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Ireland and France

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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Ireland

France

The widest gap is Take-home pay, average-wage worker: Ireland €47,027 against France €32,346, 45.4% apart.

Ageall ages
Sex

One question per row

The faint tick on each bar is the EU27 figure.

Figure
Ireland
France

People

Median age3.2 years
39.6 years
42.8 years
Life expectancy at birth0.1 years
83.1 years
83.0 years
People12.66×
5.4m
68.9m
People per square kilometre37.2%
79.2 per km²
109 per km²
Women in the population0.9 points
50.5%
51.5%
Born abroad9.3 points
23.3%
14.0%
Born outside the EU5.5 points
16.6%
11.1%

Money and work

Disposable income per person32.8%
€35,138
€26,459
Average net income30.3%
€39,666
€30,438
Take-home pay, average-wage worker45.4%
€47,027
€32,346
Gross pay, average-wage worker39.0%
€61,716
€44,400
Minimum wage28.1%
€2,391
€1,867
In work, age 20 to 644.8 points
80.2%
75.4%
Out of work3.0 points
4.7%
7.7%
Hours worked a week0.9 hours
36.3 hours
37.2 hours
At risk of poverty3.3 points
13.0%
16.3%
Housing costs over 40% of income1.1 points
5.3%
6.4%
GDP per person2.54×
€110,150
€43,350

Family and home

People at home28.6%
2.7
2.1
Households with children11.2 points
40.4%
29.2%
Children per woman9.5%
1.47
1.61
Own their home9.5 points
70.9%
61.4%

Health and daily life

Hospital beds82.5%
293 per 100,000 people
534 per 100,000 people
Doctors3.7%
409 per 100,000 people
395 per 100,000 people

Education

With a degree13.9 points
58.7%
44.8%
Students per 1,000 people26.5%
53.0 per 1,000 people
41.9 per 1,000 people

Public spending

Public spending on them3.4%
€23,544
€24,346
Tax raised per person22.6%
€23,597
€19,244
Government debt82.7 points
32.9%
115.6%

Country and infrastructure

Land area9.13×
69,947 km²
638,475 km²
Railway density46.0%
29.8 per 1,000 km²
43.5 per 1,000 km²
Motorway density28.0%
14.5 per 1,000 km²
18.5 per 1,000 km²
Cars per 1,000 people21.7%
475 per 1,000 people
578 per 1,000 people
Households with internet1.1 points
95.5%
94.4%
Tourist nights per resident13.7%
7.79
6.85

Environment

Renewable energy6.7 points
17.2%
23.9%
Land under forest16.0 points
12.1%
28.1%

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.

Ireland

France

Function
Ireland
France
8.9%
10.8%
0.7%
3.2%
3.3%
3.1%
9.3%
9.9%
1.9%
1.8%
2.7%
2.5%
23.2%
15.6%
1.8%
2.6%
12.0%
8.9%
36.4%
41.5%

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

Frequently asked: Ireland and France

  1. Where do more people live: Ireland or France?

    The gap is 12.66×: France 68.9m, Ireland 5.4m. People usually resident in the country on 1 January. Eurostat · People & Women in the population · 2025. See the figure

  2. Which covers more ground: Ireland or France?

    The gap is 9.13×: France 638,475, Ireland 69,947. Total area of the country, inland water included. Eurostat · Land area & People per square kilometre · 2026. See the figure

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

    The gap is 2.6 points: France 3.2%, Ireland 0.7%. Armed forces, defence equipment, military aid abroad, and defence research. Eurostat · Public spending by function · 2024. See the figure

  4. Which government owes more: Ireland or France?

    The gap is 82.7 points: France 115.6%, Ireland 32.9%. Consolidated gross debt of the general government, against GDP. Eurostat · Government debt · 2025. See the figure

  5. Where is GDP per person higher: Ireland or France?

    The gap is 2.54×: Ireland €110,150, France €43,350. Gross domestic product at current market prices, divided by the population. Eurostat · GDP per person · 2025. See the figure

  6. Which has more forest: Ireland or France?

    The gap is 16.0 points: France 28.1%, Ireland 12.1%. Share of the land area under forest. Eurostat · Land under forest · 2025. See the figure

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

    The gap is 82.5%: France 534, Ireland 293. Beds available in hospitals, per 100,000 residents. Eurostat · Hospital beds · 2024. See the figure

  8. Where is unemployment higher: Ireland or France?

    The gap is 3.0 points: France 7.7%, Ireland 4.7%. Share of 15 to 74 year olds in the labour force who are without work and looking for it. Eurostat · Out of work · 2025. See the figure

  9. Where do more households have children: Ireland or France?

    The gap is 11.2 points: Ireland 40.4%, France 29.2%. Share of private households with at least one dependent child. Eurostat · Households with children · 2025. See the figure

  10. Where do more adults hold a degree: Ireland or France?

    The gap is 13.9 points: Ireland 58.7%, France 44.8%. Share of adults whose highest completed education is a university or other tertiary degree. Eurostat · With a degree · 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.