Land
Size, shape and altitude
How big is it, really?
Ireland fits inside Finland 4.8 times.
Finland: 338,480 km² (2023) · Ireland: 70,280 km² (2023)
How much coast is there?
Ireland’s coastline is 16% longer than Finland’s.
Finland: 1,250 km (2026 edition) · Ireland: 1,448 km (2026 edition)
How high can you climb?
Finland’s highest peak towers 287 m above Ireland’s.
Finland: 1,328 m (2026 edition) · Ireland: 1,041 m (2026 edition)
People
Who lives there, and how closely
How many people live there?
Finland has 3% more people than Ireland.
Finland: 5.65 million (2025) · Ireland: 5.48 million (2025)
How crowded is it?
Ireland is 4.3 times as densely populated as Finland.
Finland: 19 per km² (2025) · Ireland: 80 per km² (2025)
How tall are the men?
Men in Finland are 1.5 cm taller than in Ireland.
Finland: 180.6 cm (2019) · Ireland: 179 cm (2019)
How tall are the women?
Women in Finland are 2.0 cm taller than in Ireland.
Finland: 166.5 cm (2019) · Ireland: 164.5 cm (2019)
How old is the typical person?
The typical person in Finland is 4.4 years older than in Ireland.
Finland: 42.8 years (2023) · Ireland: 38.4 years (2023)
How many children per woman?
Women in Ireland have 0.2 more children on average than in Finland.
Finland: 1.25 children per woman (2024) · Ireland: 1.47 children per woman (2024)
How many people are 65 or older?
24% of people in Finland are 65 or older, versus 16% in Ireland.
Finland: 24.2% (2025) · Ireland: 16.2% (2025)
How many Nobel laureates were born there?
Ireland has produced 9.1 Nobel laureates per 10 million people, Finland 8.9.
Finland: 8.9 (2025) · Ireland: 9.1 (2025)
How many official languages?
Finland and Ireland are practically level.
Finland: 2 (2026) · Ireland: 2 (2026)
Money
What an economy looks like per person
How big is the economy?
Ireland’s economy is 2.3 times the size of Finland’s.
Finland: $317 billion (2025) · Ireland: $722 billion (2025)
How much is produced per person?
Ireland produces 2.4 times as much per person as Finland.
Finland: Int$65,885 (2025) · Ireland: Int$155,089 (2025)
How evenly is income shared?
Income is more unequally shared in Ireland than in Finland (Gini 1.6 points higher).
Finland: 27.4 (2023) · Ireland: 29 (2023)
How many people are looking for work?
Unemployment is 9.5% in Finland, versus 4.6% in Ireland.
Finland: 9.5% (2025) · Ireland: 4.6% (2025)
How much goes to the military?
Finland spends 2.3% of its GDP on the military, Ireland 0.2%.
Finland: 2.3% (2024) · Ireland: 0.2% (2024)
How expensive is it?
Finland and Ireland are nearly identical here.
Finland: 85% (2025) · Ireland: 85% (2025)
Health
Long lives, small beginnings
How much is spent on health?
Ireland spends 34% more on health per person than Finland.
Finland: $5,515 (2023) · Ireland: $7,395 (2024)
How long do people live?
People in Ireland live 0.67 years longer than in Finland.
Finland: 82.3 years (2024) · Ireland: 83 years (2024)
How many babies don’t reach their first birthday?
A baby in Ireland is 79% more likely to die before turning one than in Finland.
Finland: 1.9 per 1,000 (2024) · Ireland: 3.4 per 1,000 (2024)
How many doctors are there?
Ireland has 7% more doctors per person than Finland.
Finland: 3.6 per 1,000 (2021) · Ireland: 3.9 per 1,000 (2023)
How common is obesity?
31% of adults in Ireland are obese, versus 26% in Finland.
Finland: 26.2% (2024) · Ireland: 30.6% (2024)
How many adults smoke?
21% of adults in Finland smoke, versus 18% in Ireland.
Finland: 21.4% (2024) · Ireland: 18.2% (2024)
Everyday life
Plates, glasses and happiness
How do people rate their lives?
