Land
Size, shape and altitude
How big is it, really?
South Korea is 43% bigger than Ireland.
Ireland: 70,280 km² (2023) · South Korea: 100,450 km² (2023)
How much coast is there?
South Korea’s coastline is 67% longer than Ireland’s.
Ireland: 1,448 km (2026 edition) · South Korea: 2,413 km (2026 edition)
How high can you climb?
South Korea’s highest peak towers 909 m above Ireland’s.
Ireland: 1,041 m (2026 edition) · South Korea: 1,950 m (2026 edition)
People
Who lives there, and how closely
How many people live there?
South Korea has 9.4 times as many people as Ireland.
Ireland: 5.48 million (2025) · South Korea: 51.7 million (2025)
How crowded is it?
South Korea is 6.7 times as densely populated as Ireland.
Ireland: 80 per km² (2025) · South Korea: 530 per km² (2025)
How tall are the men?
Men in Ireland are 3.5 cm taller than in South Korea.
Ireland: 179 cm (2019) · South Korea: 175.5 cm (2019)
How tall are the women?
Women in Ireland are 1.3 cm taller than in South Korea.
Ireland: 164.5 cm (2019) · South Korea: 163.2 cm (2019)
How old is the typical person?
The typical person in South Korea is 6.1 years older than in Ireland.
Ireland: 38.4 years (2023) · South Korea: 44.5 years (2023)
How many children per woman?
Women in Ireland have 0.7 more children on average than in South Korea.
Ireland: 1.47 children per woman (2024) · South Korea: 0.75 children per woman (2024)
How many people are 65 or older?
20% of people in South Korea are 65 or older, versus 16% in Ireland.
Ireland: 16.2% (2025) · South Korea: 20.3% (2025)
How many Nobel laureates were born there?
Ireland has produced 9.1 Nobel laureates per 10 million people, South Korea 0.6.
Ireland: 9.1 (2025) · South Korea: 0.6 (2025)
How many official languages?
Ireland has 2 official languages, South Korea 1.
Ireland: 2 (2026) · South Korea: 1 (2026)
Money
What an economy looks like per person
How big is the economy?
South Korea’s economy is 2.6 times the size of Ireland’s.
Ireland: $722 billion (2025) · South Korea: $1.87 trillion (2025)
How much is produced per person?
Ireland produces 2.5 times as much per person as South Korea.
Ireland: Int$155,089 (2025) · South Korea: Int$63,125 (2025)
How evenly is income shared?
Income is more unequally shared in South Korea than in Ireland (Gini 3.9 points higher).
Ireland: 29 (2023) · South Korea: 32.9 (2021)
How many people are looking for work?
Unemployment is 4.6% in Ireland, versus 2.7% in South Korea.
Ireland: 4.6% (2025) · South Korea: 2.7% (2025)
How much goes to the military?
South Korea spends 2.6% of its GDP on the military, Ireland 0.2%.
Ireland: 0.2% (2024) · South Korea: 2.6% (2024)
How expensive is it?
Ireland’s price level (US = 100) is 1.5× South Korea’s.
Ireland: 85% (2025) · South Korea: 57% (2025)
Health
Long lives, small beginnings
How much is spent on health?
Ireland spends 2.4 times as much on health per person as South Korea.
Ireland: $7,395 (2024) · South Korea: $3,137 (2024)
How long do people live?
People in South Korea live 0.62 years longer than in Ireland.
Ireland: 83 years (2024) · South Korea: 83.6 years (2024)
How many babies don’t reach their first birthday?
A baby in Ireland is 48% more likely to die before turning one than in South Korea.
Ireland: 3.4 per 1,000 (2024) · South Korea: 2.3 per 1,000 (2024)
How many doctors are there?
Ireland has 48% more doctors per person than South Korea.
Ireland: 3.9 per 1,000 (2023) · South Korea: 2.6 per 1,000 (2022)
How common is obesity?
31% of adults in Ireland are obese, versus 7.5% in South Korea.
Ireland: 30.6% (2024) · South Korea: 7.5% (2024)
How many adults smoke?
South Korea and Ireland are practically level.
Ireland: 18.2% (2024) · South Korea: 18.6% (2024)
Everyday life
Plates, glasses and happiness
How do people rate their lives?
