Ireland vs United Kingdom
Ireland vs United Kingdom: GDP growth
GDP growth in 2025: 8% a year in Ireland and 1.2% a year in United Kingdom, by IMF estimates. In 2025 the value was higher in Ireland, by 6.8 percentage points, or 6.57 times that in United Kingdom.
% a year · IMF
What the numbers say
- Ireland has been higher since 2024, when it overtook United Kingdom.
- In 2025, Ireland ranked 11 and United Kingdom ranked 117 of 143 countries, counting from the highest.
- The IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026) puts Ireland at 2.3% a year and United Kingdom at 1.4% a year in 2031.
Every year
% a year · IMF
| Year | Ireland | United Kingdom |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 8 | 1.2 |
| 2024 | 3.6 | 1.1 |
| 2023 | -3.3 | 0.4 |
| 2022 | 8.2 | 5 |
| 2021 | 16.6 | 8.5 |
| 2020 | 7 | -10.1 |
| 2019 | 5 | 1.4 |
| 2018 | 7.7 | 1.6 |
| 2017 | 10.1 | 3.3 |
| 2016 | 1.2 | 2.2 |
| 2015 | 24.7 | 2.2 |
| 2014 | 9.4 | 3.2 |
| 2013 | 2.2 | 1.9 |
| 2012 | -0.4 | 1.7 |
| 2011 | 1.6 | 1.1 |
| 2010 | 1.7 | 2.4 |
| 2009 | -5.1 | -4.5 |
| 2008 | -4.5 | 0 |
| 2007 | 5.3 | 3 |
| 2006 | 5 | 2.2 |
| 2005 | 5.7 | 2.7 |
| 2004 | 6.7 | 2.3 |
| 2003 | 3 | 3.2 |
| 2002 | 5.9 | 1.7 |
| 2001 | 5.3 | 2.4 |
| 2000 | 9.4 | 4.5 |
| 1999 | 10.5 | 2.9 |
| 1998 | 8.8 | 3.3 |
| 1997 | 10.8 | 4.9 |
| 1996 | 9.1 | 2.6 |
| 1995 | 9.6 | 2.4 |
| 1994 | 5.9 | 3.4 |
| 1993 | 2.3 | 2.3 |
| 1992 | 3.6 | 0.3 |
| 1991 | 1.6 | -1.4 |
| 1990 | 7.7 | 0.6 |
| 1989 | 5.6 | 2.4 |
| 1988 | 3 | 5.4 |
| 1987 | 3.6 | 5.5 |
| 1986 | 0.4 | 3.1 |
| 1985 | 1.9 | 4.1 |
| 1984 | 3.2 | 2.2 |
| 1983 | -0.7 | 4.2 |
| 1982 | 1.5 | 2 |
| 1981 | 2.5 | -0.6 |
| 1980 | 2.9 | -2.1 |
IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026) · 2026–2031
| Year | Ireland | United Kingdom |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | -1 | 1.3 |
| 2027 | 3.7 | 1.2 |
| 2028 | 2.9 | 1.6 |
| 2029 | 2.4 | 1.5 |
| 2030 | 2.3 | 1.4 |
| 2031 | 2.3 | 1.4 |
Each country on its own
Good to know
- How much the economy grew or shrank in a year, after inflation.
- Source: IMF, World Economic Outlook, October 2026.
- The dashed line is the IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026), a scenario rather than a forecast.
- Ranks count the 143 countries with a value in 2025, highest first.
How the layers work, where their data comes from and what they can’t tell you: Countries through time
Ireland vs United Kingdom
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