Country comparison
Ireland United Kingdom
How do Ireland and United Kingdom compare on area, population, economy and living standards? Every figure below comes from open data, computed at build time.
Ireland vs United Kingdom at a glance
- Ireland's surface area is smaller: about 23% of United Kingdom's (58,263 km² vs 248,906 km²).
- Ireland's population is smaller: about 8% of United Kingdom's (5.5M vs 69.5M).
- Ireland's GDP (total) is smaller: about 18% of United Kingdom's ($721.7B vs $4T).
- Ireland's GDP per capita is about 2.3× United Kingdom's.
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IrelandUnited Kingdom — Ireland's GDP per capita is about 2.3× United Kingdom's.
| Metric | Ireland | United Kingdom | A vs B |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population & land | |||
| Population | 5.5M (2025) | 69.5M (2025) | 8% |
| Population growth | 1.6% (2025) | 0.3% (2025) | 5.5× |
| Urban population share | 64.6% (2025) | 83.3% (2025) | 78% |
| Population aged 65+ | 16.2% (2025) | 19.7% (2025) | 82% |
| Fertility rate | 1.5 (2024) | 1.6 (2024) | 95% |
| Birth rate | 10.0‰ (2024) | 9.9‰ (2024) | 1.0× |
| Death rate | 6.5‰ (2024) | 9.7‰ (2024) | 67% |
| Net migration | 35.4K (2025) | 389.9K (2025) | 9% |
| Surface area | 58,263 km² | 248,906 km² | 23% |
| Population densityderived | 94.1/km² (2025) | 279/km² (2025) | 34% |
| Economy | |||
| GDP (total) | $721.7B (2025) | $4T (2025) | 18% |
| GDP per capita | $131,592 (2025) | $57,602 (2025) | 2.3× |
| GNI per capita | $87,360 (2025) | $54,550 (2025) | 1.6× |
| GDP growth (annual) | 12.3% (2025) | 1.4% (2025) | 8.9× |
| Inflation rate | 2.2% (2025) | 3.9% (2025) | 57% |
| Unemployment rate | 4.6% (2025) | 4.7% (2025) | 98% |
| Gini index | 29.0 (2023) | 32.4 (2021) | 90% |
| Poverty rate ($2.15/day) | 0.1% (2023) | 0.4% (2021) | 25% |
| Trade & industry | |||
| Exports share of GDP | 140.1% (2025) | 30.6% (2025) | 4.6× |
| Imports share of GDP | 99.9% (2025) | 31.9% (2025) | 3.1× |
| Agriculture share of GDP | 1.1% (2025) | 0.6% (2025) | 1.7× |
| Manufacturing share of GDP | 33.9% (2025) | 7.7% (2025) | 4.4× |
| International tourist arrivals | 11M (2019) | 11.1M (2020) | 99% |
| Tourism receipts | $4.2B (2020) | $31.7B (1998) | 13% |
| Health & education | |||
| Life expectancy | 83.0 years (2024) | 81.4 years (2024) | 1.0× |
| Infant mortality | 3.4‰ (2024) | 4.1‰ (2024) | 83% |
| Under-five mortality | 3.9‰ (2024) | 4.7‰ (2024) | 83% |
| DPT immunization | 92.0% (2024) | 92.0% (2024) | 1.0× |
| Hospital beds | 3.0 per 1,000 (2023) | 2.4 per 1,000 (2022) | 1.2× |
| Health spending share of GDP | 6.9% (2024) | 11.1% (2024) | 62% |
| Secondary school enrollment | 130.6% (2022) | 112.1% (2023) | 1.2× |
| Education spending share of GDP | 2.9% (2021) | 5.9% (2021) | 49% |
| Society & living | |||
| Human Development Index | 0.949 (2023) | 0.946 (2023) | 1.0× |
| Internet users | 97.2% (2024) | 95.5% (2024) | 1.0× |
| Mobile subscriptions | 112.6 per 100 (2024) | 121.6 per 100 (2024) | 93% |
| Fixed broadband | 32.3 per 100 (2024) | 42.2 per 100 (2024) | 77% |
| Electricity access | 100.0% (2024) | 100.0% (2024) | 1.0× |
| Environment & security | |||
| CO₂ emissions per capita | 6.0 t (2024) | 4.2 t (2024) | 1.4× |
| CO₂ emissions (total)derived | 32.6 Mt (2024) | 292 Mt (2024) | 11% |
| Renewable electricity share | 37.2% (2021) | 40.2% (2021) | 92% |
| Renewable energy consumption | 12.7% (2021) | 12.2% (2021) | 1.0× |
| Forest area | 11.5% (2023) | 13.3% (2023) | 87% |
| Agricultural land | 60.8% (2023) | 70.3% (2023) | 86% |
| Arable land | 6.4% (2023) | 25.0% (2023) | 26% |
| PM2.5 exposure | 7.5 µg/m³ (2023) | 9.5 µg/m³ (2023) | 79% |
| Military spending | 0.2% (2024) | 2.3% (2024) | 10% |
Population density is our own derived metric: latest population ÷ the equal-area surface area computed from Natural Earth boundaries — the same area basis as the true-size tool.
