The British Empire was bigger in total land area at its peak, while the Spanish Empire was earlier and hugely important as one of the first global empires. The British Empire is commonly cited at about 13.7 million square miles, compared with the Spanish Empire at about 7 million square miles.

Quick comparison

Empire| Peak size| Main takeaway
---|---|---
Spanish Empire| About 7 million square miles 8| First major global empire, very influential early on.
British Empire| About 13.7 million square miles 8| Largest empire by land area in history among the two.

Why people debate it

  • If you mean total territory , Britain was bigger.
  • If you mean earlier global reach and historical firsts , Spain was ahead in that sense.
  • Some arguments also compare naval power, trade reach, or influence , not just land.

Simple answer

So the short answer is: UK/Britain had the bigger empire; Spain had the earlier world-spanning empire.