Land
Size, shape and altitude
How big is it, really?
Ireland is 69% bigger than the Netherlands.
Ireland: 70,280 km² (2023) · Netherlands: 41,540 km² (2023)
How much coast is there?
Ireland’s coastline is 3.2 times as long as the Netherlands’.
Ireland: 1,448 km (2026 edition) · Netherlands: 451 km (2026 edition)
How high can you climb?
Ireland’s highest peak towers 179 m above the Netherlands’.
Ireland: 1,041 m (2026 edition) · Netherlands: 862 m (2026 edition)
People
Who lives there, and how closely
How many people live there?
The Netherlands has 3.3 times as many people as Ireland.
Ireland: 5.48 million (2025) · Netherlands: 18.1 million (2025)
How crowded is it?
The Netherlands is 6.7 times as densely populated as Ireland.
Ireland: 80 per km² (2025) · Netherlands: 537 per km² (2025)
How tall are the men?
Men in the Netherlands are 4.7 cm taller than in Ireland.
Ireland: 179 cm (2019) · Netherlands: 183.8 cm (2019)
How tall are the women?
Women in the Netherlands are 5.9 cm taller than in Ireland.
Ireland: 164.5 cm (2019) · Netherlands: 170.4 cm (2019)
How old is the typical person?
The typical person in the Netherlands is 3 years older than in Ireland.
Ireland: 38.4 years (2023) · Netherlands: 41.4 years (2023)
How many children per woman?
Women in Ireland have 0.0 more children on average than in the Netherlands.
Ireland: 1.47 children per woman (2024) · Netherlands: 1.43 children per woman (2024)
How many people are 65 or older?
21% of people in the Netherlands are 65 or older, versus 16% in Ireland.
Ireland: 16.2% (2025) · Netherlands: 20.9% (2025)
How many Nobel laureates were born there?
The Netherlands has produced 11.1 Nobel laureates per 10 million people, Ireland 9.1.
Ireland: 9.1 (2025) · Netherlands: 11.1 (2025)
How many official languages?
Ireland has 2 official languages, the Netherlands 1.
Ireland: 2 (2026) · Netherlands: 1 (2026)
Money
What an economy looks like per person
How big is the economy?
The Netherlands’ economy is 85% larger than Ireland’s.
Ireland: $722 billion (2025) · Netherlands: $1.33 trillion (2025)
How much is produced per person?
Ireland produces 78% more per person than the Netherlands.
Ireland: Int$155,089 (2025) · Netherlands: Int$87,320 (2025)
How evenly is income shared?
Income is more unequally shared in Ireland than in the Netherlands (Gini 3.3 points higher).
Ireland: 29 (2023) · Netherlands: 25.7 (2021)
How many people are looking for work?
Unemployment is 4.6% in Ireland, versus 3.9% in the Netherlands.
Ireland: 4.6% (2025) · Netherlands: 3.9% (2025)
How much goes to the military?
The Netherlands spends 1.9% of its GDP on the military, Ireland 0.2%.
Ireland: 0.2% (2024) · Netherlands: 1.9% (2024)
How expensive is it?
Ireland and the Netherlands are nearly identical here.
Ireland: 85% (2025) · Netherlands: 84% (2025)
Health
Long lives, small beginnings
How much is spent on health?
Ireland spends 8% more on health per person than the Netherlands.
Ireland: $7,395 (2024) · Netherlands: $6,845 (2024)
How long do people live?
People in Ireland live 1 year longer than in the Netherlands.
Ireland: 83 years (2024) · Netherlands: 82 years (2024)
How many babies don’t reach their first birthday?
Ireland and the Netherlands are nearly identical here.
Ireland: 3.4 per 1,000 (2024) · Netherlands: 3.4 per 1,000 (2024)
How many doctors are there?
The Netherlands and Ireland are nearly identical here.
Ireland: 3.9 per 1,000 (2023) · Netherlands: 3.9 per 1,000 (2022)
How common is obesity?
31% of adults in Ireland are obese, versus 17% in the Netherlands.
Ireland: 30.6% (2024) · Netherlands: 16.9% (2024)
How many adults smoke?
21% of adults in the Netherlands smoke, versus 18% in Ireland.
Ireland: 18.2% (2024) · Netherlands: 20.5% (2024)
Everyday life
Plates, glasses and happiness
How do people rate their lives?
