Land
Size, shape and altitude
How big is it, really?
Ireland fits inside Germany 5.1 times.
Germany: 357,680 km² (2023) · Ireland: 70,280 km² (2023)
How much coast is there?
Germany’s coastline is 65% longer than Ireland’s.
Germany: 2,389 km (2026 edition) · Ireland: 1,448 km (2026 edition)
How high can you climb?
Germany’s highest peak towers 1,922 m above Ireland’s.
Germany: 2,963 m (2026 edition) · Ireland: 1,041 m (2026 edition)
People
Who lives there, and how closely
How many people live there?
Germany has 15 times as many people as Ireland.
Germany: 83.5 million (2025) · Ireland: 5.48 million (2025)
How crowded is it?
Germany is 3 times as densely populated as Ireland.
Germany: 239 per km² (2025) · Ireland: 80 per km² (2025)
How tall are the men?
Men in Germany are 1.2 cm taller than in Ireland.
Germany: 180.3 cm (2019) · Ireland: 179 cm (2019)
How tall are the women?
Women in Germany are 1.7 cm taller than in Ireland.
Germany: 166.2 cm (2019) · Ireland: 164.5 cm (2019)
How old is the typical person?
The typical person in Germany is 6.7 years older than in Ireland.
Germany: 45.1 years (2023) · Ireland: 38.4 years (2023)
How many children per woman?
Women in Ireland have 0.1 more children on average than in Germany.
Germany: 1.36 children per woman (2024) · Ireland: 1.47 children per woman (2024)
How many people are 65 or older?
24% of people in Germany are 65 or older, versus 16% in Ireland.
Germany: 23.7% (2025) · Ireland: 16.2% (2025)
How many Nobel laureates were born there?
Germany has produced 10.1 Nobel laureates per 10 million people, Ireland 9.1.
Germany: 10.1 (2025) · Ireland: 9.1 (2025)
How many official languages?
Ireland has 2 official languages, Germany 1.
Germany: 1 (2026) · Ireland: 2 (2026)
Money
What an economy looks like per person
How big is the economy?
Germany’s economy is 7 times the size of Ireland’s.
Germany: $5.05 trillion (2025) · Ireland: $722 billion (2025)
How much is produced per person?
Ireland produces 2.1 times as much per person as Germany.
Germany: Int$75,407 (2025) · Ireland: Int$155,089 (2025)
How evenly is income shared?
Income is more unequally shared in Germany than in Ireland (Gini 4.7 points higher).
Germany: 33.7 (2022) · Ireland: 29 (2023)
How many people are looking for work?
Unemployment is 4.6% in Ireland, versus 3.7% in Germany.
Germany: 3.7% (2025) · Ireland: 4.6% (2025)
How much goes to the military?
Germany spends 1.9% of its GDP on the military, Ireland 0.2%.
Germany: 1.9% (2024) · Ireland: 0.2% (2024)
How expensive is it?
Ireland’s price level (US = 100) is 1.1× Germany’s.
Germany: 80% (2025) · Ireland: 85% (2025)
Health
Long lives, small beginnings
How much is spent on health?
Ireland spends 8% more on health per person than Germany.
Germany: $6,849 (2024) · Ireland: $7,395 (2024)
How long do people live?
People in Ireland live 2.2 years longer than in Germany.
Germany: 80.8 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 Germany.
Germany: 3.1 per 1,000 (2024) · Ireland: 3.4 per 1,000 (2024)
How many doctors are there?
Germany has 17% more doctors per person than Ireland.
Germany: 4.5 per 1,000 (2022) · Ireland: 3.9 per 1,000 (2023)
How common is obesity?
31% of adults in Ireland are obese, versus 24% in Germany.
Germany: 24.5% (2024) · Ireland: 30.6% (2024)
How many adults smoke?
22% of adults in Germany smoke, versus 18% in Ireland.
Germany: 22% (2024) · Ireland: 18.2% (2024)
Everyday life
Plates, glasses and happiness
How do people rate their lives?
