The map above shows Northern Ireland and Wales side by side at exactly the same scale, using equal-area projections, so their true relative sizes are preserved.
Northern Ireland vs Wales Geography
Land area
- Northern Ireland has a land area of 5,236 square miles (13,562 km²), while Wales has 8,023 square miles (20,779 km²).
- Wales' land area is 1.5 times (53%) larger than Northern Ireland's.
Total area
- Northern Ireland: 5,456 square miles (14,130 km²) vs Wales: 8,023 square miles (20,779 km²), including inland and coastal water.
- Wales' total area is 1.5 times (47%) larger than Northern Ireland's.
Length
- Northern Ireland is 83 miles (134 km) long from north to south; Wales is 149 miles (239 km).
- Wales' north-south length is 1.8 times (80%) longer than Northern Ireland's.
Width
- Northern Ireland spans 107 miles (173 km) east to west; Wales spans 111 miles (179 km).
- Northern Ireland and Wales have about the same east-west width.
Highest point
- Northern Ireland's highest point is Slieve Donard at 2,789 feet (850 m); Wales's is Snowdon (Yr Wyddfa) at 3,560 feet (1,085 m).
- Snowdon (Yr Wyddfa) is 771 feet higher than Slieve Donard.
Lowest point
- Northern Ireland's lowest point is Irish Sea at 0 feet; Wales's is Irish Sea at 0 feet.
- Both lowest points are at or near sea level.
Northern Ireland vs Wales Population and History
Population
- Northern Ireland has a population of 1,905,000 (2022), while Wales has 3,105,000 (2022).
- Wales' population is 1.6 times (63%) larger than Northern Ireland's.
Population density
- Northern Ireland: 363.8 people per square mile vs Wales: 387.0.
- Wales' population density is 1.1 times (6%) higher than Northern Ireland's.
Biggest city
- Northern Ireland's biggest city is Belfast with 348,005 people; Wales's is Cardiff with 372,089.
- Cardiff's population is 1.1 times (7%) larger than Belfast's.
History
- Northern Ireland: A country within the United Kingdom; created by the partition of Ireland on May 3, 1921.
- Wales: A country within the United Kingdom; formally joined with England by the Laws in Wales Acts of 1536.
- In its current form, Wales is the older of the two by 385 years.
Northern Ireland vs Wales Economy
GDP
- Northern Ireland's GDP is $58.8 billion (2022) vs Wales's $89.5 billion.
- Wales' economic output is 1.5 times (52%) larger than Northern Ireland's.
GDP per capita
- Northern Ireland: $30,686 per person vs Wales: $28,606.
- Northern Ireland's GDP per capita is 1.1 times (7%) higher than Wales'.
Official Websites
Northern Ireland official website · Wales official website
Download the Northern Ireland vs Wales Size Comparison Map for free
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More Size Comparisons
All Northern Ireland size comparisons · All Wales 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.