diff --git a/doc/users/next_whats_new/figsize_unit.rst b/doc/users/next_whats_new/figsize_unit.rst
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..ded95d9930a5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/doc/users/next_whats_new/figsize_unit.rst
@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+Figure size units
+-----------------
+
+When creating figures, it is now possible to define figure sizes in cm or pixel.
+
+Up to now the figure size is specified via ``plt.figure(..., figsize=(6, 4))``,
+and the given numbers are interpreted as inches. It is now possible to add a
+unit string to the tuple, i.e. ``plt.figure(..., figsize=(600, 400, "px"))``.
+Supported unit strings are "in", "cm", "px".
diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/figure.py b/lib/matplotlib/figure.py
index bf24193f380a..e1d26a9b58d8 100644
--- a/lib/matplotlib/figure.py
+++ b/lib/matplotlib/figure.py
@@ -2475,8 +2475,13 @@ def __init__(self,
         """
         Parameters
         ----------
-        figsize : 2-tuple of floats, default: :rc:`figure.figsize`
-            Figure dimension ``(width, height)`` in inches.
+        figsize : (float, float) or (float, float, str), default: :rc:`figure.figsize`
+            The figure dimensions. This can be
+
+            - a tuple ``(width, height, unit)``, where *unit* is one of "in" (inch),
+              "cm" (centimenter), "px" (pixel).
+            - a tuple ``(width, height)``, which is interpreted in inches, i.e. as
+              ``(width, height, "in")``.
 
         dpi : float, default: :rc:`figure.dpi`
             Dots per inch.
@@ -2612,6 +2617,8 @@ def __init__(self,
         edgecolor = mpl._val_or_rc(edgecolor, 'figure.edgecolor')
         frameon = mpl._val_or_rc(frameon, 'figure.frameon')
 
+        figsize = _parse_figsize(figsize, dpi)
+
         if not np.isfinite(figsize).all() or (np.array(figsize) < 0).any():
             raise ValueError('figure size must be positive finite not '
                              f'{figsize}')
@@ -3713,3 +3720,46 @@ def figaspect(arg):
     # the min/max dimensions (we don't want figures 10 feet tall!)
     newsize = np.clip(newsize, figsize_min, figsize_max)
     return newsize
+
+
+def _parse_figsize(figsize, dpi):
+    """
+    Convert a figsize expression to (width, height) in inches.
+
+    Parameters
+    ----------
+    figsize : (float, float) or (float, float, str)
+        This can be
+
+        - a tuple ``(width, height, unit)``, where *unit* is one of "in" (inch),
+          "cm" (centimenter), "px" (pixel).
+        - a tuple ``(width, height)``, which is interpreted in inches, i.e. as
+          ``(width, height, "in")``.
+
+    dpi : float
+        The dots-per-inch; used for converting 'px' to 'in'.
+    """
+    num_parts = len(figsize)
+    if num_parts == 2:
+        return figsize
+    elif num_parts == 3:
+        x, y, unit = figsize
+        if unit == 'in':
+            pass
+        elif unit == 'cm':
+            x /= 2.54
+            y /= 2.54
+        elif unit == 'px':
+            x /= dpi
+            y /= dpi
+        else:
+            raise ValueError(
+                f"Invalid unit {unit!r} in 'figsize'; "
+                "supported units are 'in', 'cm', 'px'"
+            )
+        return x, y
+    else:
+        raise ValueError(
+            "Invalid figsize format, expected (x, y) or (x, y, unit) but got "
+            f"{figsize!r}"
+        )
diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/figure.pyi b/lib/matplotlib/figure.pyi
index 064503c91384..c048ad556036 100644
--- a/lib/matplotlib/figure.pyi
+++ b/lib/matplotlib/figure.pyi
@@ -318,7 +318,9 @@ class Figure(FigureBase):
     subplotpars: SubplotParams
     def __init__(
         self,
-        figsize: tuple[float, float] | None = ...,
+        figsize: tuple[float, float]
+        | tuple[float, float, Literal["in", "cm", "px"]]
+        | None = ...,
         dpi: float | None = ...,
         *,
         facecolor: ColorType | None = ...,
@@ -421,3 +423,8 @@ class Figure(FigureBase):
 def figaspect(
     arg: float | ArrayLike,
 ) -> np.ndarray[tuple[Literal[2]], np.dtype[np.float64]]: ...
+
+def _parse_figsize(
+    figsize: tuple[float, float] | tuple[float, float, Literal["in", "cm", "px"]],
+    dpi: float
+) -> tuple[float, float]: ...
diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/pyplot.py b/lib/matplotlib/pyplot.py
index ea48fa2b180e..999b8e42120e 100644
--- a/lib/matplotlib/pyplot.py
+++ b/lib/matplotlib/pyplot.py
@@ -875,7 +875,9 @@ def figure(
     # autoincrement if None, else integer from 1-N
     num: int | str | Figure | SubFigure | None = None,
     # defaults to rc figure.figsize
-    figsize: ArrayLike | None = None,
+    figsize: ArrayLike  # a 2-element ndarray is accepted as well
+             | tuple[float, float, Literal["in", "cm", "px"]]
+             | None = None,
     # defaults to rc figure.dpi
     dpi: float | None = None,
     *,
@@ -908,8 +910,12 @@ def figure(
         window title is set to this value.  If num is a ``SubFigure``, its
         parent ``Figure`` is activated.
 
-    figsize : (float, float), default: :rc:`figure.figsize`
-        Width, height in inches.
+    figsize : (float, float) or (float, float, str), default: :rc:`figure.figsize`
+        The figure dimensions. This can be
+
+        - a tuple ``(width, height, unit)``, where *unit* is one of "inch", "cm",
+          "px".
+        - a tuple ``(x, y)``, which is interpreted as ``(x, y, "inch")``.
 
     dpi : float, default: :rc:`figure.dpi`
         The resolution of the figure in dots-per-inch.
diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/tests/test_figure.py b/lib/matplotlib/tests/test_figure.py
index 0c873934ebcb..014eb2cf23d0 100644
--- a/lib/matplotlib/tests/test_figure.py
+++ b/lib/matplotlib/tests/test_figure.py
@@ -1819,3 +1819,19 @@ def test_subfigure_stale_propagation():
     sfig2.stale = True
     assert sfig1.stale
     assert fig.stale
+
+
+@pytest.mark.parametrize("figsize, figsize_inches", [
+    ((6, 4), (6, 4)),
+    ((6, 4, "in"), (6, 4)),
+    ((5.08, 2.54, "cm"), (2, 1)),
+    ((600, 400, "px"), (6, 4)),
+])
+def test_figsize(figsize, figsize_inches):
+    fig = plt.figure(figsize=figsize, dpi=100)
+    assert tuple(fig.get_size_inches()) == figsize_inches
+
+
+def test_figsize_invalid_unit():
+    with pytest.raises(ValueError, match="Invalid unit 'um'"):
+        plt.figure(figsize=(6, 4, "um"))