Land
Size, shape and altitude
How big is it, really?
Italy fits inside Australia 26 times
Australia: 7,741,220 km² (2024) · Italy: 302,070 km² (2024)
How much coast is there?
Australia’s coastline is 3.4 times as long as Italy’s
Australia: 25,760 km (2026 edition) · Italy: 7,600 km (2026 edition)
How high can you climb?
Italy’s highest peak towers 2,520 m above Australia’s
Australia: 2,228 m (2026 edition) · Italy: 4,748 m (2026 edition)
How much of the land is farmed?
Farmland covers 47% of Australia, versus 44% of Italy
Australia: 47.3% (2024) · Italy: 43.6% (2024)
People
Who lives there, and how closely
How many people live there?
Italy has 2.1 times as many people as Australia
Australia: 27.6 million (2025) · Italy: 58.9 million (2025)
How crowded is it?
Italy is 55 times as densely populated as Australia
Australia: 4 per km² (2025) · Italy: 199 per km² (2025)
How tall are the men?
Men in Australia are 4.4 cm taller than in Italy
Australia: 178.8 cm (2019) · Italy: 174.4 cm (2019)
How tall are the women?
Women in Australia are 2.9 cm taller than in Italy
Australia: 164.7 cm (2019) · Italy: 161.8 cm (2019)
How old is the typical person?
The typical person in Italy is 9.7 years older than in Australia
Australia: 37.8 years (2023) · Italy: 47.5 years (2023)
How many children per woman?
Women in Australia have 0.3 more children on average than in Italy
Australia: 1.48 children per woman (2024) · Italy: 1.18 children per woman (2024)
How many people are 65 or older?
25% of people in Italy are 65 or older, versus 18% in Australia
Australia: 18.1% (2025) · Italy: 25.1% (2025)
How many refugees does it host?
Italy hosts 2.7 times as many refugees per resident as Australia
Australia: 1.2 per 1,000 (2025) · Italy: 3.3 per 1,000 (2025)
How many Nobel laureates were born there?
Australia has produced 3.6 Nobel laureates per 10 million people, Italy 3.4
Australia: 3.6 (2026) · Italy: 3.4 (2026)
How many official languages?
Australia and Italy are practically level
Australia: 1 (2026) · Italy: 1 (2026)
Money
What an economy looks like per person
How big is the economy?
Italy’s economy is 42% larger than Australia’s
Australia: $1.8 trillion (2025) · Italy: $2.55 trillion (2025)
How much is produced per person?
Australia produces 15% more per person than Italy
Australia: Int$71,934 (2025) · Italy: Int$62,803 (2025)
How evenly is income shared?
Income is more unequally shared in Italy than in Australia (Gini 0.5 points higher)
Australia: 33.8 (2020) · Italy: 34.3 (2023)
How many live on less than $3 a day?
Australia and Italy are practically level
Australia: 0.9% (2020) · Italy: 0.9% (2023)
How many people are looking for work?
Unemployment is 6.4% in Italy, versus 4.1% in Australia
Australia: 4.1% (2025) · Italy: 6.4% (2025)
How much goes to the military?
Australia and Italy are practically level
Australia: 1.9% (2025) · Italy: 1.9% (2025)
How much does the central government collect in tax?
Italy’s central government collects 26% of GDP in tax, Australia’s 24%
Australia: 23.6% (2022) · Italy: 25.6% (2024)
How expensive is it?
Australia’s price level (US = 100) is 1.3× Italy’s
Australia: 91% (2025) · Italy: 69% (2025)
Health
Long lives, small beginnings
How much is spent on health?
Australia spends 2.1 times as much on health per person as Italy
Australia: $6,980 (2023) · Italy: $3,398 (2024)
How long do people live?
People in Italy live 0.9 years longer than in Australia
Australia: 83.1 years (2024) · Italy: 84 years (2024)
How many babies don’t reach their first birthday?
A baby in Australia is 35% more likely to die before turning one than in Italy
Australia: 3.1 per 1,000 (2024) · Italy: 2.3 per 1,000 (2024)
How many doctors are there?
Italy has 3% more doctors per person than Australia
Australia: 4.1 per 1,000 (2022) · Italy: 4.2 per 1,000 (2022)
How many hospital beds are there?
Australia has 25% more hospital beds per person than Italy
Australia: 3.8 per 1,000 (2016) · Italy: 3.1 per 1,000 (2022)
How common is suicide?
The suicide rate in Australia is 2.2 times that in Italy
Australia: 12.6 per 100k (2023) · Italy: 5.7 per 100k (2023)
How common is obesity?
32% of adults in Australia are obese, versus 18% in Italy
Australia: 32.4% (2024) · Italy: 17.9% (2024)
How many adults smoke?
