Belgium vs Ireland

Ireland is 2.27 times larger than Belgium. Belgium would fit into Ireland about 2.3 times.

BelgiumIrelandBelgium moved onto Ireland · Equal-area projection
0.44×
Belgium is 0.44× the area of Ireland. Put the other way, Ireland is 2.27× the size of Belgium.
BelgiumIreland
Area30,688 km²69,797 km²
Population11,941,7815,484,367
Density389 / km²79 / km²
CapitalBrusselsDublin
RegionWestern EuropeNorthern Europe
CoastlineHas a coastHas a coast
Neighbours41

Why the map you grew up with disagrees

On a Mercator map, area grows with distance from the equator. Belgium sits at about 51°N and is stretched to 2.49× its true area; Ireland at 53° N is stretched to 2.78×. Here the two are distorted about the same amount, so Mercator gets this pair roughly right. The figure above uses the Equal Earth projection, where every square kilometre is drawn the same size.

Questions about this pair

Is Belgium bigger than Ireland?
No. Belgium is 2.27 times smaller than Ireland. Belgium covers 30,688 km² and Ireland covers 69,797 km².
How many times does Belgium fit into Ireland?
About 2.3 times: Ireland has 2.27× the area of Belgium.
Why do Belgium and Ireland look different on Google Maps?
Web maps use the Mercator projection, which stretches area with distance from the equator. Belgium is drawn about 2.49× its true area there and Ireland about 2.78×. For this pair the distortion is similar, so Mercator gets the comparison roughly right. Kartavera uses Equal Earth, where every square kilometre is drawn the same size.
Which has more people, Belgium or Ireland?
Belgium: 11,941,781 people against 5,484,367. Density: Belgium 389 per km², Ireland 79 per km².