Land Area
Italy
301,340 km²
Largest
United Kingdom
243,610 km²
80.8% of largest
Italy is 1.24× larger than United Kingdom
Population
United Kingdom
LARGEST
67.89M
PEOPLE
Italy
88.8% OF LARGEST
60.25M
PEOPLE
United Kingdom has 1.13× the population of Italy
GDP
United Kingdom
LARGEST
$3.13T
Italy
65.7% OF LARGEST
$2.06T
Armed Forces
Active Personnel
Italy
LARGEST
170K
TROOPS
United Kingdom
90.2% OF LARGEST
153.29K
TROOPS
Italy has 1.11× the active personnel of United Kingdom
Air Force
Italy
LARGEST
862
AIRCRAFT
United Kingdom
85.0% OF LARGEST
733
AIRCRAFT
Italy has 1.18× the aircraft of United Kingdom
Naval Assets
Italy
United Kingdom
Wealth
Gold Reserves
Italy
LARGEST
2,451.9
Metric Tonnes
United Kingdom
12.7% OF LARGEST
310.3
Metric Tonnes
Foreign-Exchange Reserves
United Kingdom
LARGEST
$149B
Reserves · excl. gold
Italy
57.0% OF LARGEST
$85B
Reserves · excl. gold
Billionaires
United Kingdom
MOST
165
billionaires
Italy
44% OF MOST
73
billionaires
Oil
Proven Reserves
United Kingdom
LARGEST
2.5
Billion barrels
Italy
20.0% OF LARGEST
0.5
Billion barrels
Production & Consumption
Italy
NET IMPORTER
Production
0.1M b/d
Consumption
1.2M b/d
−1.1M b/d net
United Kingdom
NET IMPORTER
Production
0.8M b/d
Consumption
1.5M b/d
−0.8M b/d net
Trade (Import/Export)
Italy
$773.9B
Exports
$773.9B
Imports
$721.8B
Trade Balance
+$52.1B
Trade Surplus
United Kingdom
$1,142.1B
Exports
$1,142.1B
Imports
$1,174.2B
Trade Balance
$-32.1B
Trade Deficit
Drinks per Person
Coffee
kg / person / yr
Italy
consumption
United Kingdom
consumption
Tea
kg / person / yr
United Kingdom
consumption
Italy
consumption
Beer
litres / person / yr
United Kingdom
consumption
Italy
consumption
Wine
litres / person / yr
Italy
consumption
United Kingdom
consumption
Alcohol
litres pure alcohol / person / yr
United Kingdom
consumption
Italy
consumption
Smoking
% of adults 15+ who smoke
Italy
United Kingdom
Per-capita — consumption where available, else FAOSTAT supply · alcohol = litres of pure alcohol; smoking = % of adults 15+ (WHO)
Olympic Medals
United Kingdom
320
Gold
348
Silver
362
Bronze
1,030
Total Medals
☀ Summer: 991
❄ Winter: 39
Italy
283
Gold
255
Silver
300
Bronze
838
Total Medals
☀ Summer: 667
❄ Winter: 171
Religious Demographics
Religious Distribution
Religious Composition by Country
Italy
United Kingdom
Age Demographics
Median Age
Italy
47.9
YEARS
10
30
50
70
United Kingdom
40.6
YEARS
10
30
50
70
Age Distribution
Population breakdown by age bracket (percentage)
Demographic Insights
Age Gap
Italy is 7.3 years older (median) than United Kingdom
Youth Population
United Kingdom has the highest youth population at 35.7% (under 30)
Elderly Population
Italy has the highest elderly population at 31.5% (60+)
Global Statistics
| Metric |
Italy
|
United Kingdom
|
|---|---|---|
| Travel & Mobility | ||
| Passport Power visa-free destinations |
189
|
188
|
| Tourist Arrivals per year |
57.2M
|
37.0M
|
| Culture & Prestige | ||
| Nobel Laureates all-time |
21
|
138
|
| 3-Michelin-Star Restaurants current guide |
13
|
8
|
Figures as of 2026. Sources: IMF, EIA/OPEC, Henley Passport Index, UNWTO, Forbes, Michelin Guide, Nobel Foundation.
