Quality of life comparison

compared to

If you lived in Ireland instead of Slovakia, you would:

Health

live 4.6 years longer

In Slovakia, the average life expectancy is 78 years (75 years for men, 82 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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see 2.7 times more spent on your healthcare

Slovakia spends $3,230 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Ireland spends $8,772 as of 2024.

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be 13.7% less likely to die by suicide

Slovakia has a suicide rate of 9.9 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 13.6% less likely to be unemployed

In Slovakia, 5.4% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Ireland, that number is 4.6% as of 2025.

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make 4.6 times more money

Slovakia has a GDP per capita of $28,544 as of 2025, while in Ireland, the GDP per capita is $131,592 as of 2025.

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Life

be 35.8% less likely to die during infancy

In Slovakia, approximately 5.3 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2024. In Ireland, on the other hand, 3.4 children do as of 2024.

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have 17.6% more children

In Slovakia, there are approximately 8.5 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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Expenditures

spend 37.8% less on education

Slovakia spends 4.7% of its total GDP on education as of 2022. Ireland spends 2.9% of total GDP on education as of 2021.

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Safety

be 42.0% less likely to be murdered

Slovakia has a homicide rate of 1.1 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 56.2% less likely to die in a road accident

In Slovakia, road accidents kill 6.4 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Ireland, they kill 2.8 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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Infrastructure

use 34.7% more electricity

Slovakia uses 4,675 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2024. Ireland uses 6,298 kWh as of 2024.

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live with 3.3 times more strain on fresh water

Slovakia withdraws 2% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Ireland withdraws 8% as of 2022.

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Environment

be 56.7% less likely to die from air pollution

In Slovakia, air pollution causes 30.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Ireland, it causes 13.0 as of 2019.

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Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021). How we calculate this

Compare further: Slovakia vs. Ireland

Cost of Living Comparison · 7 categories - 2026 data
Ireland is 69.3% more expensive than Slovakia overall
→
Size Comparison · See true size
Slovakia is about 1.4 times smaller than Ireland.
→
Moving from Slovakia to Ireland · UN DESA 2020
13,573 people born in Slovakia live in Ireland.
→

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 Slovakia? See an in-depth size comparison.

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