---
title: "Gorilla vs orangutan — size, weight and speed compared"
description: "Gorilla is 2.5× orangutan on weight. Compared on 4 measured properties, with the full range and a source for each."
url: https://atoneplace.net/vs/gorilla-vs-orangutan/
site: "At One Place"
---

# Gorilla vs Orangutan

**Gorilla vs orangutan: Gorilla is larger on weight**

Gorilla is 2.5× orangutan on weight.

A gorilla and an orangutan can be compared on 4 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.*

|  | Gorilla | Orangutan |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Weight | 70–270 kg | 30–118 kg |
| Height | 1.3–1.8 m | 1.15–1.5 m |
| Width | 2–2.6 m | 2–2.4 m |
| Typical lifespan | 35–55 yr | 35–58 yr |

## What the numbers say

- Gorilla is 2.5× orangutan on weight.
- Gorilla is somewhat greater than orangutan on height — about 1.3×.
- Gorilla and orangutan are near enough identical on width.
- Gorilla and orangutan are near enough identical on typical lifespan.

*Weight compared.*

- Gorilla: 70–270 kg
- Orangutan: 30–118 kg

## Gorilla

The largest living primate; dominant males, called silverbacks, are roughly twice the mass of females.

## 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, gorilla or orangutan?

Gorilla is 2.5× orangutan on weight. Both figures are typical values; the full range for each is in the table above.

### How do gorillas and orangutans compare on height?

Gorilla: 1.3–1.8 m. Orangutan: 1.15–1.5 m. Gorilla is somewhat greater than orangutan on height — about 1.3×.

### How do gorillas and orangutans compare on width?

Gorilla: 2–2.6 m. Orangutan: 2–2.4 m. Gorilla and orangutan are near enough identical on width.

## Related pages

- [Gorilla vs lion](https://atoneplace.net/vs/gorilla-vs-lion/)
- [Gorilla vs tiger](https://atoneplace.net/vs/gorilla-vs-tiger/)
- [Giant panda vs gorilla](https://atoneplace.net/vs/giant-panda-vs-gorilla/)
- [Gorilla vs grizzly bear](https://atoneplace.net/vs/gorilla-vs-grizzly-bear/)
- [Chimpanzee vs orangutan](https://atoneplace.net/vs/chimpanzee-vs-orangutan/)
- [Blue wildebeest vs gorilla](https://atoneplace.net/vs/blue-wildebeest-vs-gorilla/)
- [Gorilla vs reindeer](https://atoneplace.net/vs/gorilla-vs-reindeer/)
- [Gorilla vs refrigerator](https://atoneplace.net/vs/gorilla-vs-refrigerator/)

## Sources

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