San Marino is 124.9 times bigger by total area compared to the Vatican: 23.6 sq mi vs 0.19 sq mi. Without inland water, the land area of San Marino is 23.2 sq mi vs 0.17 sq mi for the Vatican — a 136.4 times difference in territory size.
- San Marino ranks 193/197 by total surface area vs 197/197 for the Vatican.
- San Marino occupies 0.00004% of the land mass of all countries, compared with 0.0000003% for the Vatican.
Total size and land area comparison
San Marino
|
Vatican
|
|
|---|---|---|
| Total area |
23.6 sq mi |
0.19 sq mi |
| Size difference ratio | 124.9 | 1 |
| Total area rank | 193/197 | 197/197 |
| Share of all countries' surface area | 0.00001% | 0.0000001% |
| Land area |
23.2 sq mi |
0.17 sq mi |
| Land area difference ratio | 136.4 | 1 |
| Land area rank | 193/197 | 197/197 |
| Share of all countries' land area | 0.00004% | 0.0000003% |
| Population | 33,977 | 1,000 |
| Population density | 1,466 ppl/mi² | 5,493 ppl/mi² |
Surface area by type
|
San Marino
|
Vatican
|
|
|---|---|---|
| Forest area |
3.86 sq mi |
n/a |
| Forest area as share of land | 16.7% | n/a |
| Forest area rank | 188/196 | n/a |
| World's forests share | 0.00002% | n/a |
Agricultural land area
|
8.88 sq mi |
n/a |
| Agricultural land share | 38.3% | n/a |
| Agricultural land area rank | 190/194 | n/a |
| Share of global agricultural land | 0.00005% | n/a |
|
Arable land
|
7.66 sq mi |
n/a |
| Arable land share | 33.1% | n/a |
| Arable land area rank | 184/191 | n/a |
|
Permanent cropland
|
1.22 sq mi |
n/a |
| Permanent cropland share | 5.25% | n/a |
| Permanent cropland area rank | 189/192 | n/a |
|
Water area
|
0.46 sq mi |
0.02 sq mi |
| Water as share of total area | 1.96% | 10.2% |
| Water area rank | 158/197 | 167/197 |
| Roads length |
181.4 mi |
5.59 mi |
| Land borders length |
23 mi |
2.11 mi |
| Coastline length |
0 mi |
0 mi |
San Marino vs Vatican size on the map
Data sources: World Bank | Agriculture & Rural Development (2026, retrieved 2026-04-06).
GeoRank.org/size/san-marino/vatican | CC BY
The map above outlines the borders of San Marino and the Vatican but is not accurate for size comparison because it's a 2d map with Mercator projection that distorts territories near the poles. The farther a country is from the equator, the more magnified it appears. More about country size projections.
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Data sources:
- World Bank | Agriculture & Rural Development (2023–2026, retrieved 2026-04-06)
- Wikidata (2026, retrieved 2026-02-08)
- Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) (2019–2025, retrieved 2026-02-20)
- United Nations | World Population Prospects (2026, retrieved 2026-03-10)
Total agricultural land encompasses all areas used for agriculture: territories under permanent and temporary crops and pastures. It includes land under flowering shrubs, fruit and nut trees, and vineyards, but excludes sites utilized for timber production.
Arable land encompasses fields utilized for temporary crop production, pastures, market or kitchen gardens, and temporarily fallowed land. Land abandoned due to shifting cultivation practices is not included.
Permanent cropland refers to farmland for the long-term cultivation of crops, such as coffee, cocoa, and rubber, which do not require replanting after each harvest. This category encompasses land with permanent crops like flowering shrubs, fruit and nut trees, and vines, but does not include land under trees for timber production.
Inland areas under water, such as large rivers, lakes, and some coastal waterways.
Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) — you’re free to copy, share, remix, adapt, and use even commercially as long as you give appropriate credit and clearly indicate if you made changes. Other sources may be subject to different license terms.