People in the Netherlands rate their lives 0.29 points higher than in Ireland.
Ireland: 6.93 (2025) · Netherlands: 7.22 (2025)
How much do people drink?
Adults in Ireland drink 20% more alcohol than in the Netherlands.
Ireland: 10.3 litres (2023) · Netherlands: 8.6 litres (2023)
How much meat is on the menu?
Ireland has 37% more meat per person than the Netherlands.
Ireland: 98.4 kg (2023) · Netherlands: 71.6 kg (2023)
How much food is there per day?
Ireland has 454 kcal more food per person per day than the Netherlands.
Ireland: 3,921 kcal (2023) · Netherlands: 3,467 kcal (2023)
How long do people work?
Workers in Ireland put in 215 more hours a year than in the Netherlands.
Ireland: 1,654 hours (2023) · Netherlands: 1,439 hours (2023)
How long do people go to school?
Adults in the Netherlands went to school 0.94 years longer than in Ireland.
Ireland: 11.7 years (2023) · Netherlands: 12.7 years (2023)
How many tourists visit?
Ireland welcomed 2.4 times as many tourists per resident as the Netherlands (2019).
Ireland: 2.2 (2019) · Netherlands: 0.91 (2022)
Connected
Online, electrified, urban
How many people are online?
Ireland and the Netherlands are practically level.
Ireland: 97% (2024) · Netherlands: 97% (2024)
Who has electricity at home?
Ireland and the Netherlands are practically level.
Ireland: 100% (2024) · Netherlands: 100% (2024)
How many live in cities?
96% of people in the Netherlands live in cities, versus 65% in Ireland.
Ireland: 65% (2025) · Netherlands: 96% (2025)
How many phones per person?
The Netherlands has 129 mobile subscriptions per 100 people, Ireland 113.
Ireland: 113 (2024) · Netherlands: 129 (2024)
How much railway is there?
The Netherlands’ railway network is 84% longer than Ireland’s.
Ireland: 1,650 km (2021) · Netherlands: 3,041 km (2021)
How much do they fly?
Airlines from Ireland fly 15 times as many passengers per resident as those from the Netherlands.
Ireland: 35.11 (2023) · Netherlands: 2.29 (2023)
Planet
Air, forests and energy
How much of the land is forest?
Ireland and the Netherlands are practically level.
Ireland: 11.5% (2023) · Netherlands: 11.1% (2023)
How much CO₂ does each person emit?
Ireland and the Netherlands are nearly identical here.
Ireland: 6.3 t (2024) · Netherlands: 6.3 t (2024)
How green is the power grid?
51% of the Netherlands’ electricity is renewable, versus 48% in Ireland.
Ireland: 48.1% (2025) · Netherlands: 51.2% (2025)
How clean is the air?
The air in the Netherlands carries 30% more fine dust than in Ireland.
Ireland: 7.4 µg/m³ (2024) · Netherlands: 9.6 µg/m³ (2024)
Safety
Measured risk, not vibes
How common is murder?
You are 6% more likely to be murdered in the Netherlands than in Ireland.
Ireland: 0.7 per 100k (2023) · Netherlands: 0.7 per 100k (2023)
How dangerous are the roads?
Roads in the Netherlands are 21% deadlier than in Ireland.
Ireland: 2.8 per 100k (2021) · Netherlands: 3.4 per 100k (2021)
Climate
What the year feels like
How warm is it?
The Netherlands is on average 0.9 °C warmer than Ireland.
Ireland: 10.3°C (2016–2025 avg) · Netherlands: 11.2°C (2016–2025 avg)
How much rain falls?
Ireland gets 28% more rain than the Netherlands.
Ireland: 1,139 mm (2016–2025 avg) · Netherlands: 887 mm (2016–2025 avg)
Quick answers
Is Ireland bigger than the Netherlands?
Ireland is larger. Ireland is 69% bigger than the Netherlands.
Which has more people, Ireland or the Netherlands?
The Netherlands has 3.3 times as many people as Ireland (2025 estimates).
Where do people live longer, Ireland or the Netherlands?
People in Ireland live 1 year longer than in the Netherlands. Life expectancy at birth is 83.0 years in Ireland and 82.0 in the Netherlands.
Are people taller in Ireland or the Netherlands?
Men in the Netherlands are 4.7 cm taller than in Ireland (NCD-RisC, cohort born 2019).
