Land
Size, shape and altitude
How big is it, really?
Germany fits inside the United States 27 times.
Germany: 357,680 km² (2023) · United States: 9,831,510 km² (2023)
How much coast is there?
The United States’ coastline is 8.3 times as long as Germany’s.
Germany: 2,389 km (2026 edition) · United States: 19,924 km (2026 edition)
How high can you climb?
The United States’ highest peak towers 3,227 m above Germany’s.
Germany: 2,963 m (2026 edition) · United States: 6,190 m (2026 edition)
People
Who lives there, and how closely
How many people live there?
The United States has 4.1 times as many people as Germany.
Germany: 83.5 million (2025) · United States: 342 million (2025)
How crowded is it?
Germany is 6.4 times as densely populated as the United States.
Germany: 239 per km² (2025) · United States: 37 per km² (2025)
How tall are the men?
Men in Germany are 3.3 cm taller than in the United States.
Germany: 180.3 cm (2019) · United States: 176.9 cm (2019)
How tall are the women?
Women in Germany are 2.9 cm taller than in the United States.
Germany: 166.2 cm (2019) · United States: 163.3 cm (2019)
How old is the typical person?
The typical person in Germany is 7.1 years older than in the United States.
Germany: 45.1 years (2023) · United States: 38 years (2023)
How many children per woman?
Women in the United States have 0.3 more children on average than in Germany.
Germany: 1.36 children per woman (2024) · United States: 1.63 children per woman (2024)
How many people are 65 or older?
24% of people in Germany are 65 or older, versus 18% in the United States.
Germany: 23.7% (2025) · United States: 18.4% (2025)
How many Nobel laureates were born there?
Germany has produced 10.1 Nobel laureates per 10 million people, the United States 8.7.
Germany: 10.1 (2025) · United States: 8.7 (2025)
How many official languages?
Germany and the United States are practically level.
Germany: 1 (2026) · United States: 1 (2026)
Money
What an economy looks like per person
How big is the economy?
The United States’ economy is 6.1 times the size of Germany’s.
Germany: $5.05 trillion (2025) · United States: $30.8 trillion (2025)
How much is produced per person?
The United States produces 19% more per person than Germany.
Germany: Int$75,407 (2025) · United States: Int$90,027 (2025)
How evenly is income shared?
Income is more unequally shared in the United States than in Germany (Gini 8.1 points higher).
Germany: 33.7 (2022) · United States: 41.8 (2024)
How many people are looking for work?
The United States and Germany are practically level.
Germany: 3.7% (2025) · United States: 4.2% (2025)
How much goes to the military?
The United States spends 3.4% of its GDP on the military, Germany 1.9%.
Germany: 1.9% (2024) · United States: 3.4% (2024)
How expensive is it?
The United States’ price level (US = 100) is 1.2× Germany’s.
Germany: 80% (2025) · United States: 100% (2025)
Health
Long lives, small beginnings
How much is spent on health?
The United States spends 2 times as much on health per person as Germany.
Germany: $6,849 (2024) · United States: $13,473 (2023)
How long do people live?
People in Germany live 1.9 years longer than in the United States.
Germany: 80.8 years (2024) · United States: 78.9 years (2024)
How many babies don’t reach their first birthday?
A baby in the United States is 77% more likely to die before turning one than in Germany.
Germany: 3.1 per 1,000 (2024) · United States: 5.5 per 1,000 (2024)
How many doctors are there?
Germany has 23% more doctors per person than the United States.
Germany: 4.5 per 1,000 (2022) · United States: 3.7 per 1,000 (2022)
How common is obesity?
42% of adults in the United States are obese, versus 24% in Germany.
Germany: 24.5% (2024) · United States: 41.8% (2024)
How many adults smoke?
22% of adults in Germany smoke, versus 16% in the United States.
Germany: 22% (2024) · United States: 15.8% (2024)
Everyday life
Plates, glasses and happiness
How do people rate their lives?