22% of adults in Italy smoke, versus 12% in Australia
Australia: 11.6% (2024) · Italy: 22.4% (2024)
Everyday life
Plates, glasses and happiness
How do people rate their lives?
People in Australia rate their lives 0.34 points higher than in Italy
Australia: 6.92 (2025) · Italy: 6.57 (2025)
How much do people drink?
Adults in Australia drink 25% more alcohol than in Italy
Australia: 10.5 litres (2023) · Italy: 8.4 litres (2023)
How much meat is on the menu?
Australia has 64% more meat per person than Italy
Australia: 116.8 kg (2023) · Italy: 71.2 kg (2023)
How much food is there per day?
Italy has 191 kcal more food per person per day than Australia
Australia: 3,562 kcal (2023) · Italy: 3,753 kcal (2023)
How long do people work?
Workers in Italy put in 90 more hours a year than in Australia
Australia: 1,611 hours (2023) · Italy: 1,701 hours (2023)
How long do people go to school?
Adults in Australia went to school 2 years longer than in Italy
Australia: 12.9 years (2023) · Italy: 10.8 years (2023)
How many tourists visit?
Australia: no data · Italy: 0.98 (2024)
How many World Heritage sites?
Italy has 41 more World Heritage sites than Australia (62 against 21)
Australia: 21 (2026) · Italy: 62 (2026)
How many Olympic medals has it won?
Italy has won 829 Olympic medals, Australia 619
Australia: 619 (2026 edition) · Italy: 829 (2026 edition)
Connected
Online, electrified, urban
How many people are online?
96% of people in Australia are online, versus 89% in Italy
Australia: 96% (2024) · Italy: 89% (2024)
How fast is home internet?
Home internet in Italy is 5% faster than in Australia
Australia: 261 Mbps (2026) · Italy: 274 Mbps (2026)
Who has electricity at home?
Australia and Italy are practically level
Australia: 100% (2024) · Italy: 100% (2024)
How many live in cities?
88% of people in Australia live in cities, versus 70% in Italy
Australia: 88% (2025) · Italy: 70% (2025)
How many phones per person?
Italy has 133 mobile subscriptions per 100 people, Australia 113
Australia: 113 (2024) · Italy: 133 (2024)
How much railway is there?
Australia’s railway network is 88% longer than Italy’s
Australia: 32,606 km (2022) · Italy: 17,305 km (2021)
How much do they fly?
Airlines from Australia fly 7.3 times as many passengers per resident as those from Italy
Australia: 2.5 (2023) · Italy: 0.34 (2023)
Planet
Air, forests and energy
How much of the land is forest?
Forest covers 32% of Italy, but only 17% of Australia
Australia: 17.4% (2024) · Italy: 31.8% (2024)
How much CO₂ does each person emit?
The average person in Australia emits 2.8 times as much CO₂ as someone in Italy
Australia: 14.5 t (2024) · Italy: 5.1 t (2024)
How green is the power grid?
49% of Italy’s electricity is renewable, versus 39% in Australia
Australia: 38.6% (2025) · Italy: 48.8% (2025)
How clean is the air?
The air in Italy carries 2.8 times as much fine dust as in Australia
Australia: 5.4 µg/m³ (2024) · Italy: 15.2 µg/m³ (2024)
Safety
Measured risk, not vibes
How common is murder?
You are 50% more likely to be murdered in Australia than in Italy
Australia: 0.9 per 100k (2023) · Italy: 0.6 per 100k (2023)
How dangerous are the roads?
Roads in Italy are 13% deadlier than in Australia
Australia: 7.5 per 100k (2023) · Italy: 8.5 per 100k (2023)
Climate
What the year feels like
How warm is it?
Australia is on average 8.6 °C warmer than Italy
Australia: 22.5°C (2016–2025 avg) · Italy: 13.9°C (2016–2025 avg)
How much rain falls?
Italy gets 2.3 times as much rain as Australia
Australia: 447 mm (2016–2025 avg) · Italy: 1,030 mm (2016–2025 avg)
Between them
People, goods and passports that cross from one to the other
Quick answers
Is Australia bigger than Italy?
Australia is larger. Italy fits inside Australia 26 times.
Which has more people, Australia or Italy?
Italy has 2.1 times as many people as Australia (2025 estimates).
Where do people live longer, Australia or Italy?
People in Italy live 0.9 years longer than in Australia. Life expectancy at birth is 83.1 years in Australia and 84.0 in Italy.
Are people taller in Australia or Italy?
Men in Australia are 4.4 cm taller than in Italy (NCD-RisC, cohort born 2019).
