---
title: "Ireland vs Spain — area, population, currency"
description: "Ireland is 70,273 km² with 5,484,367 people; Spain is 505,370 km² with 49,355,143. Area, density, currency, languages and time zones side by side."
url: https://atoneplace.net/country-vs/ireland-vs-spain/
site: "At One Place"
---

# Ireland vs Spain

**Ireland vs Spain: Spain is larger; Spain has more people**

70,273 km² vs 505,370 km² · 5,484,367 vs 49,355,143

Spain is 7.2 times larger than Ireland — 505,370 against 70,273 km². Spain is 9.0 times more populous than Ireland — 49,355,143 against 5,484,367 people.

## Side by side

|  | Ireland | Spain |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Capital | Dublin | Madrid |
| Area | 70,273 km² | 505,370 km² |
| Population | 5,484,367 (2025) | 49,355,143 (2025) |
| Density | 78.0 /km² | 97.7 /km² |
| Currency | Euro (EUR) | Euro (EUR) |
| Official languages | English, Irish | Spanish |
| Time zones | UTC+00:00 | UTC+00:00, UTC+01:00 |
| Calling code | +353 | +34 |
| Drives on the | left | right |
| Continent | Europe | Europe |
| ISO codes | IE / IRL | ES / ESP |

## Population density

Spain is 1.3 times more densely populated than Ireland — 98 against 78 people per km². Density is where area and population interact, and it often reverses the impression the headline figures give — a large country with a small population can feel emptier than a small crowded one by an enormous margin.

## Practical differences

- They drive on opposite sides — Ireland on the left, Spain on the right.
- Spain spans 2 time zones, so "local time" there is not a single answer.

## Ireland

The interior is a low limestone plain ringed by coastal mountains, which is why the rivers drain inward and the middle of the country is bog. The Cliffs of Moher run 14 km and reach 214 m. Ireland has no native snakes, and only one native reptile.

## Spain

After Switzerland, Spain is the most mountainous country in Europe, with an average elevation around 650 m. The Canary Islands sit off Africa, which is why part of Spain is on a different time zone and why Teide, at 3,715 m, is the country's highest point. Spain has more olive trees than any other country, around 340 million.

> Neutral facts only. Nothing here addresses politics, government, economics or which country is preferable in any respect — population is the one figure that dates, and it carries its year.

## Common questions

### Is Ireland bigger than Spain?

Spain is larger — 505,370 km² against 70,273 km².

### Which has more people, Ireland or Spain?

Spain, with 49,355,143 against 5,484,367.

### What is the time difference between Ireland and Spain?

Ireland is UTC+00:00 and Spain is UTC+00:00, UTC+01:00. Daylight saving shifts the gap during the year in places that observe it.

## Related pages

- [Ireland](https://atoneplace.net/country/ireland/)
- [Spain](https://atoneplace.net/country/spain/)
- [India vs Spain](https://atoneplace.net/country-vs/india-vs-spain/)
- [India vs Ireland](https://atoneplace.net/country-vs/india-vs-ireland/)
- [China vs Spain](https://atoneplace.net/country-vs/china-vs-spain/)
- [China vs Ireland](https://atoneplace.net/country-vs/china-vs-ireland/)
- [Japan vs Spain](https://atoneplace.net/country-vs/japan-vs-spain/)
- [Canada vs Spain](https://atoneplace.net/country-vs/canada-vs-spain/)
- [Canada vs Ireland](https://atoneplace.net/country-vs/canada-vs-ireland/)
- [Australia vs Spain](https://atoneplace.net/country-vs/australia-vs-spain/)
- [Australia vs Ireland](https://atoneplace.net/country-vs/australia-vs-ireland/)
- [New Zealand vs Spain](https://atoneplace.net/country-vs/new-zealand-vs-spain/)
- [France vs Spain](https://atoneplace.net/country-vs/france-vs-spain/)
- [France vs Ireland](https://atoneplace.net/country-vs/france-vs-ireland/)

## Sources

- The World Factbook — Central Intelligence Agency (https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/) [Public domain (US Government)]
- World Bank Open Data — The World Bank (https://data.worldbank.org/) [CC BY 4.0]