Which has higher surface area, Netherlands or Switzerland?

Netherlands, at 41,540 sq. km against 41,291 sq. km in Switzerland as of 2023.

What is the difference in surface area between Netherlands and Switzerland?

249 sq. km, with Netherlands ahead.

How many years of comparable data are there for Netherlands and Switzerland?

63 years are reported by both, from 1961 to 2023.

Where does this data come from?

FAO electronic files and web site, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), publisher: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), published as Surface area (sq. km). Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

Netherlands vs Switzerland: Surface area

Netherlands

41,540 sq. km

in 2023

Switzerland

41,291 sq. km

in 2023

Netherlands rank

132nd

Switzerland rank

133rd

Surface area over time

Netherlands
Switzerland

How they compare

Netherlands currently reports 41,540 sq. km against 41,291 sq. km in Switzerland, a difference of 249 sq. km.

Across all 63 years both countries report, Netherlands has been ahead every year.

Netherlands ranks 132nd and Switzerland ranks 133rd of 215 countries.

Netherlands has averaged higher in every one of the 7 decades both report.

Head to head by decade

Decade	Netherlands	Switzerland	Difference	Ahead
1960s	41,530 sq. km	41,290 sq. km	240 sq. km	Netherlands
1970s	41,530 sq. km	41,290 sq. km	239.93 sq. km	Netherlands
1980s	41,530 sq. km	41,291 sq. km	239.3 sq. km	Netherlands
1990s	41,530 sq. km	41,291 sq. km	239.3 sq. km	Netherlands
2000s	41,535 sq. km	41,291 sq. km	244.3 sq. km	Netherlands
2010s	41,540 sq. km	41,291 sq. km	249.3 sq. km	Netherlands
2020s	41,540 sq. km	41,291 sq. km	249.3 sq. km	Netherlands

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher surface area, Netherlands or Switzerland?: Netherlands, at 41,540 sq. km against 41,291 sq. km in Switzerland as of 2023.
What is the difference in surface area between Netherlands and Switzerland?: 249 sq. km, with Netherlands ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for Netherlands and Switzerland?: 63 years are reported by both, from 1961 to 2023.
How do Netherlands and Switzerland rank globally for surface area?: Netherlands ranks 132nd and Switzerland ranks 133rd of 215 countries.
Where does this data come from?: FAO electronic files and web site, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), publisher: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), published as Surface area (sq. km). Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

Individual pages

About this data

Indicator: Surface area (sq. km)
Unit: sq. km
Source: FAO electronic files and web site, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), publisher: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)
Licence: CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage: 263 places, 16,395 data points, 1961–2023
Last refreshed: 06 August 2026

Surface area is a country's total area, including areas under inland bodies of water and some coastal waterways.