The map above shows South Dakota and Germany side by side at exactly the same scale, using equal-area projections, so their true relative sizes are preserved.
South Dakota vs Germany Geography
Land area: South Dakota has a land area of 75,808 square miles (196,342 km²), while Germany has 134,623 square miles (348,672 km²). Germany's land area is 1.8 times (78%) larger than South Dakota's.
Total area: South Dakota: 77,116 square miles (199,729 km²) vs Germany: 138,069 square miles (357,596 km²), including inland and coastal water. Germany's total area is 1.8 times (79%) larger than South Dakota's.
Length: South Dakota is 443 miles (712 km) long from north to south; Germany is 531 miles (854 km). Germany's north-south length is 1.2 times (20%) longer than South Dakota's.
Width: South Dakota spans 371 miles (597 km) east to west; Germany spans 397 miles (639 km). Germany's east-west width is 1.1 times (7%) wider than South Dakota's.
Highest point: South Dakota's highest point is Black Elk Peak at 7,198 feet (2,194 m); Germany's is Zugspitze at 9,718 feet (2,962 m). Zugspitze is 2,520 feet higher than Black Elk Peak.
Lowest point: South Dakota's lowest point is Big Stone Lake at 966 feet; Germany's is Neuendorf-Sachsenbande at -13 feet. Germany's lowest point is 979 feet lower.
South Dakota vs Germany Population and History
Population: South Dakota has a population of 924,669 (2024), while Germany has 83,467,117 (2025). Germany's population is 90.3 times larger than South Dakota's.
Population density: South Dakota: 12.2 people per square mile vs Germany: 620.0. Germany's population density is 50.8 times higher than South Dakota's.
Biggest city: South Dakota's biggest city is Sioux Falls with 209,289 people; Germany's is Berlin with 3,878,100. Berlin's population is 18.5 times larger than Sioux Falls'.
Largest metro area: South Dakota's largest metropolitan area is Sioux Falls, SD-MN metro area (308,266 people) vs Germany's Berlin metropolitan region (6,200,000). Berlin metropolitan region's population is 20.1 times larger than Sioux Falls, SD-MN metro area's.
History: South Dakota: Admitted to the Union on November 2, 1889, as the 40th state. Germany: Unified on January 18, 1871; the current Federal Republic dates from 1949, reunified in 1990. In its current form, Germany is the older of the two by 18 years.
South Dakota vs Germany Economy
GDP: South Dakota's GDP is $76.8 billion (2024) vs Germany's $5,050.9 billion. Germany's economic output is 65.8 times larger than South Dakota's.
GDP per capita: South Dakota: $83,052 per person vs Germany: $60,496. South Dakota's GDP per capita is 1.4 times (37%) higher than Germany's.
Average income: South Dakota: $75,699 vs Germany: $60,200 average income per person (per capita personal income). South Dakota's average income is 1.3 times (26%) higher than Germany's.
Official Websites
South Dakota official website · Germany official website
More Size Comparisons
All South Dakota size comparisons · All Germany size comparisons
Area, elevation and boundary figures come from official national statistics and US Census Bureau and Natural Earth boundary data; US state population, economic, county and tax figures come from the US Census Bureau, the Bureau of Economic Analysis and the Tax Foundation. Figures are rounded and for general reference.