Land
Size, shape and altitude
How big is it, really?
Belgium fits inside Ireland 2.3 times.
Belgium: 30,689 km² (2023) · Ireland: 70,280 km² (2023)
How much coast is there?
Ireland’s coastline is 22 times as long as Belgium’s.
Belgium: 67 km (2026 edition) · Ireland: 1,448 km (2026 edition)
How high can you climb?
Ireland’s highest peak towers 347 m above Belgium’s.
Belgium: 694 m (2026 edition) · Ireland: 1,041 m (2026 edition)
People
Who lives there, and how closely
How many people live there?
Belgium has 2.2 times as many people as Ireland.
Belgium: 11.9 million (2025) · Ireland: 5.48 million (2025)
How crowded is it?
Belgium is 4.9 times as densely populated as Ireland.
Belgium: 392 per km² (2025) · Ireland: 80 per km² (2025)
How tall are the men?
Belgium and Ireland are practically level.
Belgium: 179.1 cm (2019) · Ireland: 179 cm (2019)
How tall are the women?
Women in Ireland are 1.1 cm taller than in Belgium.
Belgium: 163.4 cm (2019) · Ireland: 164.5 cm (2019)
How old is the typical person?
The typical person in Belgium is 3 years older than in Ireland.
Belgium: 41.4 years (2023) · Ireland: 38.4 years (2023)
How many children per woman?
Ireland and Belgium are practically level.
Belgium: 1.44 children per woman (2024) · Ireland: 1.47 children per woman (2024)
How many people are 65 or older?
21% of people in Belgium are 65 or older, versus 16% in Ireland.
Belgium: 21% (2025) · Ireland: 16.2% (2025)
How many Nobel laureates were born there?
Ireland has produced 9.1 Nobel laureates per 10 million people, Belgium 7.5.
Belgium: 7.5 (2025) · Ireland: 9.1 (2025)
How many official languages?
Belgium has 3 official languages, Ireland 2.
Belgium: 3 (2026) · Ireland: 2 (2026)
Money
What an economy looks like per person
How big is the economy?
Belgium and Ireland are nearly identical here.
Belgium: $725 billion (2025) · Ireland: $722 billion (2025)
How much is produced per person?
Ireland produces 2.1 times as much per person as Belgium.
Belgium: Int$74,676 (2025) · Ireland: Int$155,089 (2025)
How evenly is income shared?
Income is more unequally shared in Ireland than in Belgium (Gini 2.2 points higher).
Belgium: 26.8 (2023) · Ireland: 29 (2023)
How many people are looking for work?
Unemployment is 5.9% in Belgium, versus 4.6% in Ireland.
Belgium: 5.9% (2025) · Ireland: 4.6% (2025)
How much goes to the military?
Belgium spends 1.3% of its GDP on the military, Ireland 0.2%.
Belgium: 1.3% (2024) · Ireland: 0.2% (2024)
How expensive is it?
Ireland’s price level (US = 100) is 1× Belgium’s.
Belgium: 81% (2025) · Ireland: 85% (2025)
Health
Long lives, small beginnings
How much is spent on health?
Ireland spends 25% more on health per person than Belgium.
Belgium: $5,931 (2023) · Ireland: $7,395 (2024)
How long do people live?
People in Ireland live 0.71 years longer than in Belgium.
Belgium: 82.3 years (2024) · Ireland: 83 years (2024)
How many babies don’t reach their first birthday?
A baby in Ireland is 10% more likely to die before turning one than in Belgium.
Belgium: 3.1 per 1,000 (2024) · Ireland: 3.4 per 1,000 (2024)
How many doctors are there?
Ireland has 8% more doctors per person than Belgium.
Belgium: 3.6 per 1,000 (2022) · Ireland: 3.9 per 1,000 (2023)
How common is obesity?
31% of adults in Ireland are obese, versus 23% in Belgium.
Belgium: 22.9% (2024) · Ireland: 30.6% (2024)
How many adults smoke?
24% of adults in Belgium smoke, versus 18% in Ireland.
Belgium: 23.5% (2024) · Ireland: 18.2% (2024)
Everyday life
Plates, glasses and happiness
How do people rate their lives?
