Iceland vs Ireland

Iceland is 48% larger than Ireland.

IcelandIrelandIceland moved onto Ireland · Equal-area projection
1.48×
Iceland is 1.48× the area of Ireland.
IcelandIreland
Area103,004 km²69,797 km²
Population392,4045,484,367
Density3.8 / km²79 / km²
CapitalReykjavikDublin
RegionNorthern EuropeNorthern Europe
CoastlineHas a coastHas a coast
Neighbours01

Why the map you grew up with disagrees

On a Mercator map, area grows with distance from the equator. Iceland sits at about 65°N and is stretched to 5.6× its true area; Ireland at 53° N is stretched to 2.78×. That difference is why Iceland looks so much bigger than it is next to Ireland. The figure above uses the Equal Earth projection, where every square kilometre is drawn the same size.

Questions about this pair

Is Iceland bigger than Ireland?
Yes. Iceland is 48% larger than Ireland. Iceland covers 103,004 km² and Ireland covers 69,797 km².
How many times does Ireland fit into Iceland?
About 1.5 times: Iceland has 1.48× the area of Ireland.
Why do Iceland and Ireland look different on Google Maps?
Web maps use the Mercator projection, which stretches area with distance from the equator. Iceland is drawn about 5.6× its true area there and Ireland about 2.78×. That is why Iceland looks so much bigger than it really is next to Ireland. Kartavera uses Equal Earth, where every square kilometre is drawn the same size.
Which has more people, Iceland or Ireland?
Ireland: 5,484,367 people against 392,404. Density: Iceland 3.8 per km², Ireland 79 per km².