Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Ireland instead of United States, you would:
Health
live 4.1 years longer
In United States, the average life expectancy is 79 years (76 years for men, 81 years for women) as of 2024. In Ireland, that number is 83 years (81 years for men, 85 years for women) as of 2024.
be 31.9% less likely to be obese
In United States, 41.0% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Ireland, that number is 27.9% of people as of 2024.
be 45.3% less likely to die by suicide
United States has a suicide rate of 15.6 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Ireland, it is 8.6 per 100,000 as of 2021.
see 34.9% less spent on your healthcare
United States spends $13,473 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Ireland spends $8,772 as of 2024.
Economy
make 46.2% more money
United States has a GDP per capita of $90,027 as of 2025, while in Ireland, the GDP per capita is $131,592 as of 2025.
be 10.2% more likely to be unemployed
In United States, 4.2% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Ireland, that number is 4.6% as of 2025.
Life
be 76.5% less likely to die during childbirth
In United States, approximately 17.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Ireland, 4.0 women do as of 2023.
be 38.2% less likely to die during infancy
In United States, approximately 5.5 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.
Expenditures
spend 46.5% less on education
United States spends 5.4% of its total GDP on education as of 2021. Ireland spends 2.9% of total GDP on education as of 2021.
spend 59.0% less on healthcare
United States spends 16.7% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Ireland, that number is 6.8% of GDP as of 2024.
Geography
see 92.7% less coastline
United States has a total of 19,924 km of coastline. In Ireland, that number is 1,448 km.
Safety
be 88.7% less likely to be murdered
United States has a homicide rate of 5.8 per 100,000 people as of 2023. In Ireland, that number is 0.7 per 100,000 as of 2023.
be 19.0% more likely to feel safe walking alone at night
In United States, 63% of people feel safe walking alone at night as of 2021. In Ireland, that number is 75% as of 2019.
be 80.3% less likely to die in a road accident
In United States, road accidents kill 14.2 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Ireland, they kill 2.8 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
live with 71.4% less strain on fresh water
United States withdraws 28% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Ireland withdraws 8% as of 2022.
find 16.9% less home broadband
United States has 38.9 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Ireland has 32.3 as of 2024.
use 50.9% less electricity
United States uses 12,839 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2024. Ireland uses 6,298 kWh as of 2024.
Environment
emit 55.7% less CO2
United States emits 13.6 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Ireland emits 6.0 tonnes as of 2024.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), The World Factbook. How we calculate this
Compare further: United States vs. Ireland
Ireland: At a glance
How big is Ireland compared to United States? See an in-depth size comparison.