Land
Size, shape and altitude
How big is it, really?
Ireland fits inside Sweden 7.5 times.
Ireland: 70,280 km² (2023) · Sweden: 528,660 km² (2023)
How much coast is there?
Sweden’s coastline is 2.2 times as long as Ireland’s.
Ireland: 1,448 km (2026 edition) · Sweden: 3,218 km (2026 edition)
How high can you climb?
Sweden’s highest peak towers 1,059 m above Ireland’s.
Ireland: 1,041 m (2026 edition) · Sweden: 2,100 m (2026 edition)
People
Who lives there, and how closely
How many people live there?
Sweden has 93% more people than Ireland.
Ireland: 5.48 million (2025) · Sweden: 10.6 million (2025)
How crowded is it?
Ireland is 3.1 times as densely populated as Sweden.
Ireland: 80 per km² (2025) · Sweden: 26 per km² (2025)
How tall are the men?
Men in Sweden are 1.4 cm taller than in Ireland.
Ireland: 179 cm (2019) · Sweden: 180.5 cm (2019)
How tall are the women?
Women in Sweden are 2.2 cm taller than in Ireland.
Ireland: 164.5 cm (2019) · Sweden: 166.7 cm (2019)
How old is the typical person?
The typical person in Sweden is 1.5 years older than in Ireland.
Ireland: 38.4 years (2023) · Sweden: 39.9 years (2023)
How many children per woman?
Women in Ireland have 0.0 more children on average than in Sweden.
Ireland: 1.47 children per woman (2024) · Sweden: 1.43 children per woman (2024)
How many people are 65 or older?
21% of people in Sweden are 65 or older, versus 16% in Ireland.
Ireland: 16.2% (2025) · Sweden: 20.9% (2025)
How many Nobel laureates were born there?
Sweden has produced 28.3 Nobel laureates per 10 million people, Ireland 9.1.
Ireland: 9.1 (2025) · Sweden: 28.3 (2025)
How many official languages?
Ireland has 2 official languages, Sweden 1.
Ireland: 2 (2026) · Sweden: 1 (2026)
Money
What an economy looks like per person
How big is the economy?
Ireland’s economy is 8% larger than Sweden’s.
Ireland: $722 billion (2025) · Sweden: $669 billion (2025)
How much is produced per person?
Ireland produces 2.1 times as much per person as Sweden.
Ireland: Int$155,089 (2025) · Sweden: Int$72,529 (2025)
How evenly is income shared?
Income is more unequally shared in Sweden than in Ireland (Gini 0.3 points higher).
Ireland: 29 (2023) · Sweden: 29.3 (2023)
How many people are looking for work?
Unemployment is 8.7% in Sweden, versus 4.6% in Ireland.
Ireland: 4.6% (2025) · Sweden: 8.7% (2025)
How much goes to the military?
Sweden spends 2.0% of its GDP on the military, Ireland 0.2%.
Ireland: 0.2% (2024) · Sweden: 2% (2024)
How expensive is it?
Sweden’s price level (US = 100) is 1× Ireland’s.
Ireland: 85% (2025) · Sweden: 87% (2025)
Health
Long lives, small beginnings
How much is spent on health?
Ireland spends 14% more on health per person than Sweden.
Ireland: $7,395 (2024) · Sweden: $6,485 (2024)
How long do people live?
People in Sweden live 1.1 years longer than in Ireland.
Ireland: 83 years (2024) · Sweden: 84.1 years (2024)
How many babies don’t reach their first birthday?
A baby in Ireland is 70% more likely to die before turning one than in Sweden.
Ireland: 3.4 per 1,000 (2024) · Sweden: 2 per 1,000 (2024)
How many doctors are there?
Sweden has 14% more doctors per person than Ireland.
Ireland: 3.9 per 1,000 (2023) · Sweden: 4.4 per 1,000 (2021)
How common is obesity?
31% of adults in Ireland are obese, versus 19% in Sweden.
Ireland: 30.6% (2024) · Sweden: 18.7% (2024)
How many adults smoke?
20% of adults in Sweden smoke, versus 18% in Ireland.
Ireland: 18.2% (2024) · Sweden: 20.3% (2024)
Everyday life
Plates, glasses and happiness
How do people rate their lives?
