Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Bulgaria instead of Poland, you would:
Health
be 30.4% less likely to die by suicide
Poland has a suicide rate of 13.7 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Bulgaria, it is 9.5 per 100,000 as of 2021.
live 2.6 years less
In Poland, the average life expectancy is 78 years (75 years for men, 82 years for women) as of 2024. In Bulgaria, that number is 76 years (72 years for men, 80 years for women) as of 2024.
see 24.6% less spent on your healthcare
Poland spends $3,939 per person on healthcare as of 2024 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Bulgaria spends $2,970 as of 2023.
have 11.0% less access to essential health services
Poland scores 82 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Bulgaria scores 73 as of 2021.
Economy
be 18.8% more likely to be unemployed
In Poland, 3.0% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Bulgaria, that number is 3.5% as of 2025.
be 57.0% more likely to live below the poverty line
In Poland, 13.5% live below the poverty line as of 2025. In Bulgaria, however, that number is 21.2% as of 2024.
make 28.5% less money
Poland has a GDP per capita of $28,420 as of 2025, while in Bulgaria, the GDP per capita is $20,328 as of 2025.
Life
have 20.3% more children
In Poland, there are approximately 6.9 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Bulgaria, there are 8.3 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
be 3.0 times more likely to die during childbirth
In Poland, approximately 2.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Bulgaria, 6.0 women do as of 2023.
be 27.8% more likely to die during infancy
In Poland, approximately 3.6 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2024. In Bulgaria, on the other hand, 4.6 children do as of 2024.
Basic Needs
be 10.1% more likely to have access to drinking water
In Poland, approximately 90% of people have access to drinking water (96% in urban areas, and 82% in rural areas) as of 2024. In Bulgaria, that number is 99% of people on average (100% in urban areas, and 98% in rural areas) as of 2024.
Geography
see 19.5% less coastline
Poland has a total of 440 km of coastline. In Bulgaria, that number is 354 km.
Safety
be 7.8 times more likely to feel safe walking alone at night
In Poland, 11% of people feel safe walking alone at night as of 2022. In Bulgaria, that number is 86% as of 2020.
be 36.3% more likely to be murdered
Poland has a homicide rate of 0.8 per 100,000 people as of 2023. In Bulgaria, that number is 1.1 per 100,000 as of 2023.
be 29.2% more likely to die in a road accident
In Poland, road accidents kill 6.5 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Bulgaria, they kill 8.4 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 46.0% more home broadband
Poland has 25.4 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Bulgaria has 37.0 as of 2023.
use 22.7% more electricity
Poland uses 4,370 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2024. Bulgaria uses 5,360 kWh as of 2023.
live with 23.9% more strain on fresh water
Poland withdraws 32% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Bulgaria withdraws 40% as of 2022.
Environment
emit 29.7% less CO2
Poland emits 7.5 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Bulgaria emits 5.3 tonnes as of 2024.
be 53.7% more likely to die from air pollution
In Poland, air pollution causes 41.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Bulgaria, it causes 63.0 as of 2019.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2022), The World Factbook. How we calculate this
Compare further: Poland vs. Bulgaria
Bulgaria: At a glance
How big is Bulgaria compared to Poland? See an in-depth size comparison.