Land
Size, shape and altitude
How big is it, really?
Germany is 47% bigger than the United Kingdom
Germany: 357,680 km² (2024) · United Kingdom: 243,610 km² (2024)
How much coast is there?
The United Kingdom’s coastline is 5.2 times as long as Germany’s
Germany: 2,389 km (2026 edition) · United Kingdom: 12,429 km (2026 edition)
How high can you climb?
Germany’s highest peak towers 1,618 m above the United Kingdom’s
Germany: 2,963 m (2026 edition) · United Kingdom: 1,345 m (2026 edition)
How much of the land is farmed?
Farmland covers 69% of the United Kingdom, versus 47% of Germany
Germany: 47.4% (2024) · United Kingdom: 69.2% (2024)
People
Who lives there, and how closely
How many people live there?
Germany has 20% more people than the United Kingdom
Germany: 83.5 million (2025) · United Kingdom: 69.5 million (2025)
How crowded is it?
The United Kingdom is 20% more densely populated than Germany
Germany: 239 per km² (2025) · United Kingdom: 287 per km² (2025)
How tall are the men?
Men in Germany are 2.1 cm taller than in the United Kingdom
Germany: 180.3 cm (2019) · United Kingdom: 178.2 cm (2019)
How tall are the women?
Women in Germany are 2.2 cm taller than in the United Kingdom
Germany: 166.2 cm (2019) · United Kingdom: 163.9 cm (2019)
How old is the typical person?
The typical person in Germany is 5.4 years older than in the United Kingdom
Germany: 45.1 years (2023) · United Kingdom: 39.8 years (2023)
How many children per woman?
Women in the United Kingdom have 0.2 more children on average than in Germany
Germany: 1.36 children per woman (2024) · United Kingdom: 1.55 children per woman (2024)
How many people are 65 or older?
24% of people in Germany are 65 or older, versus 20% in the United Kingdom
Germany: 23.7% (2025) · United Kingdom: 19.7% (2025)
How many refugees does it host?
Germany hosts 3.8 times as many refugees per resident as the United Kingdom
Germany: 31.8 per 1,000 (2025) · United Kingdom: 8.4 per 1,000 (2025)
How many Nobel laureates were born there?
The United Kingdom has produced 15.8 Nobel laureates per 10 million people, Germany 10.3
Germany: 10.3 (2026) · United Kingdom: 15.8 (2026)
How many official languages?
Germany and the United Kingdom are practically level
Germany: 1 (2026) · United Kingdom: 1 (2026)
Money
What an economy looks like per person
How big is the economy?
Germany’s economy is 26% larger than the United Kingdom’s
Germany: $5.05 trillion (2025) · United Kingdom: $4 trillion (2025)
How much is produced per person?
Germany produces 17% more per person than the United Kingdom
Germany: Int$75,407 (2025) · United Kingdom: Int$64,607 (2025)
How evenly is income shared?
Income is more unequally shared in Germany than in the United Kingdom (Gini 1.3 points higher)
Germany: 33.7 (2022) · United Kingdom: 32.4 (2021)
How many live on less than $3 a day?
Germany and the United Kingdom are practically level
Germany: 0.7% (2022) · United Kingdom: 0.4% (2021)
How many people are looking for work?
Unemployment is 4.7% in the United Kingdom, versus 3.7% in Germany
Germany: 3.7% (2025) · United Kingdom: 4.7% (2025)
How much goes to the military?
The United Kingdom and Germany are practically level
Germany: 2.3% (2025) · United Kingdom: 2.4% (2025)
How much does the central government collect in tax?
The United Kingdom’s central government collects 27% of GDP in tax, Germany’s 11%
Germany: 10.9% (2024) · United Kingdom: 26.9% (2024)
How expensive is it?
The United Kingdom’s price level (US = 100) is 1.1× Germany’s
Germany: 80% (2025) · United Kingdom: 89% (2025)
Health
Long lives, small beginnings
How much is spent on health?
Germany spends 17% more on health per person than the United Kingdom
Germany: $6,849 (2024) · United Kingdom: $5,860 (2024)
How long do people live?
People in the United Kingdom live 0.59 years longer than in Germany
Germany: 80.8 years (2024) · United Kingdom: 81.4 years (2024)
How many babies don’t reach their first birthday?
A baby in the United Kingdom is 32% more likely to die before turning one than in Germany
Germany: 3.1 per 1,000 (2024) · United Kingdom: 4.1 per 1,000 (2024)
How many doctors are there?
Germany has 37% more doctors per person than the United Kingdom
Germany: 4.5 per 1,000 (2022) · United Kingdom: 3.3 per 1,000 (2023)
How many hospital beds are there?
Germany has 3.1 times as many hospital beds per person as the United Kingdom
Germany: 7.6 per 1,000 (2023) · United Kingdom: 2.4 per 1,000 (2022)
How common is suicide?
The suicide rate in Germany is 4% higher than in the United Kingdom
Germany: 10 per 100k (2023) · United Kingdom: 9.6 per 100k (2023)
How common is obesity?
29% of adults in the United Kingdom are obese, versus 24% in Germany
Germany: 24.5% (2024) · United Kingdom: 29.2% (2024)
How many adults smoke?
