Quality of life comparison

compared to

If you lived in Ireland instead of Puerto Rico, you would:

Health

live 1.1 years longer

In Puerto Rico, the average life expectancy is 82 years (78 years for men, 85 years for women) as of 2024. In Ireland, that number is 83 years (81 years for men, 85 years for women) as of 2024.

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be 34.2% less likely to be obese

In Puerto Rico, 42.4% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Ireland, that number is 27.9% of people as of 2024.

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be 57.7% more likely to die by suicide

Puerto Rico has a suicide rate of 5.4 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Ireland, it is 8.6 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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Economy

be 22.7% less likely to be unemployed

In Puerto Rico, 6.0% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Ireland, that number is 4.6% as of 2025.

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make 3.2 times more money

Puerto Rico has a GDP per capita of $40,620 as of 2025, while in Ireland, the GDP per capita is $131,592 as of 2025.

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Life

be 63.6% less likely to die during childbirth

In Puerto Rico, approximately 11.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Ireland, 4.0 women do as of 2023.

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be 43.7% less likely to die during infancy

In Puerto Rico, approximately 6.0 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2022. In Ireland, on the other hand, 3.4 children do as of 2024.

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have 75.4% more children

In Puerto Rico, there are approximately 5.7 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Ireland, there are 10.0 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

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Basic Needs

be 11.3% more likely to have internet access

In Puerto Rico, approximately 87.3% of the population has internet access as of 2022. In Ireland, about 97.2% do as of 2024.

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Expenditures

spend 32.1% less on education

Puerto Rico spends 4.3% of its total GDP on education as of 2024. Ireland spends 2.9% of total GDP on education as of 2021.

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Geography

see 2.9 times more coastline

Puerto Rico has a total of 501 km of coastline. In Ireland, that number is 1,448 km.

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Safety

be 95.5% less likely to be murdered

Puerto Rico has a homicide rate of 14.6 per 100,000 people as of 2023. In Ireland, that number is 0.7 per 100,000 as of 2023.

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be 77.6% less likely to die in a road accident

In Puerto Rico, road accidents kill 12.5 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Ireland, they kill 2.8 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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Infrastructure

find 15.4% more home broadband

Puerto Rico has 28.0 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Ireland has 32.3 as of 2024.

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live with 58.8% less strain on fresh water

Puerto Rico withdraws 20% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Ireland withdraws 8% as of 2022.

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Environment

emit 25.3% more CO2

Puerto Rico emits 4.8 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Ireland emits 6.0 tonnes as of 2024.

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Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), The World Factbook (2022), World Health Organization (2024), United Nations SDG Indicators (2021). How we calculate this

Compare further: Puerto Rico vs. Ireland

Cost of Living Comparison · 7 categories - 2026 data
Ireland is 23.0% more expensive than Puerto Rico overall
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Size Comparison · See true size
Puerto Rico is about 8 times smaller than Ireland.
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Moving from Puerto Rico to Ireland · Cost, visas & climate
Compare cost of living, salary and climate.
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Ireland: At a glance

Ireland is a sovereign country in Europe, with a total land area of approximately 68,883 sq km. Celtic tribes arrived on the island between 600 and 150 B.C. Invasions by Norsemen that began in the late 8th century were finally ended when King Brian BORU defeated the Danes in 1014. Norman invasions began in the 12th century and set off more than seven centuries of Anglo-Irish struggle marked by fierce rebellions and harsh repressions. The Irish famine of the mid-19th century saw the population of the island drop by one third through starvation and emigration. For more than a century after that the population of the island continued to fall only to begin growing again in the 1960s. Over the last 50 years, Ireland's high birthrate has made it demographically one of the youngest populations in the EU. The modern Irish state traces its origins to the failed 1916 Easter Monday Uprising which touched off several years of guerrilla warfare resulting in independence from the UK in 1921 for 26 southern counties; six northern counties remained part of the UK. Unresolved issues in Northern Ireland erupted into years of violence known as the "Troubles" that began in the 1960s. The Government of Ireland was part of a process along with the UK and US Governments that helped broker what is known as The Good Friday Agreement in Northern Ireland in 1998. This initiated a new phase of cooperation between Irish and British governments. Ireland was neutral in World War II and continues its policy of military neutrality. Ireland joined the European Community in 1973 and the Eurozone currency union in 1999. The economic boom years of the Celtic Tiger (1995-2007) saw rapid economic growth, which came to an abrupt end in 2008 with the meltdown of the Irish banking system. Today the economy is recovering, fueled by large and growing foreign direct investment, especially from US multi-nationals.
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How big is Ireland compared to Puerto Rico? See an in-depth size comparison.

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