averageperson.euOne statistical standard, 27 countries

Side by side

the European Union and Ireland

The same question asked of every column. Numbers that break down by age or sex follow the controls; the rest stay country-wide and say so.

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the European Union

Ireland

The widest gap is With a degree: Ireland 58.7% against the European Union 36.9%, 21.8 points apart.

Ageall ages
Sex

One question per row

The faint tick on each bar is the EU27 figure.

Figure
the European Union
Ireland

People

Median age5.3 years
44.9 years
39.6 years
Life expectancy at birth1.6 years
81.5 years
83.1 years
People82.84×
450.6m
5.4m
People per square kilometre38.8%
110 per km²
79.2 per km²
Women in the population0.5 points
51.0%
50.5%
Born abroad8.9 points
14.4%
23.3%
Born outside the EU6.2 points
10.4%
16.6%

Money and work

Disposable income per person53.2%
€22,939
€35,138
Average net income52.8%
€25,952
€39,666
Take-home pay, average-wage worker57.0%
€29,954
€47,027
Gross pay, average-wage worker41.4%
€43,658
€61,716
In work, age 20 to 644.1 points
76.1%
80.2%
Out of work1.3 points
6.0%
4.7%
Hours worked a week1.0 hours
37.3 hours
36.3 hours
At risk of poverty3.3 points
16.3%
13.0%
Housing costs over 40% of income2.4 points
7.7%
5.3%
GDP per person2.64×
€41,700
€110,150

Family and home

People at home17.4%
2.3
2.7
Households with children11.7 points
28.7%
40.4%
Children per woman9.7%
1.34
1.47
Own their home2.4 points
68.5%
70.9%

Health and daily life

Hospital beds73.5%
507 per 100,000 people
293 per 100,000 people
Doctors9.5%
374 per 100,000 people
409 per 100,000 people

Education

With a degree21.8 points
36.9%
58.7%
Students per 1,000 people25.0%
42.4 per 1,000 people
53.0 per 1,000 people

Public spending

Public spending on them19.5%
€19,707
€23,544
Tax raised per person45.7%
€16,198
€23,597
Government debt48.8 points
81.7%
32.9%

Country and infrastructure

Land area60.40×
4,225,104 km²
69,947 km²
Railway density64.8%
49.1 per 1,000 km²
29.8 per 1,000 km²
Motorway density28.6%
18.6 per 1,000 km²
14.5 per 1,000 km²
Cars per 1,000 people22.9%
584 per 1,000 people
475 per 1,000 people
Households with internet0.7 points
94.8%
95.5%
Tourist nights per resident15.8%
6.73
7.79

Environment

Renewable energy9.0 points
26.2%
17.2%

Where €100 of public spending goes

Every euro each general government spends, sorted into the ten functions all 27 countries report against. Open a row for the ranking of 27 and what sits inside it.

the European Union

Ireland

Function
the European Union
Ireland
12.4%
8.9%
3.0%
0.7%
3.5%
3.3%
10.8%
9.3%
1.7%
1.9%
1.5%
2.7%
15.0%
23.2%
2.4%
1.8%
9.7%
12.0%
40.0%
36.4%

Reference year 2024. Total public spending €100.00 in every column, so the ten shares always add up to one hundred.

Frequently asked: the European Union and Ireland

  1. Where do more people live: the European Union or Ireland?

    The gap is 82.84×: the European Union 450.6m, Ireland 5.4m. People usually resident in the country on 1 January. demo_pjan · 2025. See the figure

  2. Which covers more ground: the European Union or Ireland?

    The gap is 60.40×: the European Union 4,225,104, Ireland 69,947. Total area of the country, inland water included. reg_area3 · 2026. See the figure

  3. Which spends a larger share of its budget on defence: the European Union or Ireland?

    The gap is 2.3 points: the European Union 3.0%, Ireland 0.7%. Armed forces, defence equipment, military aid abroad, and defence research. gov_10a_exp · 2024. See the figure

  4. Where is GDP per person higher: the European Union or Ireland?

    The gap is 2.64×: Ireland €110,150, the European Union €41,700. Gross domestic product at current market prices, divided by the population. nama_10_pc · 2025. See the figure

  5. Which government owes more: the European Union or Ireland?

    The gap is 48.8 points: the European Union 81.7%, Ireland 32.9%. Consolidated gross debt of the general government, against GDP. gov_10dd_edpt1 · 2025. See the figure

  6. Which spends more on health per resident: the European Union or Ireland?

    The gap is 84.7%: Ireland €5,464, the European Union €2,959. Hospitals, doctors, medicines and medical equipment, and public health programmes. gov_10a_exp · 2024. See the figure

  7. Where are there more hospital beds per 100,000 people: the European Union or Ireland?

    The gap is 73.5%: the European Union 507, Ireland 293. Beds available in hospitals, per 100,000 residents. hlth_rs_bds1 · 2024. See the figure

  8. Where do more adults hold a degree: the European Union or Ireland?

    The gap is 21.8 points: Ireland 58.7%, the European Union 36.9%. Share of adults whose highest completed education is a university or other tertiary degree. edat_lfse_03 · 2025. See the figure

  9. Where does more energy come from renewables: the European Union or Ireland?

    The gap is 9.0 points: the European Union 26.2%, Ireland 17.2%. Share of final energy use that comes from renewable sources. nrg_ind_ren · 2025. See the figure

  10. Where do more households have children: the European Union or Ireland?

    The gap is 11.7 points: Ireland 40.4%, the European Union 28.7%. Share of private households with at least one dependent child. ilc_lvph02 · 2025. See the figure

Medians where possible, per-capita averages for spending. This person is a composite of published statistics, not the most common person in the country.