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

Health

have 22.9% more doctors per person

France has 32.8 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. Poland has 40.3 as of 2023.

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be 17.6% less likely to die by suicide

France has a suicide rate of 16.6 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Poland, it is 13.7 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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live 4.6 years less

In France, the average life expectancy is 83 years (80 years for men, 86 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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be 94.8% more likely to be obese

In France, 11.2% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Poland, that number is 21.8% of people as of 2024.

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see 42.6% less spent on your healthcare

France spends $6,868 per person on healthcare as of 2024 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Poland spends $3,939 as of 2024.

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Economy

be 60.5% less likely to be unemployed

In France, 7.5% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Poland, that number is 3.0% as of 2025.

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make 42.0% less money

France has a GDP per capita of $48,986 as of 2025, while in Poland, the GDP per capita is $28,420 as of 2025.

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Life

be 71.4% less likely to die during childbirth

In France, approximately 7.0 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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have 28.9% fewer children

In France, there are approximately 9.7 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 19.0% less on education

France spends 5.3% 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 30.2% less on healthcare

France spends 11.5% 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 90.9% less coastline

France has a total of 4,853 km of coastline. In Poland, that number is 440 km.

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Safety

be 40.3% less likely to be murdered

France has a homicide rate of 1.3 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 86.5% less likely to feel safe walking alone at night

In France, 82% of people feel safe walking alone at night as of 2022. 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 France, 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 48.2% less home broadband

France has 48.9 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Poland has 25.4 as of 2024.

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live with 52.0% more strain on fresh water

France withdraws 21% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Poland withdraws 32% as of 2022.

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use 32.2% less electricity

France uses 6,447 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2024. Poland uses 4,370 kWh as of 2024.

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Environment

be 4.1 times more likely to die from air pollution

In France, air pollution causes 10.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Poland, it causes 41.0 as of 2019.

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emit 88.8% more CO2

France emits 4.0 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Poland emits 7.5 tonnes as of 2024.

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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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