Cost of Living
|
Metric
All indices use New York City as base (100)
Lower values indicate lower costs.
|
Italy
|
United Kingdom
|
|---|---|---|
| Cost of Living Index |
|
|
| Rent Index |
|
|
| Groceries Index |
|
|
| Restaurant Price Index |
|
|
| Local Purchasing Power |
|
|
| Common Expenses Comparison | ||
| Meal at Inexpensive Restaurant (USD) | $15 | $15 |
| Three-Course Meal for 2 (USD) | $60 | $65 |
| Monthly Rent - City Center (USD) | $850 | $1,500 |
| Monthly Rent - Outside Center (USD) | $600 | $1,100 |
| Monthly Utilities (USD) | $155 | $190 |
| Internet (60 Mbps, USD) | $30 | $35 |
| Monthly Public Transport Pass (USD) | $40 | $85 |
Historical Data
Basic Information
| Metric | Italy | United Kingdom |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 60250000 | 67886000 |
| Area (sq km) | 301340 | 243610 |
| Capital | Rome | London |
| Official Language | Italian | English |
| Currency | Euro (EUR) | Pound Sterling (GBP) |
| Government Type | Unitary parliamentary republic | Unitary parliamentary constitutional monarchy |
Military Strength
| Metric | Italy | United Kingdom |
|---|---|---|
| Active Personnel | 170,000 | 153,290 |
| Reserve Personnel | 18,300 | 81,500 |
| Total Military Personnel | 188,300 | 234,790 |
| Defense Budget (USD) | $29,800,000,000 | $68,400,000,000 |
| Tanks | 200 | 227 |
| Armored Vehicles | 3,500 | 5,015 |
| Self-Propelled Artillery | 89 | 89 |
| Towed Artillery | 70 | 126 |
| Rocket Projectors | 21 | 44 |
Economy
| Metric | Italy | United Kingdom |
|---|---|---|
| GDP (USD) | $2,058,000,000,000 | $3,131,000,000,000 |
| GDP Per Capita (USD) | $34,160 | $46,200 |
| Unemployment Rate (%) | 9.3% | 3.8% |
| GINI Index (Income Inequality) | 35.9 | 35.1 |
| Currency | Euro (EUR) | Pound Sterling (GBP) |
| Direct Currency Comparison (1 unit of row currency equals X units of column currency) | ||
| Italy Currency | 1.00 (Same) | 1.1606 Stronger |
| United Kingdom Currency | 0.8616 Weaker | 1.00 (Same) |
| USD Base Exchange Rates (All calculations use USD as the base currency) | ||
| Currency | EUR | GBP |
| 1 USD equals | 0.8802 EUR Updated: 2026-06-27 | 0.7584 GBP Updated: 2026-06-27 |
Interesting Comparisons & Trivia
Did You Know?
Italy is 1.2 times larger in area than United Kingdom.
United Kingdom has 1.1 times more people than Italy.
United Kingdom has the highest GDP per capita at $46,200 among the selected countries.
United Kingdom has the largest economy with a GDP of
$3.13 trillion.
Italy has the largest active military personnel with 170,000 troops.
Italy has the largest air force with 862 aircraft.
Italy has the largest navy with 143 vessels.
UK Fact: The London Underground is the oldest underground railway network in the world, opening in 1863.
Italy vs United Kingdom: Key Comparisons
Economy: United Kingdom's GDP of $3.1T is 1.5x larger than Italy's $2.1T — both among the world's largest economies.
Population: United Kingdom's population of 68M is 1.1x larger than Italy's 60M.
Area: Italy covers 301,340 km², making it 1.2x larger than United Kingdom.
Military: Italy fields 170Thousand active troops vs United Kingdom's 150Thousand.
Trade: Italy runs a trade surplus of $52B while United Kingdom has a trade deficit of $32B.
Life Expectancy: Italy leads with a life expectancy of 84 years vs United Kingdom's 81.
Data compiled from World Bank, IMF, Global Firepower, SIPRI, Numbeo, and Pew Research.
Last updated June 2026.
Sources & methodology