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Chimpanzee vs Orangutan

Chimpanzee vs orangutan
Orangutan is larger on weight
Orangutan is somewhat greater than chimpanzee on weight — about 1.3×.

A chimpanzee and an orangutan can be compared on 3 measures. The figures below are typical adult or full-size values, with the larger of the two in bold.

Side by side

Larger value in bold. Ranges reflect genuine variation, not uncertainty.
Chimpanzee Orangutan
Weight 27–70 kg 30–118 kg
Height 1–1.5 m 1.15–1.5 m
Typical lifespan 30–60 yr 35–58 yr

What the numbers say

  • Orangutan is somewhat greater than chimpanzee on weight — about 1.3×.
  • Orangutan is somewhat greater than chimpanzee on height — about 1.1×.
  • Orangutan is somewhat greater than chimpanzee on typical lifespan — about 1.1×.

Weight compared.

Orangutan 30–118 kg
Chimpanzee 27–70 kg

Chimpanzee

Along with the bonobo, humanity's closest living relative, sharing about 98.8% of our DNA.

Orangutan

The largest tree-dwelling animal; adult males develop broad cheek flanges and rarely leave the canopy.

This is a comparison of published measurements, nothing more. It describes how two things differ on measures that have been recorded; it does not predict how they would fare against each other in any situation.

Common questions

Which is bigger, chimpanzee or orangutan?
Orangutan is somewhat greater than chimpanzee on weight — about 1.3×. Both figures are typical values; the full range for each is in the table above.
How do chimpanzees and orangutans compare on height?
Chimpanzee: 1–1.5 m. Orangutan: 1.15–1.5 m. Orangutan is somewhat greater than chimpanzee on height — about 1.1×.
How do chimpanzees and orangutans compare on typical lifespan?
Chimpanzee: 30–60 yr. Orangutan: 35–58 yr. Orangutan is somewhat greater than chimpanzee on typical lifespan — about 1.1×.

Related pages

Sources

  1. Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History — Smithsonian Institution

How these figures are compiled and checked