People in Ireland rate their lives 0.89 points higher than in South Korea.
Ireland: 6.93 (2025) · South Korea: 6.04 (2025)
How much do people drink?
Adults in Ireland drink 24% more alcohol than in South Korea.
Ireland: 10.3 litres (2023) · South Korea: 8.3 litres (2023)
How much meat is on the menu?
Ireland has 17% more meat per person than South Korea.
Ireland: 98.4 kg (2023) · South Korea: 84 kg (2023)
How much food is there per day?
Ireland has 491 kcal more food per person per day than South Korea.
Ireland: 3,921 kcal (2023) · South Korea: 3,430 kcal (2023)
How long do people work?
Workers in South Korea put in 256 more hours a year than in Ireland.
Ireland: 1,654 hours (2023) · South Korea: 1,910 hours (2023)
How long do people go to school?
Adults in South Korea went to school 1 year longer than in Ireland.
Ireland: 11.7 years (2023) · South Korea: 12.7 years (2023)
How many tourists visit?
Ireland welcomed 7 times as many tourists per resident as South Korea (2019).
Ireland: 2.2 (2019) · South Korea: 0.32 (2024)
Connected
Online, electrified, urban
How many people are online?
98% of people in South Korea are online, versus 97% in Ireland.
Ireland: 97% (2024) · South Korea: 98% (2024)
Who has electricity at home?
Ireland and South Korea are practically level.
Ireland: 100% (2024) · South Korea: 100% (2024)
How many live in cities?
81% of people in South Korea live in cities, versus 65% in Ireland.
Ireland: 65% (2025) · South Korea: 81% (2025)
How many phones per person?
South Korea has 173 mobile subscriptions per 100 people, Ireland 113.
Ireland: 113 (2024) · South Korea: 173 (2024)
How much railway is there?
South Korea’s railway network is 2.6 times as long as Ireland’s.
Ireland: 1,650 km (2021) · South Korea: 4,309 km (2021)
How much do they fly?
Airlines from Ireland fly 24 times as many passengers per resident as those from South Korea.
Ireland: 35.11 (2023) · South Korea: 1.48 (2023)
Planet
Air, forests and energy
How much of the land is forest?
Forest covers 64% of South Korea, but only 12% of Ireland.
Ireland: 11.5% (2023) · South Korea: 64.1% (2023)
How much CO₂ does each person emit?
The average person in South Korea emits 78% more CO₂ than someone in Ireland.
Ireland: 6.3 t (2024) · South Korea: 11.3 t (2024)
How green is the power grid?
48% of Ireland’s electricity is renewable, versus 10% in South Korea.
Ireland: 48.1% (2025) · South Korea: 10.4% (2025)
How clean is the air?
The air in South Korea carries 2.8 times as much fine dust as in Ireland.
Ireland: 7.4 µg/m³ (2024) · South Korea: 21 µg/m³ (2024)
Safety
Measured risk, not vibes
How common is murder?
You are 37% more likely to be murdered in Ireland than in South Korea.
Ireland: 0.7 per 100k (2023) · South Korea: 0.5 per 100k (2023)
How dangerous are the roads?
Roads in South Korea are 2.5 times as deadly as in Ireland.
Ireland: 2.8 per 100k (2021) · South Korea: 6.9 per 100k (2021)
Climate
What the year feels like
How warm is it?
South Korea is on average 2.9 °C warmer than Ireland.
Ireland: 10.3°C (2016–2025 avg) · South Korea: 13.2°C (2016–2025 avg)
How much rain falls?
South Korea gets 11% more rain than Ireland.
Ireland: 1,139 mm (2016–2025 avg) · South Korea: 1,265 mm (2016–2025 avg)
Quick answers
Is Ireland bigger than South Korea?
South Korea is larger. South Korea is 43% bigger than Ireland.
Which has more people, Ireland or South Korea?
South Korea has 9.4 times as many people as Ireland (2025 estimates).
Where do people live longer, Ireland or South Korea?
People in South Korea live 0.62 years longer than in Ireland. Life expectancy at birth is 83.0 years in Ireland and 83.6 in South Korea.
Are people taller in Ireland or South Korea?
Men in Ireland are 3.5 cm taller than in South Korea (NCD-RisC, cohort born 2019).
