Ireland vs United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland: Share of people who say they are satisfied with their life
Ireland
94.5%
in 2016
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
93.1%
in 2016
Ireland rank
7th
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland rank
10th
Share of people who say they are satisfied with their life over time
- Ireland
- United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
How they compare
Ireland currently reports 94.5% against 93.1% in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, a difference of 1.4%.
The two have swapped places 8 times across 42 shared years of data; in 1973 it was Ireland ahead.
Ireland ranks 7th and United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland ranks 10th of 34 countries.
Across the 5 decades both report, Ireland averaged higher in 3 and United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland in 2.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Ireland | United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 88.1% | 84.6% | 3.6% | Ireland |
| 1980s | 81.5% | 85.1% | 3.5% | United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland |
| 1990s | 87.4% | 85.6% | 1.8% | Ireland |
| 2000s | 89.0% | 88.1% | 0.9% | Ireland |
| 2010s | 88.0% | 91.3% | 3.3% | United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher share of people who say they are satisfied with their life, Ireland or United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
- Ireland, at 94.5% against 93.1% in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland as of 2016.
- What is the difference in share of people who say they are satisfied with their life between Ireland and United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
- 1.4%, with Ireland ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Ireland and United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
- 42 years are reported by both, from 1973 to 2016.
- How do Ireland and United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland rank globally for share of people who say they are satisfied with their life?
- Ireland ranks 7th and United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland ranks 10th of 34 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- Eurobarometer (2017) – processed by Our World in Data, published as Share of people who say they are satisfied with their life. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Share of people answering "very satisfied" or "fairly satisfied" to the question "On the whole, are you very satisfied, fairly satisfied, not very satisfied, or not at all satisfied with the life you lead?"