People in Finland rate their lives 0.84 points higher than in Ireland.
Finland: 7.76 (2025) · Ireland: 6.93 (2025)
How much do people drink?
Adults in Ireland drink 9% more alcohol than in Finland.
Finland: 9.4 litres (2023) · Ireland: 10.3 litres (2023)
How much meat is on the menu?
Ireland has 42% more meat per person than Finland.
Finland: 69.4 kg (2023) · Ireland: 98.4 kg (2023)
How much food is there per day?
Ireland has 575 kcal more food per person per day than Finland.
Finland: 3,346 kcal (2023) · Ireland: 3,921 kcal (2023)
How long do people work?
Workers in Ireland put in 157 more hours a year than in Finland.
Finland: 1,497 hours (2023) · Ireland: 1,654 hours (2023)
How long do people go to school?
Adults in Finland went to school 1.3 years longer than in Ireland.
Finland: 13 years (2023) · Ireland: 11.7 years (2023)
How many tourists visit?
Ireland welcomed 2.8 times as many tourists per resident as Finland (2019).
Finland: 0.8 (2024) · Ireland: 2.2 (2019)
Connected
Online, electrified, urban
How many people are online?
97% of people in Ireland are online, versus 94% in Finland.
Finland: 94% (2024) · Ireland: 97% (2024)
Who has electricity at home?
Finland and Ireland are practically level.
Finland: 100% (2024) · Ireland: 100% (2024)
How many live in cities?
75% of people in Finland live in cities, versus 65% in Ireland.
Finland: 75% (2025) · Ireland: 65% (2025)
How many phones per person?
Finland has 126 mobile subscriptions per 100 people, Ireland 113.
Finland: 126 (2024) · Ireland: 113 (2024)
How much railway is there?
Finland’s railway network is 3.6 times as long as Ireland’s.
Finland: 5,918 km (2021) · Ireland: 1,650 km (2021)
How much do they fly?
Airlines from Ireland fly 18 times as many passengers per resident as those from Finland.
Finland: 1.91 (2023) · Ireland: 35.11 (2023)
Planet
Air, forests and energy
How much of the land is forest?
Forest covers 74% of Finland, but only 12% of Ireland.
Finland: 73.7% (2023) · Ireland: 11.5% (2023)
How much CO₂ does each person emit?
The average person in Ireland emits 20% more CO₂ than someone in Finland.
Finland: 5.3 t (2024) · Ireland: 6.3 t (2024)
How green is the power grid?
56% of Finland’s electricity is renewable, versus 48% in Ireland.
Finland: 56.5% (2025) · Ireland: 48.1% (2025)
How clean is the air?
The air in Ireland carries 37% more fine dust than in Finland.
Finland: 5.4 µg/m³ (2024) · Ireland: 7.4 µg/m³ (2024)
Safety
Measured risk, not vibes
How common is murder?
You are 50% more likely to be murdered in Finland than in Ireland.
Finland: 1 per 100k (2023) · Ireland: 0.7 per 100k (2023)
How dangerous are the roads?
Roads in Finland are 50% deadlier than in Ireland.
Finland: 4.2 per 100k (2021) · Ireland: 2.8 per 100k (2021)
Climate
What the year feels like
How warm is it?
Ireland is on average 6.7 °C warmer than Finland.
Finland: 3.6°C (2016–2025 avg) · Ireland: 10.3°C (2016–2025 avg)
How much rain falls?
Ireland gets 50% more rain than Finland.
Finland: 758 mm (2016–2025 avg) · Ireland: 1,139 mm (2016–2025 avg)
Quick answers
Is Finland bigger than Ireland?
Finland is larger. Ireland fits inside Finland 4.8 times.
Which has more people, Finland or Ireland?
Finland has 3% more people than Ireland (2025 estimates).
Where do people live longer, Finland or Ireland?
People in Ireland live 0.67 years longer than in Finland. Life expectancy at birth is 82.3 years in Finland and 83.0 in Ireland.
Are people taller in Finland or Ireland?
Men in Finland are 1.5 cm taller than in Ireland (NCD-RisC, cohort born 2019).