People in Sweden rate their lives 0.33 points higher than in Ireland.
Ireland: 6.93 (2025) · Sweden: 7.26 (2025)
How much do people drink?
Adults in Ireland drink 18% more alcohol than in Sweden.
Ireland: 10.3 litres (2023) · Sweden: 8.7 litres (2023)
How much meat is on the menu?
Ireland has 44% more meat per person than Sweden.
Ireland: 98.4 kg (2023) · Sweden: 68.4 kg (2023)
How much food is there per day?
Ireland has 554 kcal more food per person per day than Sweden.
Ireland: 3,921 kcal (2023) · Sweden: 3,367 kcal (2023)
How long do people work?
Workers in Ireland put in 223 more hours a year than in Sweden.
Ireland: 1,654 hours (2023) · Sweden: 1,432 hours (2023)
How long do people go to school?
Adults in Sweden went to school 1 year longer than in Ireland.
Ireland: 11.7 years (2023) · Sweden: 12.7 years (2023)
How many tourists visit?
Ireland welcomed 3.5 times as many tourists per resident as Sweden (2019).
Ireland: 2.2 (2019) · Sweden: 0.63 (2022)
Connected
Online, electrified, urban
How many people are online?
97% of people in Ireland are online, versus 96% in Sweden.
Ireland: 97% (2024) · Sweden: 96% (2025)
Who has electricity at home?
Ireland and Sweden are practically level.
Ireland: 100% (2024) · Sweden: 100% (2024)
How many live in cities?
89% of people in Sweden live in cities, versus 65% in Ireland.
Ireland: 65% (2025) · Sweden: 89% (2025)
How many phones per person?
Sweden has 141 mobile subscriptions per 100 people, Ireland 113.
Ireland: 113 (2024) · Sweden: 141 (2024)
How much railway is there?
Sweden’s railway network is 5.9 times as long as Ireland’s.
Ireland: 1,650 km (2021) · Sweden: 9,714 km (2021)
How much do they fly?
Airlines from Ireland fly 19 times as many passengers per resident as those from Sweden.
Ireland: 35.11 (2023) · Sweden: 1.85 (2023)
Planet
Air, forests and energy
How much of the land is forest?
Forest covers 69% of Sweden, but only 12% of Ireland.
Ireland: 11.5% (2023) · Sweden: 68.7% (2023)
How much CO₂ does each person emit?
The average person in Ireland emits 76% more CO₂ than someone in Sweden.
Ireland: 6.3 t (2024) · Sweden: 3.6 t (2024)
How green is the power grid?
71% of Sweden’s electricity is renewable, versus 48% in Ireland.
Ireland: 48.1% (2025) · Sweden: 71.2% (2025)
How clean is the air?
The air in Ireland carries 30% more fine dust than in Sweden.
Ireland: 7.4 µg/m³ (2024) · Sweden: 5.7 µg/m³ (2024)
Safety
Measured risk, not vibes
How common is murder?
You are 75% more likely to be murdered in Sweden than in Ireland.
Ireland: 0.7 per 100k (2023) · Sweden: 1.1 per 100k (2023)
How dangerous are the roads?
Roads in Ireland are 33% deadlier than in Sweden.
Ireland: 2.8 per 100k (2021) · Sweden: 2.1 per 100k (2021)
Climate
What the year feels like
How warm is it?
Ireland is on average 5.9 °C warmer than Sweden.
Ireland: 10.3°C (2016–2025 avg) · Sweden: 4.3°C (2016–2025 avg)
How much rain falls?
Ireland gets 42% more rain than Sweden.
Ireland: 1,139 mm (2016–2025 avg) · Sweden: 801 mm (2016–2025 avg)
Quick answers
Is Ireland bigger than Sweden?
Sweden is larger. Ireland fits inside Sweden 7.5 times.
Which has more people, Ireland or Sweden?
Sweden has 93% more people than Ireland (2025 estimates).
Where do people live longer, Ireland or Sweden?
People in Sweden live 1.1 years longer than in Ireland. Life expectancy at birth is 83.0 years in Ireland and 84.1 in Sweden.
Are people taller in Ireland or Sweden?
Men in Sweden are 1.4 cm taller than in Ireland (NCD-RisC, cohort born 2019).
