Ireland vs Malawi

Malawi is 70% larger than Ireland. Ireland would fit into Malawi about 1.7 times.

IrelandMalawiIreland moved onto Malawi · Equal-area projection
0.59×
Ireland is 0.59× the area of Malawi. Put the other way, Malawi is 1.7× the size of Ireland.
IrelandMalawi
Area69,797 km²118,484 km²
Population5,484,36722,216,120
Density79 / km²188 / km²
CapitalDublinLilongwe
RegionNorthern EuropeEastern Africa
CoastlineHas a coastLandlocked
Neighbours13

Why the map you grew up with disagrees

On a Mercator map, area grows with distance from the equator. Ireland sits at about 53°N and is stretched to 2.78× its true area; Malawi at 13° S is stretched to 1.06×. That difference is why Ireland looks so much bigger than it is next to Malawi. The figure above uses the Equal Earth projection, where every square kilometre is drawn the same size.

Questions about this pair

Is Ireland bigger than Malawi?
No. Ireland is 41% smaller than Malawi. Ireland covers 69,797 km² and Malawi covers 118,484 km².
How many times does Ireland fit into Malawi?
About 1.7 times: Malawi has 1.7× the area of Ireland.
Why do Ireland and Malawi look different on Google Maps?
Web maps use the Mercator projection, which stretches area with distance from the equator. Ireland is drawn about 2.78× its true area there and Malawi about 1.06×. That is why Ireland looks so much bigger than it really is next to Malawi. Kartavera uses Equal Earth, where every square kilometre is drawn the same size.
Which has more people, Ireland or Malawi?
Malawi: 22,216,120 people against 5,484,367. Density: Ireland 79 per km², Malawi 188 per km².