Flag ratios and proportions
A flag’s ratio is its height compared with its length, written height first. The same design can feel stately or stubby depending on it. Drag the slider to see the same Nordic cross at nine real ratios.
Used by: France, Germany (3:5 officially), China, Japan, Brazil (7:10), most countries
Watch the cross: its vertical bar stays in place while the fly grows, so wide flags feel faster and more directional, and square flags feel formal and static. That is why Nordic crosses shift the vertical bar toward the hoist rather than centring it.
Flag size calculator
Width = 150
Proportions of common flags
| Ratio | Width at 100 cm tall | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| 1:1 (square) | 100 cm | Switzerland, Vatican City |
| 4:5 | 125 cm | Belgium (officially 13:15), Monaco |
| 2:3 | 150 cm | France, Germany (3:5 officially), China, Japan, Brazil (7:10), most countries |
| 5:8 | 160 cm | Sweden |
| 3:5 | 167 cm | Germany, Hungary (1:2 also used), commercial 3×5 ft flags |
| 8:11 | 138 cm | Norway |
| 10:19 | 190 cm | United States (official for federal use) |
| 1:2 | 200 cm | United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Russia (2:3 used too) |
| 11:28 | 255 cm | Qatar (the widest national flag) |
Some countries specify more than one ratio (for example a land flag and a sea ensign), so sources disagree; the ones above are the commonly cited official proportions. The flag maker offers 1:2, 2:3, 3:5, 10:19, 5:8, 1:1, 4:5 and 7:11, and every shape adapts when you change it.
Questions
What is the standard flag ratio?
There is no single standard. 2:3 (height:width) is the most common for national flags, used by France, Germany, China, Japan and many others. 1:2 is used by the United Kingdom, Canada and Australia, and 10:19 by the United States.
How are flag ratios written?
Height first, then width. A 2:3 flag is 2 units tall and 3 units long, so a 2:3 flag that is 1 m tall is 1.5 m long.
Which flags are square?
Switzerland and Vatican City are the only square national flags. Nepal’s flag is the only non-rectangular one, made of two stacked pennants.
What ratio are most flags sold in?
Commercial flags are usually 3 × 5 ft (3:5), regardless of the official ratio, which is why some store-bought flags look slightly stretched or squashed.