Ireland
- Capital
- Dublin
- Languages
- English, Irish
- Currencies
- EUR
- Subregion
- Northern Europe
United Kingdom
- Capital
- London
- Languages
- English
- Currencies
- GBP
- Subregion
- Northern Europe
Ireland vs United Kingdom in five metrics
Full metric comparison
| Metric | Ireland | United Kingdom | A vs B |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population & land | |||
| Population | 5.5M (2025) | 69.5M (2025) | 8% |
| Population growth | 1.6% (2025) | 0.3% (2025) | 5.5× |
| Urban population share | 64.6% (2025) | 83.3% (2025) | 78% |
| Population aged 65+ | 16.2% (2025) | 19.7% (2025) | 82% |
| Fertility rate | 1.5 (2024) | 1.6 (2024) | 95% |
| Birth rate | 10.0‰ (2024) | 9.9‰ (2024) | 1.0× |
| Death rate | 6.5‰ (2024) | 9.7‰ (2024) | 67% |
| Net migration | 35.4K (2025) | 389.9K (2025) | 9% |
| Surface area | 58,263 km² | 248,906 km² | 23% |
| Population density derived | 94.1/km² (2025) | 279/km² (2025) | 34% |
| Economy | |||
| GDP (total) | $721.7B (2025) | $4T (2025) | 18% |
| GDP per capita | $131,592 (2025) | $57,602 (2025) | 2.3× |
| GNI per capita | $87,360 (2025) | $54,550 (2025) | 1.6× |
| GDP growth (annual) | 12.3% (2025) | 1.4% (2025) | 8.9× |
| Inflation rate | 2.2% (2025) | 3.9% (2025) | 57% |
| Unemployment rate | 4.6% (2025) | 4.7% (2025) | 98% |
| Gini index | 29.0 (2023) | 32.4 (2021) | 90% |
| Poverty rate ($2.15/day) | 0.1% (2023) | 0.4% (2021) | 25% |
| Trade & industry | |||
| Exports share of GDP | 140.1% (2025) | 30.6% (2025) | 4.6× |
| Imports share of GDP | 99.9% (2025) | 31.9% (2025) | 3.1× |
| Agriculture share of GDP | 1.1% (2025) | 0.6% (2025) | 1.7× |
| Manufacturing share of GDP | 33.9% (2025) | 7.7% (2025) | 4.4× |
| International tourist arrivals | 11M (2019) | 11.1M (2020) | 99% |
| Tourism receipts | $4.2B (2020) | $31.7B (1998) | 13% |
| Health & education | |||
| Life expectancy | 83.0 years (2024) | 81.4 years (2024) | 1.0× |
| Infant mortality | 3.4‰ (2024) | 4.1‰ (2024) | 83% |
| Under-five mortality | 3.9‰ (2024) | 4.7‰ (2024) | 83% |
| DPT immunization | 92.0% (2024) | 92.0% (2024) | 1.0× |
| Hospital beds | 3.0 per 1,000 (2023) | 2.4 per 1,000 (2022) | 1.2× |
| Health spending share of GDP | 6.9% (2024) | 11.1% (2024) | 62% |
| Secondary school enrollment | 130.6% (2022) | 112.1% (2023) | 1.2× |
| Education spending share of GDP | 2.9% (2021) | 5.9% (2021) | 49% |
| Society & living | |||
| Human Development Index | 0.949 (2023) | 0.946 (2023) | 1.0× |
| Internet users | 97.2% (2024) | 95.5% (2024) | 1.0× |
| Mobile subscriptions | 112.6 per 100 (2024) | 121.6 per 100 (2024) | 93% |
| Fixed broadband | 32.3 per 100 (2024) | 42.2 per 100 (2024) | 77% |
| Electricity access | 100.0% (2024) | 100.0% (2024) | 1.0× |
| Environment & security | |||
| CO₂ emissions per capita | 6.0 t (2024) | 4.2 t (2024) | 1.4× |
| CO₂ emissions (total) derived | 32.6 Mt (2024) | 292 Mt (2024) | 11% |
| Renewable electricity share | 37.2% (2021) | 40.2% (2021) | 92% |
| Renewable energy consumption | 12.7% (2021) | 12.2% (2021) | 1.0× |
| Forest area | 11.5% (2023) | 13.3% (2023) | 87% |
| Agricultural land | 60.8% (2023) | 70.3% (2023) | 86% |
| Arable land | 6.4% (2023) | 25.0% (2023) | 26% |
| PM2.5 exposure | 7.5 µg/m³ (2023) | 9.5 µg/m³ (2023) | 79% |
| Military spending | 0.2% (2024) | 2.3% (2024) | 10% |
Population density is our own derived metric: latest population ÷ the equal-area surface area computed from Natural Earth boundaries — the same area basis as the true-size tool.
Reference facts
| Metric | Ireland | United Kingdom |
|---|---|---|
| Capital | Dublin | London |
| Languages | English, Irish | English |
| Currencies | EUR | GBP |
| Subregion | Northern Europe | Northern Europe |
Frequently asked questions
Which is bigger, Ireland or United Kingdom?
Ireland's surface area is smaller: about 23% of United Kingdom's (58,263 km² vs 248,906 km²).
Which has a larger population, Ireland or United Kingdom?
Ireland's population is smaller: about 8% of United Kingdom's (5.5M vs 69.5M).
Which economy is larger, Ireland or United Kingdom?
Ireland's GDP (total) is smaller: about 18% of United Kingdom's ($721.7B vs $4T).
Related tools and comparisons
Open the interactive compare tool with Ireland and United Kingdom preselected
See Ireland and United Kingdom's true size on a drag-and-drop map →
Distance between Ireland and United Kingdom →
Ireland country profile: key metrics vs world median →
United Kingdom country profile: key metrics vs world median →
More comparisons with Ireland and United Kingdom
Data & method
Indicators: World Bank Open Data, 43 indicators — CC BY 4.0 © World Bank — https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/; Human Development Index — CC BY 3.0 IGO © United Nations Development Programme — https://hdr.undp.org/terms-use
Boundaries: Natural Earth 1:110m (public domain); surface areas are computed with an equal-area spherical formula (Chamberlin–Duquette).
Reference facts (capital, languages, currencies, subregion): mledoze/countries (ODbL).