---
title: "hippopotamus vs polar bear — size, speed and bite force"
description: "hippopotamus and polar bear compared on mass, length, speed, bite force and lifespan — every measure side by side, with why the numbers cannot settle an encounter."
url: https://atoneplace.net/animal-vs/hippopotamus-vs-polar-bear/
site: "At One Place"
---

# hippopotamus vs polar bear

**hippopotamus vs polar bear: hippopotamus leads on 5 of 6 measures**

Measured comparison — not a prediction

A semi-aquatic grazer, the third-heaviest land mammal and among the most dangerous to people. The largest living land carnivore, classified as a marine mammal because it hunts from sea ice. On the measurements below, hippopotamus leads on more of them — but they do not all point the same way, and the ones that disagree are the interesting part.

## The measurements

|  | hippopotamus | polar bear |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Mass | 1,300–3,200 kg | 150–700 kg |
| Length | 3.3–5 m | 1.8–3 m |
| Height | 1.3–1.65 m | 1–1.6 m |
| Top speed | 25–30 km/h | 40 km/h |
| Bite force | 1,800 psi | 1,200 psi |
| Lifespan | 40–55 yr | 20–32 yr |

## Where each one leads

- Mass: hippopotamus is 3.3× heavier.
- Length: hippopotamus is 1.5× longer.
- Height: hippopotamus is 1.2× taller.
- Top speed: polar bear is 1.3× faster.
- Bite force: hippopotamus is 1.5× a stronger bite.
- Lifespan: hippopotamus is 1.8× a longer life.

## What this does and does not tell you

These are measured averages with real ranges behind them, and every figure links to its own page. What they cannot do is settle an encounter. Outcomes between animals turn on circumstance — who initiates, whether either is hungry, defending young, injured or cornered, and what the terrain favours. Size and bite force are not decisive on their own, and most of these pairs never meet in the wild in any case, because their ranges do not overlap.

> Every figure here is an average with a substantial spread. Individual animals vary enormously — a large individual of the smaller species routinely exceeds a small individual of the larger one.

## Common questions

### Is a hippopotamus bigger than a polar bear?

hippopotamus is heavier — 1,300–3,200 kg against 150–700 kg.

### Who would win, a hippopotamus or a polar bear?

That is not something measurements can settle. The comparison above shows which animal leads on each measure, but an actual encounter depends on circumstance, motivation, health and terrain — and most pairs like this never meet in the wild.

## Related pages

- [How much does a hippopotamus weigh?](https://atoneplace.net/weight/hippopotamus/)
- [How much does a polar bear weigh?](https://atoneplace.net/weight/polar-bear/)
- [lion vs polar bear](https://atoneplace.net/animal-vs/lion-vs-polar-bear/)
- [leopard vs polar bear](https://atoneplace.net/animal-vs/leopard-vs-polar-bear/)
- [jaguar vs polar bear](https://atoneplace.net/animal-vs/jaguar-vs-polar-bear/)
- [cheetah vs polar bear](https://atoneplace.net/animal-vs/cheetah-vs-polar-bear/)
- [cheetah vs hippopotamus](https://atoneplace.net/animal-vs/cheetah-vs-hippopotamus/)
- [cougar vs polar bear](https://atoneplace.net/animal-vs/cougar-vs-polar-bear/)
- [cougar vs hippopotamus](https://atoneplace.net/animal-vs/cougar-vs-hippopotamus/)
- [domestic cat vs polar bear](https://atoneplace.net/animal-vs/domestic-cat-vs-polar-bear/)
- [domestic cat vs hippopotamus](https://atoneplace.net/animal-vs/domestic-cat-vs-hippopotamus/)
- [grizzly bear vs polar bear](https://atoneplace.net/animal-vs/grizzly-bear-vs-polar-bear/)
- [grizzly bear vs hippopotamus](https://atoneplace.net/animal-vs/grizzly-bear-vs-hippopotamus/)
- [polar bear vs tiger](https://atoneplace.net/animal-vs/polar-bear-vs-tiger/)

## Sources

- Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History — Smithsonian Institution (https://naturalhistory.si.edu/)