Compare Countries
Select up to 4 countries for side-by-side comparison
Introduction
| Field |
Germany |
United Kingdom |
|---|---|---|
| Background | As Europe's largest economy and second most-populous nation (after Russia), Germany is a key member of the continent's economic, political, and defense organizations. European power struggles immersed Germany in two devastating world wars in the first half of the 20th century and left the country oc... | The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland was created when the Kingdoms of England and Scotland -- which previously had been distinct states under a single monarchy -- were joined under the 1701 Acts of Union. The island of Ireland was incorporated under the 1800 Acts of Union, while ... |
Geography
| Field |
Germany |
United Kingdom |
|---|---|---|
| Location | Central Europe, bordering the Baltic Sea and the North Sea, between the Netherlands and Poland, south of Denmark | Western Europe, islands - including the northern one-sixth of the island of Ireland - between the North Atlantic Ocean and the North Sea; northwest of France |
| Area | 357,022 sq km | 243,610 sq km |
| Climate | temperate and marine; cool, cloudy, wet winters and summers; occasional warm mountain (foehn) wind | temperate; moderated by prevailing southwest winds over the North Atlantic Current; more than one-half of the days are overcast |
| Terrain | lowlands in north, uplands in center, Bavarian Alps in south | mostly rugged hills and low mountains; level to rolling plains in east and southeast |
| Natural resources | coal, lignite, natural gas, iron ore, copper, nickel, uranium, potash, salt, construction materials, timber, arable land | coal, petroleum, natural gas, iron ore, lead, zinc, gold, tin, limestone, salt, clay, chalk, gypsum, potash, silica sand, slate, arable land |
| Elevation | Zugspitze 2,963 m | Ben Nevis 1,345 m |
People and Society
| Field |
Germany |
United Kingdom |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 84,119,100 | 68,459,055 United Kingdom |
| Languages | German (official); note - Danish, Frisian, Sorbian, and Romani are official minority languages; Low German, Danish, North Frisian, Sater Frisian, Lower Sorbian, Upper Sorbian, and Romani are recognized as regional languages | English |
| Religions | Roman Catholic 24.8%, Protestant 22.6%, Muslim 3.7%, other 5.1%, none 43.8% (2022 est.) | Christian (includes Anglican, Roman Catholic, Presbyterian, Methodist) 59.5%, Muslim 4.4%, Hindu 1.3%, other 2%, unspecified 7.2%, none 25.7% (2011 est.) |
| Age structure | 13.8% (male 5,925,800/female 5,688,603) | 16.7% (male 5,872,937/female 5,592,665) |
| Median age | 46.8 years (2024 est.) | 40.8 years (2024 est.) |
| Population growth rate | -0.12% (2024 est.) | 0.45% (2024 est.) |
| Birth rate | 8.9 births/1,000 population (2024 est.) | 10.8 births/1,000 population (2024 est.) |
| Death rate | 12 deaths/1,000 population (2024 est.) | 9.2 deaths/1,000 population (2024 est.) |
| Life expectancy at birth | 81.9 years (2024 est.) | 82.2 years (2024 est.) |
| Literacy | NA | NA |
Government
| Field |
Germany |
United Kingdom |
|---|---|---|
| Government type | federal parliamentary republic | parliamentary constitutional monarchy; a Commonwealth realm |
| Capital | Berlin | London |
| Independence | 18 January 1871 (establishment of the German Empire); divided into four zones of occupation (UK, US, USSR, and France) in 1945 following World War II; Federal Republic of Germany (FRG or West Germany) proclaimed on 23 May 1949 and included the former UK, US, and French zones; German Democratic Repub... | no official date of independence: 927 (minor English kingdoms unite); 3 March 1284 (enactment of the Statute of Rhuddlan uniting England and Wales); 1536 (Act of Union formally incorporates England and Wales); 1 May 1707 (Acts of Union formally unite England, Scotland, and Wales as Great Britain); 1... |
| Constitution | previous 1919 (Weimar Constitution); latest drafted 10-23 August 1948, approved 12 May 1949, promulgated 23 May 1949, entered into force 24 May 1949 | uncoded; partly statutes, partly common law and practice |
| Legal system | civil law system | common law system; has nonbinding judicial review of Acts of Parliament under the Human Rights Act of 1998 |
Economy
| Field |
Germany |
United Kingdom |
|---|---|---|
| GDP (purchasing power parity) | — | — |
| GDP - per capita (PPP) | — | — |
| GDP - real growth rate | — | — |
| Inflation rate (consumer prices) | note: annual % change based on consumer prices | note: annual % change based on consumer prices |
| Unemployment rate | note: % of labor force seeking employment | note: % of labor force seeking employment |
| Industries | iron, steel, coal, cement, chemicals, machinery, vehicles, machine tools, electronics, automobiles, food and beverages, shipbuilding, textiles | machine tools, electric power equipment, automation equipment, railroad equipment, shipbuilding, aircraft, motor vehicles and parts, electronics and communications equipment, metals, chemicals, coal, petroleum, paper and paper products, food processing, textiles, clothing, other consumer goods |
| Agriculture - products | — | — |
| Exports | note: balance of payments - exports of goods and services in current dollars | note: balance of payments - exports of goods and services in current dollars |
| Imports | note: balance of payments - imports of goods and services in current dollars | note: balance of payments - imports of goods and services in current dollars |
| Public debt | note: general government gross debt is defined in the Maastricht Treaty as consolidated general government gross debt at nominal value, outstanding at the end of the year in the following categories of government liabilities (as defined in ESA95): currency and deposits (AF.2), securities other than ... | note: central government debt as a % of GDP |
Communications
| Field |
Germany |
United Kingdom |
|---|---|---|
| Telephones - mobile cellular | 104.4 million (2022 est.) | 81.564 million (2022 est.) |
| Internet users | 75.53 million (2021 est.) | 64.99 million (2021 est.) |
Military and Security
| Field |
Germany |
United Kingdom |
|---|---|---|
| Military expenditures | 2.1% of GDP (2024 est.) | 2.3% of GDP (2024 est.) |
| Military and security forces | Federal Armed Forces (Bundeswehr): Army (Heer), Navy (Deutsche Marine, includes naval air arm), Air Force (Luftwaffe, includes air defense), Joint Support and Enabling Service (Streitkraeftebasis, SKB), Central Medical Service (Zentraler Sanitaetsdienst, ZSanDstBw), Cyber and Information Space Comma... | United Kingdom Armed Forces (aka British Armed Forces, aka His Majesty's Armed Forces): British Army, Royal Navy (includes Royal Marines), Royal Air Force (2024) |
Transportation
| Field |
Germany |
United Kingdom |
|---|---|---|
| Airports | 838 (2024) | 1,043 (2024) |
| Railways | 39,379 km (2020) 20,942 km electrified | 16,390 km (2020) 6,167 km electrified |
| Roadways | 830,000 km 830,000 km | 416,461 km (2022) |