Quality of life comparison

compared to

If you lived in Poland instead of Benin, you would:

Health

live 16.9 years longer

In Benin, the average life expectancy is 61 years (60 years for men, 63 years for women) as of 2020. In Poland, that number is 78 years (74 years for men, 82 years for women) as of 2020.

be 2.4 times more likely to be obese

In Benin, 9.6% of adults are obese as of 2016. In Poland, that number is 23.1% of people as of 2016.

Economy

make 12.9 times more money

Benin has a GDP per capita of $2,300 as of 2017, while in Poland, the GDP per capita is $29,600 as of 2017.

be 51.4% less likely to live below the poverty line

In Benin, 36.2% live below the poverty line as of 2011. In Poland, however, that number is 17.6% as of 2015.

be 4.9 times more likely to be unemployed

In Benin, 1.0% of adults are unemployed as of 2014. In Poland, that number is 4.9% as of 2017.

Life

be 99.5% less likely to die during childbirth

In Benin, approximately 397.0 women per 100,000 births die during labor as of 2017. In Poland, 2.0 women do as of 2017.

be 2.4 times more likely to be literate

In Benin, the literacy rate is 42.4% as of 2018. In Poland, it is 99.8% as of 2015.

be 92.7% less likely to die during infancy

In Benin, approximately 58.7 children die before they reach the age of one as of 2020. In Poland, on the other hand, 4.3 children do as of 2020.

have 78.9% fewer children

In Benin, there are approximately 42.1 babies per 1,000 people as of 2020. In Poland, there are 8.9 babies per 1,000 people as of 2020.

Basic Needs

be 2.4 times more likely to have access to electricity

In Benin, approximately 41% of the population has electricity access as of 2017. In Poland, 100% of the population do as of 2016.

be 3.9 times more likely to have internet access

In Benin, approximately 20.0% of the population has internet access as of 2018. In Poland, about 77.5% do as of 2018.

be 30.9% more likely to have access to improved drinking water

In Benin, approximately 76% of people have improved drinking water access (81% in urban areas, and 72% in rural areas) as of 2017. In Poland, that number is 100% of people on average (100% in urban areas, and 100% in rural areas) as of 2017.

Expenditures

spend 15.0% more on education

Benin spends 4.0% of its total GDP on education as of 2016. Poland spends 4.6% of total GDP on education as of 2016.

Geography

see 3.6 times more coastline

Benin has a total of 121 km of coastline. In Poland, that number is 440 km.

The statistics above were calculated using the following data sources: The World Factbook.

Poland: At a glance

Poland is a sovereign country in Europe, with a total land area of approximately 304,255 sq km. Poland's history as a state begins near the middle of the 10th century. By the mid-16th century, the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth ruled a vast tract of land in central and eastern Europe. During the 18th century, internal disorders weakened the nation, and in a series of agreements between 1772 and 1795, Russia, Prussia, and Austria partitioned Poland among themselves. Poland regained its independence in 1918 only to be overrun by Germany and the Soviet Union in World War II. It became a Soviet satellite state following the war, but its government was comparatively tolerant and progressive. Labor turmoil in 1980 led to the formation of the independent trade union "Solidarity" that over time became a political force with over ten million members. Free elections in 1989 and 1990 won Solidarity control of the parliament and the presidency, bringing the communist era to a close. A "shock therapy" program during the early 1990s enabled the country to transform its economy into one of the most robust in Central Europe. Poland joined NATO in 1999 and the European Union in 2004. With its transformation to a democratic, market-oriented country largely completed and with large investments in defense, energy, and other infrastructure, Poland is an increasingly active member of Euro-Atlantic organizations.
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How big is Poland compared to Benin? See an in-depth size comparison.

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