22% of adults in Germany smoke, versus 13% in the United Kingdom
Germany: 22% (2024) · United Kingdom: 12.8% (2024)
Everyday life
Plates, glasses and happiness
How do people rate their lives?
People in Germany rate their lives 0.19 points higher than in the United Kingdom
Germany: 6.88 (2025) · United Kingdom: 6.69 (2025)
How much do people drink?
Adults in Germany drink 5% more alcohol than in the United Kingdom
Germany: 10.9 litres (2023) · United Kingdom: 10.4 litres (2023)
How much meat is on the menu?
The United Kingdom has 19% more meat per person than Germany
Germany: 70.7 kg (2023) · United Kingdom: 84.4 kg (2023)
How much food is there per day?
Germany has 100 kcal more food per person per day than the United Kingdom
Germany: 3,535 kcal (2023) · United Kingdom: 3,435 kcal (2023)
How long do people work?
Workers in the United Kingdom put in 188 more hours a year than in Germany
Germany: 1,335 hours (2023) · United Kingdom: 1,523 hours (2023)
How long do people go to school?
Adults in Germany went to school 0.81 years longer than in the United Kingdom
Germany: 14.3 years (2023) · United Kingdom: 13.5 years (2023)
How many tourists visit?
The United Kingdom welcomed 23% more tourists per resident than Germany (2019)
Germany: 0.45 (2024) · United Kingdom: 0.55 (2024)
How many World Heritage sites?
Germany has 20 more World Heritage sites than the United Kingdom (55 against 35)
Germany: 55 (2026) · United Kingdom: 35 (2026)
How many Olympic medals has it won?
The United Kingdom has won 1,025 Olympic medals, Germany 980
Germany: 980 (2026 edition) · United Kingdom: 1,025 (2026 edition)
Connected
Online, electrified, urban
How many people are online?
95% of people in the United Kingdom are online, versus 94% in Germany
Germany: 94% (2024) · United Kingdom: 95% (2024)
How fast is home internet?
Home internet in the United Kingdom is 62% faster than in Germany
Germany: 187 Mbps (2026) · United Kingdom: 303 Mbps (2026)
Who has electricity at home?
Germany and the United Kingdom are practically level
Germany: 100% (2024) · United Kingdom: 100% (2024)
How many live in cities?
83% of people in the United Kingdom live in cities, versus 82% in Germany
Germany: 82% (2025) · United Kingdom: 83% (2025)
How many phones per person?
Germany has 129 mobile subscriptions per 100 people, the United Kingdom 122
Germany: 129 (2024) · United Kingdom: 122 (2024)
How much railway is there?
Germany’s railway network is 2.1 times as long as the United Kingdom’s
Germany: 33,401 km (2021) · United Kingdom: 16,179 km (2021)
How much do they fly?
Airlines from the United Kingdom fly 78% more passengers per resident than those from Germany
Germany: 0.96 (2023) · United Kingdom: 1.71 (2023)
Planet
Air, forests and energy
How much of the land is forest?
Forest covers 33% of Germany, but only 13% of the United Kingdom
Germany: 32.8% (2024) · United Kingdom: 13.5% (2024)
How much CO₂ does each person emit?
The average person in Germany emits 50% more CO₂ than someone in the United Kingdom
Germany: 6.8 t (2024) · United Kingdom: 4.5 t (2024)
How green is the power grid?
59% of Germany’s electricity is renewable, versus 52% in the United Kingdom
Germany: 59.1% (2025) · United Kingdom: 52% (2025)
How clean is the air?
The air in Germany carries 3% more fine dust than in the United Kingdom
Germany: 9.1 µg/m³ (2024) · United Kingdom: 8.8 µg/m³ (2024)
Safety
Measured risk, not vibes
How common is murder?
You are 23% more likely to be murdered in the United Kingdom than in Germany
Germany: 0.9 per 100k (2023) · United Kingdom: 1.1 per 100k (2021)
How dangerous are the roads?
Roads in Germany are 38% deadlier than in the United Kingdom
Germany: 5.4 per 100k (2023) · United Kingdom: 3.9 per 100k (2023)
Climate
What the year feels like
How warm is it?
Germany is on average 0.3 °C warmer than the United Kingdom
Germany: 10.3°C (2016–2025 avg) · United Kingdom: 9.9°C (2016–2025 avg)
How much rain falls?
The United Kingdom gets 23% more rain than Germany
Germany: 871 mm (2016–2025 avg) · United Kingdom: 1,070 mm (2016–2025 avg)
Between them
People, goods and passports that cross from one to the other
Quick answers
Is Germany bigger than the United Kingdom?
Germany is larger. Germany is 47% bigger than the United Kingdom.
Which has more people, Germany or the United Kingdom?
Germany has 20% more people than the United Kingdom (2025 estimates).
Where do people live longer, Germany or the United Kingdom?
People in the United Kingdom live 0.59 years longer than in Germany. Life expectancy at birth is 80.8 years in Germany and 81.4 in the United Kingdom.
Are people taller in Germany or the United Kingdom?
Men in Germany are 2.1 cm taller than in the United Kingdom (NCD-RisC, cohort born 2019).
