Land
Size, shape and altitude
How big is it, really?
Ireland fits inside New Zealand 3.8 times.
Ireland: 70,280 km² (2023) · New Zealand: 267,710 km² (2023)
How much coast is there?
New Zealand’s coastline is 10 times as long as Ireland’s.
Ireland: 1,448 km (2026 edition) · New Zealand: 15,134 km (2026 edition)
How high can you climb?
Ireland’s highest peak towers 1,011 m above New Zealand’s.
Ireland: 1,041 m (2026 edition) · New Zealand: 30 m (2026 edition)
People
Who lives there, and how closely
How many people live there?
Ireland has 3% more people than New Zealand.
Ireland: 5.48 million (2025) · New Zealand: 5.32 million (2025)
How crowded is it?
Ireland is 3.9 times as densely populated as New Zealand.
Ireland: 80 per km² (2025) · New Zealand: 20 per km² (2025)
How tall are the men?
Men in Ireland are 1.3 cm taller than in New Zealand.
Ireland: 179 cm (2019) · New Zealand: 177.7 cm (2019)
How tall are the women?
New Zealand and Ireland are practically level.
Ireland: 164.5 cm (2019) · New Zealand: 164.7 cm (2019)
How old is the typical person?
The typical person in Ireland is 1.1 years older than in New Zealand.
Ireland: 38.4 years (2023) · New Zealand: 37.3 years (2023)
How many children per woman?
Women in New Zealand have 0.1 more children on average than in Ireland.
Ireland: 1.47 children per woman (2024) · New Zealand: 1.57 children per woman (2024)
How many people are 65 or older?
18% of people in New Zealand are 65 or older, versus 16% in Ireland.
Ireland: 16.2% (2025) · New Zealand: 17.6% (2025)
How many Nobel laureates were born there?
Ireland has produced 9.1 Nobel laureates per 10 million people, New Zealand 5.6.
Ireland: 9.1 (2025) · New Zealand: 5.6 (2025)
How many official languages?
New Zealand has 3 official languages, Ireland 2.
Ireland: 2 (2026) · New Zealand: 3 (2026)
Money
What an economy looks like per person
How big is the economy?
Ireland’s economy is 2.7 times the size of New Zealand’s.
Ireland: $722 billion (2025) · New Zealand: $264 billion (2025)
How much is produced per person?
Ireland produces 2.7 times as much per person as New Zealand.
Ireland: Int$155,089 (2025) · New Zealand: Int$57,350 (2025)
How evenly is income shared?
Ireland: 29 (2023) · New Zealand: no data
How many people are looking for work?
New Zealand and Ireland are practically level.
Ireland: 4.6% (2025) · New Zealand: 5.1% (2025)
How much goes to the military?
New Zealand spends 1.2% of its GDP on the military, Ireland 0.2%.
Ireland: 0.2% (2024) · New Zealand: 1.2% (2024)
How expensive is it?
New Zealand’s price level (US = 100) is 1× Ireland’s.
Ireland: 85% (2025) · New Zealand: 86% (2025)
Health
Long lives, small beginnings
How much is spent on health?
Ireland spends 47% more on health per person than New Zealand.
Ireland: $7,395 (2024) · New Zealand: $5,022 (2024)
How long do people live?
People in Ireland live 1 year longer than in New Zealand.
Ireland: 83 years (2024) · New Zealand: 82 years (2024)
How many babies don’t reach their first birthday?
A baby in New Zealand is 18% more likely to die before turning one than in Ireland.
Ireland: 3.4 per 1,000 (2024) · New Zealand: 4 per 1,000 (2024)
How many doctors are there?
Ireland has 7% more doctors per person than New Zealand.
Ireland: 3.9 per 1,000 (2023) · New Zealand: 3.6 per 1,000 (2022)
How common is obesity?
35% of adults in New Zealand are obese, versus 31% in Ireland.
Ireland: 30.6% (2024) · New Zealand: 34.7% (2024)
How many adults smoke?
18% of adults in Ireland smoke, versus 9.3% in New Zealand.
Ireland: 18.2% (2024) · New Zealand: 9.3% (2024)
Everyday life
Plates, glasses and happiness
How do people rate their lives?
People in New Zealand rate their lives 0.07 points higher than in Ireland.
