Quality of life comparison

compared to

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

Health

live 2.8 years less

In Germany, the average life expectancy is 81 years (79 years for men, 84 years for women) as of 2020. In Poland, that number is 78 years (74 years for men, 82 years for women) as of 2020.

Economy

pay a 32.6% lower top tax rate

Germany has a top tax rate of 47.5% as of 2016. In Poland, the top tax rate is 32.0% as of 2016.

make 41.7% less money

Germany has a GDP per capita of $50,800 as of 2017, while in Poland, the GDP per capita is $29,600 as of 2017.

be 28.9% more likely to be unemployed

In Germany, 3.8% of adults are unemployed as of 2017. In Poland, that number is 4.9% as of 2017.

Life

be 71.4% less likely to die during childbirth

In Germany, approximately 7.0 women per 100,000 births die during labor as of 2017. In Poland, 2.0 women do as of 2017.

be 30.3% more likely to die during infancy

In Germany, approximately 3.3 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.

Basic Needs

be 13.6% less likely to have internet access

In Germany, approximately 89.7% of the population has internet access as of 2018. In Poland, about 77.5% do as of 2018.

Geography

see 81.6% less coastline

Germany has a total of 2,389 km of coastline. In Poland, that number is 440 km.

The statistics above were calculated using the following data sources: The World Factbook, Federal Central Tax Office (BZSt), Ministry of Finance, Poland.

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 Germany? See an in-depth size comparison.

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