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

Health

be 16.1% less likely to be obese

In Canada, 26.0% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Poland, that number is 21.8% of people as of 2024.

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have 43.0% more doctors per person

Canada has 28.2 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2023. Poland has 40.3 as of 2023.

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live 3.7 years less

In Canada, the average life expectancy is 82 years (80 years for men, 84 years for women) as of 2024. In Poland, that number is 78 years (75 years for men, 82 years for women) as of 2024.

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see 48.5% less spent on your healthcare

Canada spends $7,646 per person on healthcare as of 2024 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Poland spends $3,939 as of 2024.

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be 44.8% more likely to die by suicide

Canada has a suicide rate of 9.4 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Poland, it is 13.7 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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Economy

be 56.9% less likely to be unemployed

In Canada, 6.9% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Poland, that number is 3.0% as of 2025.

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make 49.0% less money

Canada has a GDP per capita of $55,698 as of 2025, while in Poland, the GDP per capita is $28,420 as of 2025.

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Life

be 83.3% less likely to die during childbirth

In Canada, approximately 12.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Poland, 2.0 women do as of 2023.

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be 23.4% less likely to die during infancy

In Canada, approximately 4.7 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2024. In Poland, on the other hand, 3.6 children do as of 2024.

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have 22.5% fewer children

In Canada, there are approximately 8.9 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Poland, there are 6.9 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

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Expenditures

spend 11.0% less on education

Canada spends 4.8% of its total GDP on education as of 2022. Poland spends 4.3% of total GDP on education as of 2022.

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spend 28.7% less on healthcare

Canada spends 11.3% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2024. In Poland, that number is 8.1% of GDP as of 2024.

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Geography

see 99.8% less coastline

Canada has a total of 202,080 km of coastline. In Poland, that number is 440 km.

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Safety

be 59.6% less likely to be murdered

Canada has a homicide rate of 2.0 per 100,000 people as of 2023. In Poland, that number is 0.8 per 100,000 as of 2023.

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be 87.3% less likely to feel safe walking alone at night

In Canada, 88% of people feel safe walking alone at night as of 2019. In Poland, that number is 11% as of 2022.

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be 38.3% more likely to die in a road accident

In Canada, road accidents kill 4.7 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Poland, they kill 6.5 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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Infrastructure

find 40.4% less home broadband

Canada has 42.5 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Poland has 25.4 as of 2024.

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live with 8.7 times more strain on fresh water

Canada withdraws 4% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Poland withdraws 32% as of 2022.

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use 69.0% less electricity

Canada uses 14,093 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2024. Poland uses 4,370 kWh as of 2024.

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Environment

emit 46.1% less CO2

Canada emits 14.0 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Poland emits 7.5 tonnes as of 2024.

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be 5.1 times more likely to die from air pollution

In Canada, air pollution causes 8.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Poland, it causes 41.0 as of 2019.

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Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2022), World Health Organization (2024), The World Factbook. How we calculate this

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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