Ireland: 6.93 (2025) · New Zealand: 7.00 (2025)
How much do people drink?
Adults in Ireland drink 16% more alcohol than in New Zealand.
Ireland: 10.3 litres (2023) · New Zealand: 8.9 litres (2023)
How much meat is on the menu?
Ireland has 24% more meat per person than New Zealand.
Ireland: 98.4 kg (2023) · New Zealand: 79.5 kg (2023)
How much food is there per day?
Ireland has 799 kcal more food per person per day than New Zealand.
Ireland: 3,921 kcal (2023) · New Zealand: 3,122 kcal (2023)
How long do people work?
Workers in New Zealand put in 53 more hours a year than in Ireland.
Ireland: 1,654 hours (2023) · New Zealand: 1,708 hours (2023)
How long do people go to school?
Adults in New Zealand went to school 1.2 years longer than in Ireland.
Ireland: 11.7 years (2023) · New Zealand: 12.9 years (2023)
How many tourists visit?
Ireland welcomed 3.7 times as many tourists per resident as New Zealand (2019).
Ireland: 2.2 (2019) · New Zealand: 0.6 (2024)
Connected
Online, electrified, urban
How many people are online?
97% of people in Ireland are online, versus 94% in New Zealand.
Ireland: 97% (2024) · New Zealand: 94% (2024)
Who has electricity at home?
Ireland and New Zealand are practically level.
Ireland: 100% (2024) · New Zealand: 100% (2024)
How many live in cities?
84% of people in New Zealand live in cities, versus 65% in Ireland.
Ireland: 65% (2025) · New Zealand: 84% (2025)
How many phones per person?
New Zealand has 130 mobile subscriptions per 100 people, Ireland 113.
Ireland: 113 (2024) · New Zealand: 130 (2024)
How much railway is there?
New Zealand’s railway network is 2.5 times as long as Ireland’s.
Ireland: 1,650 km (2021) · New Zealand: 4,128 km (2018)
How much do they fly?
Airlines from Ireland fly 12 times as many passengers per resident as those from New Zealand.
Ireland: 35.11 (2023) · New Zealand: 2.82 (2023)
Planet
Air, forests and energy
How much of the land is forest?
Forest covers 38% of New Zealand, but only 12% of Ireland.
Ireland: 11.5% (2023) · New Zealand: 37.8% (2023)
How much CO₂ does each person emit?
The average person in Ireland emits 2% more CO₂ than someone in New Zealand.
Ireland: 6.3 t (2024) · New Zealand: 6.2 t (2024)
How green is the power grid?
89% of New Zealand’s electricity is renewable, versus 48% in Ireland.
Ireland: 48.1% (2025) · New Zealand: 88.5% (2025)
How clean is the air?
The air in Ireland carries 6% more fine dust than in New Zealand.
Ireland: 7.4 µg/m³ (2024) · New Zealand: 7 µg/m³ (2024)
Safety
Measured risk, not vibes
How common is murder?
You are 2.2 times as likely to be murdered in New Zealand as in Ireland.
Ireland: 0.7 per 100k (2023) · New Zealand: 1.5 per 100k (2022)
How dangerous are the roads?
Roads in New Zealand are 2.4 times as deadly as in Ireland.
Ireland: 2.8 per 100k (2021) · New Zealand: 6.6 per 100k (2021)
Climate
What the year feels like
How warm is it?
New Zealand is on average 0.8 °C warmer than Ireland.
Ireland: 10.3°C (2016–2025 avg) · New Zealand: 11.1°C (2016–2025 avg)
How much rain falls?
New Zealand gets 40% more rain than Ireland.
Ireland: 1,139 mm (2016–2025 avg) · New Zealand: 1,596 mm (2016–2025 avg)
Quick answers
Is Ireland bigger than New Zealand?
New Zealand is larger. Ireland fits inside New Zealand 3.8 times.
Which has more people, Ireland or New Zealand?
Ireland has 3% more people than New Zealand (2025 estimates).
Where do people live longer, Ireland or New Zealand?
People in Ireland live 1 year longer than in New Zealand. Life expectancy at birth is 83.0 years in Ireland and 82.0 in New Zealand.
Are people taller in Ireland or New Zealand?
Men in Ireland are 1.3 cm taller than in New Zealand (NCD-RisC, cohort born 2019).
