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

Health

be 99.1% less likely to be living with HIV/AIDS

In Swaziland, 23.4% of people are living with AIDS/HIV as of 2024. In Ireland, that number is 0.2% of people as of 2024.

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live 18.8 years longer

In Swaziland, the average life expectancy is 64 years (61 years for men, 67 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 9.5 times more spent on your healthcare

Swaziland spends $922 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Ireland spends $8,772 as of 2024.

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have 7.0 times more doctors per person

Swaziland has 5.6 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2023. Ireland has 38.8 as of 2023.

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have 48.2% more access to essential health services

Swaziland scores 56 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Ireland scores 83 as of 2021.

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be 68.6% less likely to die by suicide

Swaziland has a suicide rate of 27.2 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 86.5% less likely to be unemployed

In Swaziland, 34.2% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Ireland, that number is 4.6% as of 2025.

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be 73.8% less likely to live below the poverty line

In Swaziland, 53.5% live below the poverty line as of 2023. In Ireland, however, that number is 14.0% as of 2021.

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make 32.0 times more money

Swaziland has a GDP per capita of $4,108 as of 2025, while in Ireland, the GDP per capita is $131,592 as of 2025.

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Life

be 96.6% less likely to die during childbirth

In Swaziland, approximately 118.0 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 91.9% less likely to die during infancy

In Swaziland, approximately 42.2 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 57.7% fewer children

In Swaziland, there are approximately 23.6 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 15.7% more likely to have access to electricity

In Swaziland, approximately 86% of people have electricity access (91% in urban areas, and 85% in rural areas) as of 2023. In Ireland, that number is 100% of people on average (100% in urban areas, and 100% in rural areas) as of 2023.

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be 53.3% more likely to have internet access

In Swaziland, approximately 63.4% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Ireland, about 97.2% do as of 2024.

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be 20.8% more likely to have access to drinking water

In Swaziland, approximately 80% of people have access to drinking water (98% in urban areas, and 74% in rural areas) as of 2024. In Ireland, that number is 97% of people on average (97% in urban areas, and 98% in rural areas) as of 2024.

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Expenditures

spend 51.9% less on education

Swaziland spends 6.0% 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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Safety

be 94.8% less likely to be murdered

Swaziland has a homicide rate of 12.5 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Ireland, that number is 0.7 per 100,000 as of 2023.

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be 88.7% less likely to die in a road accident

In Swaziland, road accidents kill 24.7 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 12.9 times more home broadband

Swaziland has 2.5 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Ireland has 32.3 as of 2024.

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live with 89.6% less strain on fresh water

Swaziland withdraws 78% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Ireland withdraws 8% as of 2022.

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use 5.3 times more electricity

Swaziland uses 1,200 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Ireland uses 6,298 kWh as of 2024.

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Environment

be 80.3% less likely to die from air pollution

In Swaziland, air pollution causes 66.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Ireland, it causes 13.0 as of 2019.

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emit 6.9 times more CO2

Swaziland emits 0.9 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), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021). How we calculate this

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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