People in Ireland rate their lives 0.05 points higher than in Germany.
Germany: 6.88 (2025) · Ireland: 6.93 (2025)
How much do people drink?
Adults in Germany drink 6% more alcohol than in Ireland.
Germany: 10.9 litres (2023) · Ireland: 10.3 litres (2023)
How much meat is on the menu?
Ireland has 39% more meat per person than Germany.
Germany: 70.7 kg (2023) · Ireland: 98.4 kg (2023)
How much food is there per day?
Ireland has 386 kcal more food per person per day than Germany.
Germany: 3,535 kcal (2023) · Ireland: 3,921 kcal (2023)
How long do people work?
Workers in Ireland put in 319 more hours a year than in Germany.
Germany: 1,335 hours (2023) · Ireland: 1,654 hours (2023)
How long do people go to school?
Adults in Germany went to school 2.6 years longer than in Ireland.
Germany: 14.3 years (2023) · Ireland: 11.7 years (2023)
How many tourists visit?
Ireland welcomed 4.9 times as many tourists per resident as Germany (2019).
Germany: 0.45 (2024) · Ireland: 2.2 (2019)
Connected
Online, electrified, urban
How many people are online?
97% of people in Ireland are online, versus 94% in Germany.
Germany: 94% (2024) · Ireland: 97% (2024)
Who has electricity at home?
Germany and Ireland are practically level.
Germany: 100% (2024) · Ireland: 100% (2024)
How many live in cities?
82% of people in Germany live in cities, versus 65% in Ireland.
Germany: 82% (2025) · Ireland: 65% (2025)
How many phones per person?
Germany has 129 mobile subscriptions per 100 people, Ireland 113.
Germany: 129 (2024) · Ireland: 113 (2024)
How much railway is there?
Germany’s railway network is 20 times as long as Ireland’s.
Germany: 33,401 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 Germany.
Germany: 0.96 (2023) · Ireland: 35.11 (2023)
Planet
Air, forests and energy
How much of the land is forest?
Forest covers 33% of Germany, but only 12% of Ireland.
Germany: 32.7% (2023) · Ireland: 11.5% (2023)
How much CO₂ does each person emit?
The average person in Germany emits 7% more CO₂ than someone in Ireland.
Germany: 6.8 t (2024) · Ireland: 6.3 t (2024)
How green is the power grid?
59% of Germany’s electricity is renewable, versus 48% in Ireland.
Germany: 59.1% (2025) · Ireland: 48.1% (2025)
How clean is the air?
The air in Germany carries 23% more fine dust than in Ireland.
Germany: 9.1 µg/m³ (2024) · Ireland: 7.4 µg/m³ (2024)
Safety
Measured risk, not vibes
How common is murder?
You are 39% more likely to be murdered in Germany than in Ireland.
Germany: 0.9 per 100k (2023) · Ireland: 0.7 per 100k (2023)
How dangerous are the roads?
Roads in Germany are 18% deadlier than in Ireland.
Germany: 3.3 per 100k (2021) · Ireland: 2.8 per 100k (2021)
Climate
What the year feels like
How warm is it?
Ireland and Germany are practically level.
Germany: 10.3°C (2016–2025 avg) · Ireland: 10.3°C (2016–2025 avg)
How much rain falls?
Ireland gets 31% more rain than Germany.
Germany: 871 mm (2016–2025 avg) · Ireland: 1,139 mm (2016–2025 avg)
Quick answers
Is Germany bigger than Ireland?
Germany is larger. Ireland fits inside Germany 5.1 times.
Which has more people, Germany or Ireland?
Germany has 15 times as many people as Ireland (2025 estimates).
Where do people live longer, Germany or Ireland?
People in Ireland live 2.2 years longer than in Germany. Life expectancy at birth is 80.8 years in Germany and 83.0 in Ireland.
Are people taller in Germany or Ireland?
Men in Germany are 1.2 cm taller than in Ireland (NCD-RisC, cohort born 2019).
