land area; position does not show geographic location.

Area
Population
Population density
Area data date
Population data date

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The guide below belongs to this pair: Hong Kong and New York City. Change the selector above and the page follows, so the reading always matches the tool.

Direct answer

How different are Hong Kong and New York City?

Hong Kong covers 1,114.6 km² (430.3 sq mi); Hong Kong's area is 1.43 times New York City's. Its reported population is 7,534,200; Hong Kong's population is about 87.8% of New York City's. By average density, Hong Kong's population density is about 61.3% of New York City's.

Area difference

Hong Kong's area is 1.43 times New York City's 1,114.6 km² (430.3 sq mi) · 778.3 km² (300.5 sq mi)

Population difference

Hong Kong's population is about 87.8% of New York City's 7,534,200 · 8,584,629

Density difference

Hong Kong's population density is about 61.3% of New York City's 6,759.7 /km² (17,508 /sq mi) · 11,030.7 /km² (28,569 /sq mi)

Full data and sources for each place: Hong Kong area & population, New York City area & population

Straight-line distance between geometric centres: about 12948 km; time difference: 13 hours (12 hours during daylight saving time).

On a familiar scale

  • Hong Kong ≈ 42% of Rhode Island (reference rung) 148 m² of land per resident
  • New York City ≈ 29% of Rhode Island (reference rung) 91 m² of land per resident

Reference scales come from U.S. Census Bureau: 2025 Gazetteer Files: land area of states and counties , as of 2025-01-01.

How to read it

Hong Kong is the bigger place; New York City is the denser one on average.

Geography and shape

Hong Kong is Hong Kong Island, Kowloon, the New Territories and more than 200 outlying islands, much of it steep, wooded hillside. New York City is five boroughs — Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx and Staten Island — built over most of their flat land.

Population context

Hong Kong has 7,534,200 people on 1,115 km², about 6,760 per km². New York City has an estimated 8,584,629 on 778 km² of land, about 11,031 per km². New York holds about 14% more people on about 70% of Hong Kong’s land.

Boundaries and definitions

Hong Kong uses its year-end 2024 population and total land area of the SAR. New York City uses the Census Bureau’s Vintage 2025 estimate for 1 July 2025 and the city’s land area, which leaves out 445 km² of rivers, harbour and bay inside the city limits. Neither is a metropolitan region.

Hong Kong: Year-end population and total land area of the Hong Kong SAR.

New York City: New York City’s five boroughs — Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx and Staten Island — with 778.25 km² of land and 8,584,629 residents. Area is the Census Bureau’s land area (ALAND) for the city in the 2025 Gazetteer place file; it excludes 445 km² of rivers, harbour and bay inside the city limits, so the land-plus-water total is 1,224 km². Population is the Census Bureau’s Vintage 2025 estimate for 1 July 2025, not a census count. This is the city, not New York State and not the New York metropolitan area. The outline is the Census Bureau’s own city boundary with its mapped water removed, so it matches the official land area to within 0.2%.

In-depth guide

How should Hong Kong and New York City be understood in context?

Hong Kong and New York are the two skylines most often set side by side, and the size answer surprises people both ways. Hong Kong has more land than New York City; New York has more people and, on average, more of them per km².

More land, fewer people

Hong Kong’s 1,115 km² is about 1.4 times New York City’s 778 km² of land, yet New York’s 8.58 million people are about 1.14 times Hong Kong’s 7.53 million. That puts New York at about 11,031 people per km² on average and Hong Kong at about 6,760.

The average misleads in Hong Kong’s case. Its people are packed into a small built-up share of the territory, so the neighbourhoods most visitors see are far denser than the territory-wide average suggests.

Questions people ask

About this geographic comparison

Which is bigger, Hong Kong or New York City?

Hong Kong is bigger, with a land area about 1.43× that of New York City (Hong Kong 1,114.6 vs New York City 778.3 km², or 430.3 sq mi vs 300.5 sq mi).

How big is Hong Kong compared to New York City?

Hong Kong has 1,114.6 km² (430.3 sq mi) and New York City has 778.3 km² (300.5 sq mi): the ratio is 1.43×. Conversely, New York City has 69.8% of Hong Kong's area.

Does Hong Kong or New York City have more people?

New York City has 8,584,629 people (2025-07-01), versus 7,534,200 in Hong Kong (2024-12-31): 1.14×. In reverse, Hong Kong has 87.8% of New York City's population. Hong Kong is 1.43× the size of New York City — 1,114.6 km² vs 778.3 km² (430.3 sq mi vs 300.5 sq mi). Population is 87.8% as high; average density is 61.3% as high. Each side’s scope and reference date are set out under “Boundaries and definitions” on this page.

Is Hong Kong bigger than New York City?

Yes. Hong Kong is bigger, with a land area about 1.43× that of New York City (Hong Kong 1,114.6 vs New York City 778.3 km², or 430.3 sq mi vs 300.5 sq mi). The area difference is 336.3 km². Hong Kong has 1,114.6 km² (430.3 sq mi) and New York City has 778.3 km² (300.5 sq mi): the ratio is 1.43×. Conversely, New York City has 69.8% of Hong Kong's area.

Is Hong Kong denser than New York City?

Not on average: New York City has about 11,031 people per km² of land and Hong Kong about 6,760. Hong Kong’s built-up districts are far denser than its average, because most of its land is undeveloped hillside.

How does Hong Kong compare with Manhattan?

Manhattan has 58.68 km² of land, so Hong Kong is about 19 times its size.

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Sources

Outline data: