Land
Size, shape and altitude
How big is it, really?
Italy is 24% bigger than the United Kingdom
Italy: 302,070 km² (2024) · United Kingdom: 243,610 km² (2024)
How much coast is there?
The United Kingdom’s coastline is 64% longer than Italy’s
Italy: 7,600 km (2026 edition) · United Kingdom: 12,429 km (2026 edition)
How high can you climb?
Italy’s highest peak towers 3,403 m above the United Kingdom’s
Italy: 4,748 m (2026 edition) · United Kingdom: 1,345 m (2026 edition)
How much of the land is farmed?
Farmland covers 69% of the United Kingdom, versus 44% of Italy
Italy: 43.6% (2024) · United Kingdom: 69.2% (2024)
People
Who lives there, and how closely
How many people live there?
The United Kingdom has 18% more people than Italy
Italy: 58.9 million (2025) · United Kingdom: 69.5 million (2025)
How crowded is it?
The United Kingdom is 44% more densely populated than Italy
Italy: 199 per km² (2025) · United Kingdom: 287 per km² (2025)
How tall are the men?
Men in the United Kingdom are 3.8 cm taller than in Italy
Italy: 174.4 cm (2019) · United Kingdom: 178.2 cm (2019)
How tall are the women?
Women in the United Kingdom are 2.1 cm taller than in Italy
Italy: 161.8 cm (2019) · United Kingdom: 163.9 cm (2019)
How old is the typical person?
The typical person in Italy is 7.7 years older than in the United Kingdom
Italy: 47.5 years (2023) · United Kingdom: 39.8 years (2023)
How many children per woman?
Women in the United Kingdom have 0.4 more children on average than in Italy
Italy: 1.18 children per woman (2024) · United Kingdom: 1.55 children per woman (2024)
How many people are 65 or older?
25% of people in Italy are 65 or older, versus 20% in the United Kingdom
Italy: 25.1% (2025) · United Kingdom: 19.7% (2025)
How many refugees does it host?
The United Kingdom hosts 2.6 times as many refugees per resident as Italy
Italy: 3.3 per 1,000 (2025) · United Kingdom: 8.4 per 1,000 (2025)
How many Nobel laureates were born there?
The United Kingdom has produced 15.8 Nobel laureates per 10 million people, Italy 3.4
Italy: 3.4 (2026) · United Kingdom: 15.8 (2026)
How many official languages?
Italy and the United Kingdom are practically level
Italy: 1 (2026) · United Kingdom: 1 (2026)
Money
What an economy looks like per person
How big is the economy?
The United Kingdom’s economy is 57% larger than Italy’s
Italy: $2.55 trillion (2025) · United Kingdom: $4 trillion (2025)
How much is produced per person?
The United Kingdom produces 3% more per person than Italy
Italy: Int$62,803 (2025) · United Kingdom: Int$64,607 (2025)
How evenly is income shared?
Income is more unequally shared in Italy than in the United Kingdom (Gini 1.9 points higher)
Italy: 34.3 (2023) · United Kingdom: 32.4 (2021)
How many live on less than $3 a day?
0.9% of people in Italy live on less than $3 a day, versus 0.4% in the United Kingdom
Italy: 0.9% (2023) · United Kingdom: 0.4% (2021)
How many people are looking for work?
Unemployment is 6.4% in Italy, versus 4.7% in the United Kingdom
Italy: 6.4% (2025) · United Kingdom: 4.7% (2025)
How much goes to the military?
The United Kingdom and Italy are practically level
Italy: 1.9% (2025) · United Kingdom: 2.4% (2025)
How much does the central government collect in tax?
The United Kingdom’s central government collects 27% of GDP in tax, Italy’s 26%
Italy: 25.6% (2024) · United Kingdom: 26.9% (2024)
How expensive is it?
The United Kingdom’s price level (US = 100) is 1.3× Italy’s
Italy: 69% (2025) · United Kingdom: 89% (2025)
Health
Long lives, small beginnings
How much is spent on health?
The United Kingdom spends 72% more on health per person than Italy
Italy: $3,398 (2024) · United Kingdom: $5,860 (2024)
How long do people live?
People in Italy live 2.6 years longer than in the United Kingdom
Italy: 84 years (2024) · United Kingdom: 81.4 years (2024)
How many babies don’t reach their first birthday?
A baby in the United Kingdom is 78% more likely to die before turning one than in Italy
Italy: 2.3 per 1,000 (2024) · United Kingdom: 4.1 per 1,000 (2024)
How many doctors are there?
Italy has 27% more doctors per person than the United Kingdom
Italy: 4.2 per 1,000 (2022) · United Kingdom: 3.3 per 1,000 (2023)
How many hospital beds are there?
Italy has 26% more hospital beds per person than the United Kingdom
Italy: 3.1 per 1,000 (2022) · United Kingdom: 2.4 per 1,000 (2022)
How common is suicide?
The suicide rate in the United Kingdom is 68% higher than in Italy
Italy: 5.7 per 100k (2023) · United Kingdom: 9.6 per 100k (2023)
How common is obesity?
29% of adults in the United Kingdom are obese, versus 18% in Italy
Italy: 17.9% (2024) · United Kingdom: 29.2% (2024)
How many adults smoke?
22% of adults in Italy smoke, versus 13% in the United Kingdom
Italy: 22.4% (2024) · United Kingdom: 12.8% (2024)
Everyday life
Plates, glasses and happiness
How do people rate their lives?
People in the United Kingdom rate their lives 0.12 points higher than in Italy
Italy: 6.57 (2025) · United Kingdom: 6.69 (2025)
How much do people drink?
Adults in the United Kingdom drink 24% more alcohol than in Italy
Italy: 8.4 litres (2023) · United Kingdom: 10.4 litres (2023)
How much meat is on the menu?
The United Kingdom has 19% more meat per person than Italy
Italy: 71.2 kg (2023) · United Kingdom: 84.4 kg (2023)
How much food is there per day?
Italy has 318 kcal more food per person per day than the United Kingdom
Italy: 3,753 kcal (2023) · United Kingdom: 3,435 kcal (2023)
How long do people work?
Workers in Italy put in 179 more hours a year than in the United Kingdom
Italy: 1,701 hours (2023) · United Kingdom: 1,523 hours (2023)
How long do people go to school?
Adults in the United Kingdom went to school 2.7 years longer than in Italy
Italy: 10.8 years (2023) · United Kingdom: 13.5 years (2023)
How many tourists visit?
Italy welcomed 77% more tourists per resident than the United Kingdom (2019)
Italy: 0.98 (2024) · United Kingdom: 0.55 (2024)
How many World Heritage sites?
Italy has 27 more World Heritage sites than the United Kingdom (62 against 35)
Italy: 62 (2026) · United Kingdom: 35 (2026)
How many Olympic medals has it won?
The United Kingdom has won 1,025 Olympic medals, Italy 829
Italy: 829 (2026 edition) · United Kingdom: 1,025 (2026 edition)
Connected
Online, electrified, urban
How many people are online?
95% of people in the United Kingdom are online, versus 89% in Italy
Italy: 89% (2024) · United Kingdom: 95% (2024)
How fast is home internet?
Home internet in the United Kingdom is 11% faster than in Italy
Italy: 274 Mbps (2026) · United Kingdom: 303 Mbps (2026)
Who has electricity at home?
Italy and the United Kingdom are practically level
Italy: 100% (2024) · United Kingdom: 100% (2024)
How many live in cities?
83% of people in the United Kingdom live in cities, versus 70% in Italy
Italy: 70% (2025) · United Kingdom: 83% (2025)
How many phones per person?
Italy has 133 mobile subscriptions per 100 people, the United Kingdom 122
Italy: 133 (2024) · United Kingdom: 122 (2024)
How much railway is there?
Italy’s railway network is 7% longer than the United Kingdom’s
Italy: 17,305 km (2021) · United Kingdom: 16,179 km (2021)
How much do they fly?
Airlines from the United Kingdom fly 5 times as many passengers per resident as those from Italy
Italy: 0.34 (2023) · United Kingdom: 1.71 (2023)
Planet
Air, forests and energy
How much of the land is forest?
Forest covers 32% of Italy, but only 13% of the United Kingdom
Italy: 31.8% (2024) · United Kingdom: 13.5% (2024)
How much CO₂ does each person emit?
The average person in Italy emits 12% more CO₂ than someone in the United Kingdom
Italy: 5.1 t (2024) · United Kingdom: 4.5 t (2024)
How green is the power grid?
52% of the United Kingdom’s electricity is renewable, versus 49% in Italy
Italy: 48.8% (2025) · United Kingdom: 52% (2025)
How clean is the air?
The air in Italy carries 73% more fine dust than in the United Kingdom
Italy: 15.2 µg/m³ (2024) · United Kingdom: 8.8 µg/m³ (2024)
Safety
Measured risk, not vibes
How common is murder?
You are 2 times as likely to be murdered in the United Kingdom as in Italy
Italy: 0.6 per 100k (2023) · United Kingdom: 1.1 per 100k (2021)
How dangerous are the roads?
Roads in Italy are 2.2 times as deadly as in the United Kingdom
Italy: 8.5 per 100k (2023) · United Kingdom: 3.9 per 100k (2023)
Climate
What the year feels like
How warm is it?
Italy is on average 4.0 °C warmer than the United Kingdom
Italy: 13.9°C (2016–2025 avg) · United Kingdom: 9.9°C (2016–2025 avg)
How much rain falls?
The United Kingdom gets 4% more rain than Italy
Italy: 1,030 mm (2016–2025 avg) · United Kingdom: 1,070 mm (2016–2025 avg)
Between them
People, goods and passports that cross from one to the other
Quick answers
Is Italy bigger than the United Kingdom?
Italy is larger. Italy is 24% bigger than the United Kingdom.
Which has more people, Italy or the United Kingdom?
The United Kingdom has 18% more people than Italy (2025 estimates).
Where do people live longer, Italy or the United Kingdom?
People in Italy live 2.6 years longer than in the United Kingdom. Life expectancy at birth is 84.0 years in Italy and 81.4 in the United Kingdom.
Are people taller in Italy or the United Kingdom?
Men in the United Kingdom are 3.8 cm taller than in Italy (NCD-RisC, cohort born 2019).
