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 29% of United Kingdom's (70,280 km² vs 243,610 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.
Ireland vs United Kingdom in the world: GDP per capita
GDP per capita log axis
Every dot is one country with data — the two highlighted dots are these countries; the dashed line marks the world median. Wide-range metrics use a logarithmic axis (tagged).
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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 | 70,280 km² (2023) | 243,610 km² (2023) | 29% |
| Population densityderived | 78.0/km² (2025) | 285/km² (2025) | 27% |
| 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 displayed surface area (World Bank surface-area figures where available) — so it can differ from the World Bank's own land-area-based density.
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 | 70,280 km² (2023) | 243,610 km² (2023) | 29% |
| Population density derived | 78.0/km² (2025) | 285/km² (2025) | 27% |
| 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 displayed surface area (World Bank surface-area figures where available) — so it can differ from the World Bank's own land-area-based density.
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 29% of United Kingdom's (70,280 km² vs 243,610 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).
Which has a higher GDP per capita, Ireland or United Kingdom?
Ireland's GDP per capita is larger: about 2.3× United Kingdom's ($131,592 vs $57,602).
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/; Surface area (sq. km) — 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 follow the World Bank AG.SRF.TOTL.K2 figures, with mledoze/countries (or a measured Natural Earth boundary, marked †) only where World Bank coverage is missing.
Reference facts (capital, languages, currencies, subregion): mledoze/countries (ODbL).