If you lived in Poland instead of Guinea-Bissau, you would:

Health

live 14.2 years longer

In Guinea-Bissau, the average life expectancy is 64 years (62 years for men, 67 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 15.9 times more spent on your healthcare

Guinea-Bissau spends $247 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Poland spends $3,939 as of 2024.

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have 16.0 times more doctors per person

Guinea-Bissau has 2.5 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. Poland has 40.3 as of 2023.

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have 2.2 times more access to essential health services

Guinea-Bissau scores 37 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Poland scores 82 as of 2021.

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be 71.5% more likely to be obese

In Guinea-Bissau, 12.7% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Poland, that number is 21.8% of people as of 2024.

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be 78.2% more likely to die by suicide

Guinea-Bissau has a suicide rate of 7.7 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Poland, it is 13.7 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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Economy

make 25.3 times more money

Guinea-Bissau has a GDP per capita of $1,124 as of 2025, while in Poland, the GDP per capita is $28,420 as of 2025.

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be 11.6% more likely to be unemployed

In Guinea-Bissau, 2.7% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Poland, that number is 3.0% as of 2025.

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Life

be 99.6% less likely to die during childbirth

In Guinea-Bissau, approximately 505.0 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 56.1% more likely to be literate

In Guinea-Bissau, the literacy rate is 63.9% as of 2022. In Poland, it is 99.8% as of 2021.

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be 91.4% less likely to die during infancy

In Guinea-Bissau, approximately 42.1 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 76.7% fewer children

In Guinea-Bissau, there are approximately 29.6 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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Basic Needs

be 2.5 times more likely to have access to electricity

In Guinea-Bissau, approximately 40% of people have electricity access (64% in urban areas, and 21% in rural areas) as of 2023. In Poland, that number is 100% of people on average (100% in urban areas, and 100% in rural areas) as of 2023.

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be 3.0 times more likely to have internet access

In Guinea-Bissau, approximately 29.8% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Poland, about 88.6% do as of 2024.

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be 45.8% more likely to have access to drinking water

In Guinea-Bissau, approximately 62% of people have access to drinking water (73% in urban areas, and 53% in rural areas) as of 2024. In Poland, that number is 90% of people on average (96% in urban areas, and 82% in rural areas) as of 2024.

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Expenditures

spend 59.6% more on education

Guinea-Bissau spends 2.7% of its total GDP on education as of 2020. Poland spends 4.3% of total GDP on education as of 2022.

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Geography

see 25.7% more coastline

Guinea-Bissau has a total of 350 km of coastline. In Poland, that number is 440 km.

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Safety

be 78.7% less likely to die in a road accident

In Guinea-Bissau, road accidents kill 30.5 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 65.0 times more home broadband

Guinea-Bissau has 0.4 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Poland has 25.4 as of 2024.

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live with 21.7 times more strain on fresh water

Guinea-Bissau withdraws 2% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Poland withdraws 32% as of 2022.

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Environment

be 53.9% less likely to die from air pollution

In Guinea-Bissau, air pollution causes 89.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Poland, it causes 41.0 as of 2019.

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emit 47.2 times more CO2

Guinea-Bissau emits 0.2 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 (2019–2021), The World Factbook (2020–2021), World Health Organization (2024). 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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