The map above shows Northern Ireland and Scotland side by side at exactly the same scale, using equal-area projections, so their true relative sizes are preserved.
Northern Ireland vs Scotland Geography
Land area: Northern Ireland has a land area of 5,236 square miles (13,562 km²), while Scotland has 30,090 square miles (77,933 km²). Scotland's land area is 5.7 times (475%) larger than Northern Ireland's.
Total area: Northern Ireland: 5,456 square miles (14,130 km²) vs Scotland: 30,090 square miles (77,933 km²), including inland and coastal water. Scotland's total area is 5.5 times (452%) larger than Northern Ireland's.
Length: Northern Ireland is 83 miles (134 km) long from north to south; Scotland is 440 miles (708 km). Scotland's north-south length is 5.3 times (430%) longer than Northern Ireland's.
Width: Northern Ireland spans 107 miles (173 km) east to west; Scotland spans 313 miles (504 km). Scotland's east-west width is 2.9 times (193%) wider than Northern Ireland's.
Highest point: Northern Ireland's highest point is Slieve Donard at 2,789 feet (850 m); Scotland's is Ben Nevis at 4,413 feet (1,345 m). Ben Nevis is 1,624 feet higher than Slieve Donard.
Lowest point: Northern Ireland's lowest point is Irish Sea at 0 feet; Scotland's is Atlantic Ocean at 0 feet. Both lowest points are at or near sea level.
Northern Ireland vs Scotland Population and History
Population: Northern Ireland has a population of 1,905,000 (2022), while Scotland has 5,480,000 (2022). Scotland's population is 2.9 times (188%) larger than Northern Ireland's.
Population density: Northern Ireland: 363.8 people per square mile vs Scotland: 182.1. Northern Ireland's population density is 2.0 times (100%) higher than Scotland's.
Biggest city: Northern Ireland's biggest city is Belfast with 348,005 people; Scotland's is Glasgow with 632,350. Glasgow's population is 1.8 times (82%) larger than Belfast's.
History: Northern Ireland: A country within the United Kingdom; created by the partition of Ireland on May 3, 1921. Scotland: A country within the United Kingdom; a kingdom from the 9th century until the 1707 union with England. In its current form, Scotland is the older of the two by 1,078 years.
Northern Ireland vs Scotland Economy
GDP: Northern Ireland's GDP is $58.8 billion (2022) vs Scotland's $191.7 billion. Scotland's economic output is 3.3 times (226%) larger than Northern Ireland's.
GDP per capita: Northern Ireland: $30,686 per person vs Scotland: $34,973. Scotland's GDP per capita is 1.1 times (14%) higher than Northern Ireland's.
Official Websites
Northern Ireland official website · Scotland official website
More Size Comparisons
All Northern Ireland size comparisons · All Scotland size comparisons
Area, elevation and boundary figures come from official national statistics and US Census Bureau and Natural Earth boundary data; US state population, economic, county and tax figures come from the US Census Bureau, the Bureau of Economic Analysis and the Tax Foundation. Figures are rounded and for general reference.