Compare
Ireland vs United Kingdom
How Ireland and United Kingdom compare on 38 measures, from 1789 to 2025. The main differences:
- Life expectancy · In 2023, Ireland was higher: 82.4 years against 81.3 years
- GDP per person · In 2025, Ireland was higher: $104,400 against $48,420
- Population · In 2023, United Kingdom was higher: 68.7 million people against 5.2 million people
- Military spending · In 2025, United Kingdom was higher: 2.35% of GDP against 0.22% of GDP
- CO₂ per person · In 2024, Ireland was higher: 6.04 tonnes against 4.22 tonnes
- Life expectancyIreland: 82.4 years in 2023United Kingdom: 81.3 years in 2023
- PopulationIreland: 5.2 million people in 2023United Kingdom: 68.7 million people in 2023
- GDP per personIreland: $104,400 in 2025United Kingdom: $48,420 in 2025
- TemperatureIreland: 10.8 °C in 2025United Kingdom: 10.4 °C in 2025
Every measure
Health
- Life expectancyIreland: 82.4 years in 2023United Kingdom: 81.3 years in 2023
- Child mortalityIreland: 0.4 per 100 live births in 2024United Kingdom: 0.5 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalityIreland: 2.9 per 1,000 live births in 2023United Kingdom: 3.7 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- Safe drinking waterIreland: 96% in 2022United Kingdom: 99.8% in 2022
- DepressionIreland: 4.25% in 2017United Kingdom: 4.12% in 2017
- Suicide rateIreland: 8.4 per 100,000 people in 2017United Kingdom: 7.4 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationIreland: 5.2 million people in 2023United Kingdom: 68.7 million people in 2023
- Population growthIreland: 1.19% a year in 2023United Kingdom: 0.7% a year in 2023
- Fertility rateIreland: 1.6 births per woman in 2023United Kingdom: 1.56 births per woman in 2023
- Urban populationIreland: 64.6% in 2025United Kingdom: 83.3% in 2025
- Median ageIreland: 38.4 years in 2023United Kingdom: 39.8 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overIreland: 15.5% in 2023United Kingdom: 19.2% in 2023
- Net migration rateIreland: 8.4 per 1,000 people in 2023United Kingdom: 6.5 per 1,000 people in 2023
Economy
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spendingIreland: 0.22% of GDP in 2025United Kingdom: 2.35% of GDP in 2025
- Military spending in US dollarsIreland: $1.46B in 2025United Kingdom: $88B in 2025
- Military spending per personIreland: $272 in 2025United Kingdom: $1,283 in 2025
- Military share of state spendingIreland: 0.9% of government spending in 2025United Kingdom: 5.4% of government spending in 2025
- Armed forces personnelIreland: 9,000 people in 2020United Kingdom: 153,000 people in 2020
- National powerIreland: 0.05% of world capability in 2022United Kingdom: 1.25% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workersIreland: 0.37% of the labour force in 2020United Kingdom: 0.45% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms importsIreland: 14 million TIV in 2025United Kingdom: 609 million TIV in 2025
- Arms exportsIreland: 24 million TIV in 2025United Kingdom: 702 million TIV in 2025
Climate
Technology and environment
Each country on its own
Good to know
- Sources: UN, Gapminder and UN IGME, WHO/UNICEF, IHME, World Bank, IMF, Our World in Data, V-Dem, UCDP, SIPRI, IISS, Correlates of War, ERA5, CMIP6, EDGAR, ITU and FAO. Each measure’s page names its own and what it counts.
- Values are drawn on today’s borders. Years without a published value are left empty, never filled in.
How the layers work, where their data comes from and what they can’t tell you: Countries through time