People in Germany rate their lives 0.07 points higher than in the United States.
Germany: 6.88 (2025) · United States: 6.82 (2025)
How much do people drink?
Adults in Germany drink 14% more alcohol than in the United States.
Germany: 10.9 litres (2023) · United States: 9.6 litres (2023)
How much meat is on the menu?
The United States has 73% more meat per person than Germany.
Germany: 70.7 kg (2023) · United States: 122.1 kg (2023)
How much food is there per day?
The United States has 413 kcal more food per person per day than Germany.
Germany: 3,535 kcal (2023) · United States: 3,947 kcal (2023)
How long do people work?
Workers in the United States put in 454 more hours a year than in Germany.
Germany: 1,335 hours (2023) · United States: 1,789 hours (2023)
How long do people go to school?
Adults in Germany went to school 0.39 years longer than in the United States.
Germany: 14.3 years (2023) · United States: 13.9 years (2023)
How many tourists visit?
Germany welcomed 2.1 times as many tourists per resident as the United States (2019).
Germany: 0.45 (2024) · United States: 0.21 (2024)
Connected
Online, electrified, urban
How many people are online?
95% of people in the United States are online, versus 94% in Germany.
Germany: 94% (2024) · United States: 95% (2024)
Who has electricity at home?
Germany and the United States are practically level.
Germany: 100% (2024) · United States: 100% (2024)
How many live in cities?
82% of people in Germany live in cities, versus 80% in the United States.
Germany: 82% (2025) · United States: 80% (2025)
How many phones per person?
Germany has 129 mobile subscriptions per 100 people, the United States 113.
Germany: 129 (2024) · United States: 113 (2024)
How much railway is there?
The United States’ railway network is 4.4 times as long as Germany’s.
Germany: 33,401 km (2021) · United States: 148,553 km (2021)
How much do they fly?
Airlines from the United States fly 2.9 times as many passengers per resident as those from Germany.
Germany: 0.96 (2023) · United States: 2.75 (2023)
Planet
Air, forests and energy
How much of the land is forest?
Forest covers 34% of the United States, but only 33% of Germany.
Germany: 32.7% (2023) · United States: 33.9% (2023)
How much CO₂ does each person emit?
The average person in the United States emits 2.1 times as much CO₂ as someone in Germany.
Germany: 6.8 t (2024) · United States: 14.2 t (2024)
How green is the power grid?
59% of Germany’s electricity is renewable, versus 26% in the United States.
Germany: 59.1% (2025) · United States: 25.6% (2025)
How clean is the air?
The air in Germany carries 21% more fine dust than in the United States.
Germany: 9.1 µg/m³ (2024) · United States: 7.5 µg/m³ (2024)
Safety
Measured risk, not vibes
How common is murder?
You are 6.3 times as likely to be murdered in the United States as in Germany.
Germany: 0.9 per 100k (2023) · United States: 5.8 per 100k (2023)
How dangerous are the roads?
Roads in the United States are 4.3 times as deadly as in Germany.
Germany: 3.3 per 100k (2021) · United States: 14.2 per 100k (2021)
Climate
What the year feels like
How warm is it?
The United States is on average 0.1 °C warmer than Germany.
Germany: 10.3°C (2016–2025 avg) · United States: 10.3°C (2016–2025 avg)
How much rain falls?
Germany gets 3% more rain than the United States.
Germany: 871 mm (2016–2025 avg) · United States: 849 mm (2016–2025 avg)
Quick answers
Is Germany bigger than the United States?
The United States is larger. Germany fits inside the United States 27 times.
Which has more people, Germany or the United States?
The United States has 4.1 times as many people as Germany (2025 estimates).
Where do people live longer, Germany or the United States?
People in Germany live 1.9 years longer than in the United States. Life expectancy at birth is 80.8 years in Germany and 78.9 in the United States.
Are people taller in Germany or the United States?
Men in Germany are 3.3 cm taller than in the United States (NCD-RisC, cohort born 2019).