Ireland and Belgium are practically level.
Belgium: 6.93 (2025) · Ireland: 6.93 (2025)
How much do people drink?
Adults in Ireland drink 8% more alcohol than in Belgium.
Belgium: 9.5 litres (2023) · Ireland: 10.3 litres (2023)
How much meat is on the menu?
Ireland has 64% more meat per person than Belgium.
Belgium: 60 kg (2023) · Ireland: 98.4 kg (2023)
How much food is there per day?
Belgium and Ireland are practically level.
Belgium: 3,921 kcal (2023) · Ireland: 3,921 kcal (2023)
How long do people work?
Workers in Ireland put in 61 more hours a year than in Belgium.
Belgium: 1,593 hours (2023) · Ireland: 1,654 hours (2023)
How long do people go to school?
Adults in Belgium went to school 0.96 year longer than in Ireland.
Belgium: 12.7 years (2023) · Ireland: 11.7 years (2023)
How many tourists visit?
Ireland welcomed 2.7 times as many tourists per resident as Belgium (2019).
Belgium: 0.81 (2024) · Ireland: 2.2 (2019)
Connected
Online, electrified, urban
How many people are online?
97% of people in Ireland are online, versus 96% in Belgium.
Belgium: 96% (2024) · Ireland: 97% (2024)
Who has electricity at home?
Belgium and Ireland are practically level.
Belgium: 100% (2024) · Ireland: 100% (2024)
How many live in cities?
88% of people in Belgium live in cities, versus 65% in Ireland.
Belgium: 88% (2025) · Ireland: 65% (2025)
How many phones per person?
Ireland has 113 mobile subscriptions per 100 people, Belgium 104.
Belgium: 104 (2024) · Ireland: 113 (2024)
How much railway is there?
Belgium’s railway network is 2.2 times as long as Ireland’s.
Belgium: 3,612 km (2021) · Ireland: 1,650 km (2021)
How much do they fly?
Airlines from Ireland fly 37 times as many passengers per resident as those from Belgium.
Belgium: 0.95 (2023) · Ireland: 35.11 (2023)
Planet
Air, forests and energy
How much of the land is forest?
Forest covers 23% of Belgium, but only 12% of Ireland.
Belgium: 22.6% (2023) · Ireland: 11.5% (2023)
How much CO₂ does each person emit?
The average person in Belgium emits 15% more CO₂ than someone in Ireland.
Belgium: 7.3 t (2024) · Ireland: 6.3 t (2024)
How green is the power grid?
48% of Ireland’s electricity is renewable, versus 39% in Belgium.
Belgium: 38.9% (2025) · Ireland: 48.1% (2025)
How clean is the air?
The air in Belgium carries 26% more fine dust than in Ireland.
Belgium: 9.3 µg/m³ (2024) · Ireland: 7.4 µg/m³ (2024)
Safety
Measured risk, not vibes
How common is murder?
You are 65% more likely to be murdered in Belgium than in Ireland.
Belgium: 1.1 per 100k (2021) · Ireland: 0.7 per 100k (2023)
How dangerous are the roads?
Roads in Belgium are 64% deadlier than in Ireland.
Belgium: 4.6 per 100k (2021) · Ireland: 2.8 per 100k (2021)
Climate
What the year feels like
How warm is it?
Belgium is on average 0.8 °C warmer than Ireland.
Belgium: 11°C (2016–2025 avg) · Ireland: 10.3°C (2016–2025 avg)
How much rain falls?
Ireland gets 23% more rain than Belgium.
Belgium: 928 mm (2016–2025 avg) · Ireland: 1,139 mm (2016–2025 avg)
Quick answers
Is Belgium bigger than Ireland?
Ireland is larger. Belgium fits inside Ireland 2.3 times.
Which has more people, Belgium or Ireland?
Belgium has 2.2 times as many people as Ireland (2025 estimates).
Where do people live longer, Belgium or Ireland?
People in Ireland live 0.71 years longer than in Belgium. Life expectancy at birth is 82.3 years in Belgium and 83.0 in Ireland.
Are people taller in Belgium or Ireland?
Belgium and Ireland are practically level (NCD-RisC, cohort born 2019).
