---
title: "Ireland vs United Kingdom — area, population, currency"
description: "Ireland is 70,273 km² with 5,484,367 people; United Kingdom is 243,610 km² with 69,487,000. Area, density, currency, languages and time zones side by side."
url: https://atoneplace.net/country-vs/ireland-vs-united-kingdom/
site: "At One Place"
---

# Ireland vs United Kingdom

**Ireland vs United Kingdom: United Kingdom is larger; United Kingdom has more people**

70,273 km² vs 243,610 km² · 5,484,367 vs 69,487,000

United Kingdom is 3.5 times larger than Ireland — 243,610 against 70,273 km². United Kingdom is 13 times more populous than Ireland — 69,487,000 against 5,484,367 people.

## Side by side

|  | Ireland | United Kingdom |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Capital | Dublin | London |
| Area | 70,273 km² | 243,610 km² |
| Population | 5,484,367 (2025) | 69,487,000 (2025) |
| Density | 78.0 /km² | 285.2 /km² |
| Currency | Euro (EUR) | British pound (GBP) |
| Official languages | English, Irish | English |
| Time zones | UTC+00:00 | UTC+00:00 |
| Calling code | +353 | +44 |
| Drives on the | left | left |
| Continent | Europe | Europe |
| ISO codes | IE / IRL | GB / GBR |

## Population density

United Kingdom is 3.7 times more densely populated than Ireland — 285 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

- Different currencies: the Euro and the British pound.

## 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.

## United Kingdom

Made up of Great Britain, the north-east of Ireland and around 6,000 smaller islands. No point in the UK is more than about 113 km from the sea. Ben Nevis, the highest point, is 1,345 m, which is modest — but the country has around 31,000 km of coastline once every inlet is counted.

> 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 United Kingdom?

United Kingdom is larger — 243,610 km² against 70,273 km².

### Which has more people, Ireland or United Kingdom?

United Kingdom, with 69,487,000 against 5,484,367.

### What is the time difference between Ireland and United Kingdom?

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

## Related pages

- [Ireland](https://atoneplace.net/country/ireland/)
- [United Kingdom](https://atoneplace.net/country/united-kingdom/)
- [India vs United Kingdom](https://atoneplace.net/country-vs/india-vs-united-kingdom/)
- [India vs Ireland](https://atoneplace.net/country-vs/india-vs-ireland/)
- [China vs United Kingdom](https://atoneplace.net/country-vs/china-vs-united-kingdom/)
- [China vs Ireland](https://atoneplace.net/country-vs/china-vs-ireland/)
- [United Kingdom vs United States](https://atoneplace.net/country-vs/united-kingdom-vs-united-states/)
- [United Kingdom vs Vietnam](https://atoneplace.net/country-vs/united-kingdom-vs-vietnam/)
- [United Kingdom vs Vatican City](https://atoneplace.net/country-vs/united-kingdom-vs-vatican-city/)
- [United Kingdom vs Venezuela](https://atoneplace.net/country-vs/united-kingdom-vs-venezuela/)
- [Japan vs United Kingdom](https://atoneplace.net/country-vs/japan-vs-united-kingdom/)
- [Canada vs United Kingdom](https://atoneplace.net/country-vs/canada-vs-united-kingdom/)
- [Canada vs Ireland](https://atoneplace.net/country-vs/canada-vs-ireland/)
- [Australia vs United Kingdom](https://atoneplace.net/country-vs/australia-vs-united-kingdom/)

## 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]