Land
Size, shape and altitude
How big is it, really?
Ireland fits inside Spain 7.2 times.
Ireland: 70,280 km² (2023) · Spain: 505,976 km² (2023)
How much coast is there?
Spain’s coastline is 3.4 times as long as Ireland’s.
Ireland: 1,448 km (2026 edition) · Spain: 4,964 km (2026 edition)
How high can you climb?
Spain’s highest peak towers 2,677 m above Ireland’s.
Ireland: 1,041 m (2026 edition) · Spain: 3,718 m (2026 edition)
People
Who lives there, and how closely
How many people live there?
Spain has 9 times as many people as Ireland.
Ireland: 5.48 million (2025) · Spain: 49.4 million (2025)
How crowded is it?
Spain is 24% more densely populated than Ireland.
Ireland: 80 per km² (2025) · Spain: 99 per km² (2025)
How tall are the men?
Men in Ireland are 2.9 cm taller than in Spain.
Ireland: 179 cm (2019) · Spain: 176.1 cm (2019)
How tall are the women?
Women in Ireland are 2.5 cm taller than in Spain.
Ireland: 164.5 cm (2019) · Spain: 162 cm (2019)
How old is the typical person?
The typical person in Spain is 6.5 years older than in Ireland.
Ireland: 38.4 years (2023) · Spain: 44.9 years (2023)
How many children per woman?
Women in Ireland have 0.4 more children on average than in Spain.
Ireland: 1.47 children per woman (2024) · Spain: 1.1 children per woman (2024)
How many people are 65 or older?
22% of people in Spain are 65 or older, versus 16% in Ireland.
Ireland: 16.2% (2025) · Spain: 21.6% (2025)
How many Nobel laureates were born there?
Ireland has produced 9.1 Nobel laureates per 10 million people, Spain 1.4.
Ireland: 9.1 (2025) · Spain: 1.4 (2025)
How many official languages?
Ireland has 2 official languages, Spain 1.
Ireland: 2 (2026) · Spain: 1 (2026)
Money
What an economy looks like per person
How big is the economy?
Spain’s economy is 2.6 times the size of Ireland’s.
Ireland: $722 billion (2025) · Spain: $1.91 trillion (2025)
How much is produced per person?
Ireland produces 2.6 times as much per person as Spain.
Ireland: Int$155,089 (2025) · Spain: Int$59,868 (2025)
How evenly is income shared?
Income is more unequally shared in Spain than in Ireland (Gini 4.4 points higher).
Ireland: 29 (2023) · Spain: 33.4 (2023)
How many people are looking for work?
Unemployment is 10% in Spain, versus 4.6% in Ireland.
Ireland: 4.6% (2025) · Spain: 10.4% (2025)
How much goes to the military?
Spain spends 1.4% of its GDP on the military, Ireland 0.2%.
Ireland: 0.2% (2024) · Spain: 1.4% (2024)
How expensive is it?
Ireland’s price level (US = 100) is 1.3× Spain’s.
Ireland: 85% (2025) · Spain: 65% (2025)
Health
Long lives, small beginnings
How much is spent on health?
Ireland spends 2.4 times as much on health per person as Spain.
Ireland: $7,395 (2024) · Spain: $3,107 (2023)
How long do people live?
People in Spain live 0.88 years longer than in Ireland.
Ireland: 83 years (2024) · Spain: 83.9 years (2024)
How many babies don’t reach their first birthday?
A baby in Ireland is 31% more likely to die before turning one than in Spain.
Ireland: 3.4 per 1,000 (2024) · Spain: 2.6 per 1,000 (2024)
How many doctors are there?
Spain has 11% more doctors per person than Ireland.
Ireland: 3.9 per 1,000 (2023) · Spain: 4.3 per 1,000 (2022)
How common is obesity?
31% of adults in Ireland are obese, versus 19% in Spain.
Ireland: 30.6% (2024) · Spain: 18.9% (2024)
How many adults smoke?
28% of adults in Spain smoke, versus 18% in Ireland.
Ireland: 18.2% (2024) · Spain: 27.6% (2024)
Everyday life
Plates, glasses and happiness
How do people rate their lives?
