Land
Size, shape and altitude
How big is it, really?
Ireland fits inside France 8.6 times.
France: 606,410 km² (2023) · Ireland: 70,280 km² (2023)
How much coast is there?
France’s coastline is 3.4 times as long as Ireland’s.
France: 4,853 km (2026 edition) · Ireland: 1,448 km (2026 edition)
How high can you climb?
France’s highest peak towers 3,769 m above Ireland’s.
France: 4,810 m (2026 edition) · Ireland: 1,041 m (2026 edition)
People
Who lives there, and how closely
How many people live there?
France has 13 times as many people as Ireland.
France: 68.7 million (2025) · Ireland: 5.48 million (2025)
How crowded is it?
France is 60% more densely populated than Ireland.
France: 128 per km² (2025) · Ireland: 80 per km² (2025)
How tall are the men?
Ireland and France are practically level.
France: 178.6 cm (2019) · Ireland: 179 cm (2019)
How tall are the women?
Ireland and France are practically level.
France: 164.5 cm (2019) · Ireland: 164.5 cm (2019)
How old is the typical person?
The typical person in France is 3.4 years older than in Ireland.
France: 41.8 years (2023) · Ireland: 38.4 years (2023)
How many children per woman?
Women in France have 0.1 more children on average than in Ireland.
France: 1.61 children per woman (2024) · Ireland: 1.47 children per woman (2024)
How many people are 65 or older?
23% of people in France are 65 or older, versus 16% in Ireland.
France: 22.5% (2025) · Ireland: 16.2% (2025)
How many Nobel laureates were born there?
France has produced 9.3 Nobel laureates per 10 million people, Ireland 9.1.
France: 9.3 (2025) · Ireland: 9.1 (2025)
How many official languages?
Ireland has 2 official languages, France 1.
France: 1 (2026) · Ireland: 2 (2026)
Money
What an economy looks like per person
How big is the economy?
France’s economy is 4.7 times the size of Ireland’s.
France: $3.37 trillion (2025) · Ireland: $722 billion (2025)
How much is produced per person?
Ireland produces 2.4 times as much per person as France.
France: Int$63,975 (2025) · Ireland: Int$155,089 (2025)
How evenly is income shared?
Income is more unequally shared in France than in Ireland (Gini 2.8 points higher).
France: 31.8 (2023) · Ireland: 29 (2023)
How many people are looking for work?
Unemployment is 7.5% in France, versus 4.6% in Ireland.
France: 7.5% (2025) · Ireland: 4.6% (2025)
How much goes to the military?
France spends 2.1% of its GDP on the military, Ireland 0.2%.
France: 2.1% (2024) · Ireland: 0.2% (2024)
How expensive is it?
Ireland’s price level (US = 100) is 1.1× France’s.
France: 77% (2025) · Ireland: 85% (2025)
Health
Long lives, small beginnings
How much is spent on health?
Ireland spends 39% more on health per person than France.
France: $5,327 (2024) · Ireland: $7,395 (2024)
How long do people live?
Ireland and France are practically level.
France: 83 years (2024) · Ireland: 83 years (2024)
How many babies don’t reach their first birthday?
France and Ireland are nearly identical here.
France: 3.4 per 1,000 (2024) · Ireland: 3.4 per 1,000 (2024)
How many doctors are there?
Ireland has 18% more doctors per person than France.
France: 3.3 per 1,000 (2022) · Ireland: 3.9 per 1,000 (2023)
How common is obesity?
31% of adults in Ireland are obese, versus 13% in France.
France: 12.5% (2024) · Ireland: 30.6% (2024)
How many adults smoke?
34% of adults in France smoke, versus 18% in Ireland.
France: 33.6% (2024) · Ireland: 18.2% (2024)
Everyday life
Plates, glasses and happiness
How do people rate their lives?
People in Ireland rate their lives 0.34 points higher than in France.
France: 6.59 (2025) · Ireland: 6.93 (2025)
How much do people drink?
Adults in France drink 9% more alcohol than in Ireland.
France: 11.2 litres (2023) · Ireland: 10.3 litres (2023)
How much meat is on the menu?
Ireland has 23% more meat per person than France.
France: 80.3 kg (2023) · Ireland: 98.4 kg (2023)
How much food is there per day?
Ireland has 431 kcal more food per person per day than France.
France: 3,490 kcal (2023) · Ireland: 3,921 kcal (2023)
How long do people work?
Workers in Ireland put in 167 more hours a year than in France.
France: 1,487 hours (2023) · Ireland: 1,654 hours (2023)
How long do people go to school?
France and Ireland are practically level.
France: 11.8 years (2023) · Ireland: 11.7 years (2023)
How many tourists visit?
Ireland welcomed 63% more tourists per resident than France (2019).
France: 1.35 (2019) · Ireland: 2.2 (2019)
Connected
Online, electrified, urban
How many people are online?
97% of people in Ireland are online, versus 89% in France.
France: 89% (2024) · Ireland: 97% (2024)
Who has electricity at home?
France and Ireland are practically level.
France: 100% (2024) · Ireland: 100% (2024)
How many live in cities?
79% of people in France live in cities, versus 65% in Ireland.
France: 79% (2025) · Ireland: 65% (2025)
How many phones per person?
France has 117 mobile subscriptions per 100 people, Ireland 113.
France: 117 (2023) · Ireland: 113 (2024)
How much railway is there?
France’s railway network is 17 times as long as Ireland’s.
France: 27,716 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 France.
France: 0.94 (2023) · Ireland: 35.11 (2023)
Planet
Air, forests and energy
How much of the land is forest?
Forest covers 32% of France, but only 12% of Ireland.
France: 32.5% (2023) · Ireland: 11.5% (2023)
How much CO₂ does each person emit?
The average person in Ireland emits 60% more CO₂ than someone in France.
France: 4 t (2024) · Ireland: 6.3 t (2024)
How green is the power grid?
48% of Ireland’s electricity is renewable, versus 26% in France.
France: 26.1% (2025) · Ireland: 48.1% (2025)
How clean is the air?
The air in France carries 20% more fine dust than in Ireland.
France: 8.9 µg/m³ (2024) · Ireland: 7.4 µg/m³ (2024)
Safety
Measured risk, not vibes
How common is murder?
You are 2.1 times as likely to be murdered in France as in Ireland.
France: 1.3 per 100k (2024) · Ireland: 0.7 per 100k (2023)
How dangerous are the roads?
Roads in France are 68% deadlier than in Ireland.
France: 4.7 per 100k (2021) · Ireland: 2.8 per 100k (2021)
Climate
What the year feels like
How warm is it?
France is on average 3.9 °C warmer than Ireland.
France: 14.1°C (2016–2025 avg) · Ireland: 10.3°C (2016–2025 avg)
How much rain falls?
France gets 2% more rain than Ireland.
France: 1,158 mm (2016–2025 avg) · Ireland: 1,139 mm (2016–2025 avg)
Quick answers
Is France bigger than Ireland?
France is larger. Ireland fits inside France 8.6 times.
Which has more people, France or Ireland?
France has 13 times as many people as Ireland (2025 estimates).
Where do people live longer, France or Ireland?
Ireland and France are practically level. Life expectancy at birth is 83.0 years in France and 83.0 in Ireland.
Are people taller in France or Ireland?
Ireland and France are practically level (NCD-RisC, cohort born 2019).
