Pallet sizes by region

Europe runs on the 1200×800 mm EUR1 and its 1200×1000 relatives, North America on the 48×40 in (1219×1016 mm) pallet, Australia on the 1165×1165 square and much of Asia on 1100×1100 and 1200×1000. The 12 sizes on PalletSpec range from 0.24 m² for the 600×400 quarter pallet to 1.357 m² for the Australian pallet.

By Oliver Bennett · Published 27 October 2026 · Data as of 27 October 2026, from spec sheets retrieved that day

Pallet sizes grew up around local trucks, rail wagons and warehouses, so each region settled on its own. The table lists the 12 standards on PalletSpec from largest to smallest.

Six of these footprints are the ISO 6780 sizes: 1,165×1,165, 1,219×1,016, 1,100×1,100, 1,200×1,000, 1,067×1,067, 1,200×800 mm. The others are half and quarter pallets and the CP3 chemical-industry pallet.

Europe

Europe is EUR1 country. The 1200×800 mm pallet, with 11 boards, 9 blocks and 78 nails in the EPAL specification, sets the module for half and quarter pallets too: the EUR6 is 800×600 and the quarter pallet 600×400, so two or four of them stand on one EUR1 footprint. The EUR2 and EUR3 both measure 1200×1000 mm; EPAL publishes them at 35 and 30 kg. The chemical industry uses its own CP range; the CP3 is square at 1140×1140 mm.

North America

The 48×40 in GMA pallet (1,219×1,016 mm) is the North American standard size in both the CHEP and ISO lists. Its half, the 48×20, gives the highest floor coverage of any pairing in the data: 99.3% of a 53 ft dry van floor. The square 1067×1067 (42×42 in) is listed by ISO for North America, Europe and Asia.

UK, Asia and Australia

The UK standard is the 1200×1000 pallet, which shares its footprint with the EUR2 and EUR3 and is also used in Asia. The 1100×1100 square pallet is the other common Asian size. Australia and New Zealand use the 1165×1165 square, the largest footprint here at 1.357 m², 41.4% more than a EUR1. It does not suit narrow units: in a 20ft reefer it fits only 4 times.

Millimetres and inches

North American sizes are defined in inches and the rest in millimetres, which is why the same pallet can appear under two names. The 48×40 in pallet is 1,219×1,016 mm, not 1200×1000, and the 19 and 16 mm differences are enough to change counts. In a 40ft container the 48×40 fits 20 times and the 1200×1000 22 times; on a 13.6 m curtainsider both fit 26.

The same pallets in three common units

Half and quarter pallets do slightly better than their full-size parents because smaller pieces fill awkward gaps. Two EUR6 half pallets have the footprint of one EUR1, yet a 40ft container takes 55 EUR6 against 25 EUR1, more than twice as many. The 600×400 quarter pallet reaches 110.

The square pallets show how little footprint size alone decides. The 1165×1165, the CP3 at 1140×1140 and the 1100×1100 differ by up to 65 mm a side, yet all three fit 20 times in a 40ft container: two across and ten rows. The larger pallet simply covers more of the floor, 96.0% against 85.6%. Only the smaller 1067×1067 gains an extra row, with 22.

Footprints to one scale

Height and weight

Published heights run from 128 mm (48×20 half pallet) to 162 mm (EUR2). Weights are published for 7 of the 12, from 9.5 kg for the EUR6 half pallet to 35 kg for the EUR2. Where two sources disagree, the figure here is their midpoint; the pallet pages show the spread.

The height spread of 34 mm between the lowest and tallest pallet is small next to the goods on top, but it counts twice in a double stack. Enter the pallet height plus the goods as the unit height in the planner and the layer count takes care of it.

Where each pallet fits best

For every pallet, the container or trailer whose floor it covers most completely, and its count in a 40ft container for reference.

The European pallets all find their best fit in European trailers, and the 48×20 in the 53 ft van. The 48×40 is the surprise: its best fit is the European reefer trailer, whose 13,310 mm length takes 13 rows of 1,016 mm with 102 mm left. The square sizes all do best in containers.

Compare any of them in a unit of your choice with the load planner, or browse all pallet pages.

More guides: EUR1 vs 48×40 pallets: which fits more? · 20ft vs 40ft vs 40ft high cube containers · Why some pallet and container pairs waste floor space · European vs North American trailers · How to use the pallet load planner