People in Ireland rate their lives 0.39 points higher than in Spain.
Ireland: 6.93 (2025) · Spain: 6.54 (2025)
How much do people drink?
Adults in Spain drink 18% more alcohol than in Ireland.
Ireland: 10.3 litres (2023) · Spain: 12.1 litres (2023)
How much meat is on the menu?
Spain has 2% more meat per person than Ireland.
Ireland: 98.4 kg (2023) · Spain: 100.8 kg (2023)
How much food is there per day?
Ireland has 544 kcal more food per person per day than Spain.
Ireland: 3,921 kcal (2023) · Spain: 3,377 kcal (2023)
How long do people work?
Workers in Ireland put in 16 more hours a year than in Spain.
Ireland: 1,654 hours (2023) · Spain: 1,638 hours (2023)
How long do people go to school?
Adults in Ireland went to school 0.97 year longer than in Spain.
Ireland: 11.7 years (2023) · Spain: 10.8 years (2023)
How many tourists visit?
Ireland welcomed 15% more tourists per resident than Spain (2019).
Ireland: 2.2 (2019) · Spain: 1.92 (2024)
Connected
Online, electrified, urban
How many people are online?
97% of people in Ireland are online, versus 96% in Spain.
Ireland: 97% (2024) · Spain: 96% (2024)
Who has electricity at home?
Ireland and Spain are practically level.
Ireland: 100% (2024) · Spain: 100% (2024)
How many live in cities?
81% of people in Spain live in cities, versus 65% in Ireland.
Ireland: 65% (2025) · Spain: 81% (2025)
How many phones per person?
Spain has 130 mobile subscriptions per 100 people, Ireland 113.
Ireland: 113 (2024) · Spain: 130 (2024)
How much railway is there?
Spain’s railway network is 9.7 times as long as Ireland’s.
Ireland: 1,650 km (2021) · Spain: 15,963 km (2021)
How much do they fly?
Airlines from Ireland fly 18 times as many passengers per resident as those from Spain.
Ireland: 35.11 (2023) · Spain: 1.91 (2023)
Planet
Air, forests and energy
How much of the land is forest?
Forest covers 37% of Spain, but only 12% of Ireland.
Ireland: 11.5% (2023) · Spain: 37.2% (2023)
How much CO₂ does each person emit?
The average person in Ireland emits 38% more CO₂ than someone in Spain.
Ireland: 6.3 t (2024) · Spain: 4.6 t (2024)
How green is the power grid?
56% of Spain’s electricity is renewable, versus 48% in Ireland.
Ireland: 48.1% (2025) · Spain: 55.9% (2025)
How clean is the air?
The air in Spain carries 35% more fine dust than in Ireland.
Ireland: 7.4 µg/m³ (2024) · Spain: 10 µg/m³ (2024)
Safety
Measured risk, not vibes
How common is murder?
You are 6% more likely to be murdered in Spain than in Ireland.
Ireland: 0.7 per 100k (2023) · Spain: 0.7 per 100k (2023)
How dangerous are the roads?
Roads in Spain are 25% deadlier than in Ireland.
Ireland: 2.8 per 100k (2021) · Spain: 3.5 per 100k (2021)
Climate
What the year feels like
How warm is it?
Spain is on average 4.5 °C warmer than Ireland.
Ireland: 10.3°C (2016–2025 avg) · Spain: 14.8°C (2016–2025 avg)
How much rain falls?
Ireland gets 71% more rain than Spain.
Ireland: 1,139 mm (2016–2025 avg) · Spain: 665 mm (2016–2025 avg)
Quick answers
Is Ireland bigger than Spain?
Spain is larger. Ireland fits inside Spain 7.2 times.
Which has more people, Ireland or Spain?
Spain has 9 times as many people as Ireland (2025 estimates).
Where do people live longer, Ireland or Spain?
People in Spain live 0.88 years longer than in Ireland. Life expectancy at birth is 83.0 years in Ireland and 83.9 in Spain.
Are people taller in Ireland or Spain?
Men in Ireland are 2.9 cm taller than in Spain (NCD-RisC, cohort born 2019).
