Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Macedonia instead of Ireland, you would:
Health
be 32.4% less likely to die by suicide
Ireland has a suicide rate of 8.6 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Macedonia, it is 5.8 per 100,000 as of 2021.
live 6.4 years less
In Ireland, the average life expectancy is 83 years (81 years for men, 85 years for women) as of 2024. In Macedonia, that number is 77 years (74 years for men, 79 years for women) as of 2024.
see 79.4% less spent on your healthcare
Ireland spends $8,772 per person on healthcare as of 2024 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Macedonia spends $1,808 as of 2023.
have 24.0% fewer doctors per person
Ireland has 38.8 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2023. Macedonia has 29.4 as of 2022.
have 10.8% less access to essential health services
Ireland scores 83 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Macedonia scores 74 as of 2021.
Economy
be 2.6 times more likely to be unemployed
In Ireland, 4.6% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Macedonia, that number is 12.3% as of 2025.
be 56.4% more likely to live below the poverty line
In Ireland, 14.0% live below the poverty line as of 2021. In Macedonia, however, that number is 21.9% as of 2023.
make 92.0% less money
Ireland has a GDP per capita of $131,592 as of 2025, while in Macedonia, the GDP per capita is $10,490 as of 2025.
Life
be 25.0% less likely to die during childbirth
In Ireland, approximately 4.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Macedonia, 3.0 women do as of 2023.
be 26.5% less likely to die during infancy
In Ireland, approximately 3.4 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2024. In Macedonia, on the other hand, 2.5 children do as of 2024.
have 12.0% fewer children
In Ireland, there are approximately 10.0 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Macedonia, there are 8.8 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
Safety
be 2.4 times more likely to be murdered
Ireland has a homicide rate of 0.7 per 100,000 people as of 2023. In Macedonia, that number is 1.5 per 100,000 as of 2023.
be 2.0 times more likely to die in a road accident
In Ireland, road accidents kill 2.8 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Macedonia, they kill 5.7 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
live with 6.5 times more strain on fresh water
Ireland withdraws 8% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Macedonia withdraws 53% as of 2022.
use 47.3% less electricity
Ireland uses 6,298 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2024. Macedonia uses 3,320 kWh as of 2023.
Environment
emit 33.8% less CO2
Ireland emits 6.0 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Macedonia emits 4.0 tonnes as of 2024.
be 4.8 times more likely to die from air pollution
In Ireland, air pollution causes 13.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Macedonia, it causes 62.0 as of 2019.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021). How we calculate this
Compare further: Ireland vs. Macedonia
Macedonia: At a glance
How big is Macedonia compared to Ireland? See an in-depth size comparison.