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

Health

live 3.9 years longer

In Poland, the average life expectancy is 78 years (75 years for men, 82 years for women) as of 2024. In Finland, that number is 82 years (80 years for men, 85 years for women) as of 2024.

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see 63.3% more spent on your healthcare

Poland spends $3,939 per person on healthcare as of 2024 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Finland spends $6,433 as of 2023.

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be 11.0% more likely to be obese

In Poland, 21.8% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Finland, that number is 24.2% of people as of 2024.

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have 10.5% fewer doctors per person

Poland has 40.3 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2023. Finland has 36.1 as of 2021.

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Economy

make 97.6% more money

Poland has a GDP per capita of $28,420 as of 2025, while in Finland, the GDP per capita is $56,149 as of 2025.

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be 3.2 times more likely to be unemployed

In Poland, 3.0% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Finland, that number is 9.5% as of 2025.

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Life

be 47.2% less 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 Finland, on the other hand, 1.9 children do as of 2024.

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have 13.0% more children

In Poland, there are approximately 6.9 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Finland, there are 7.8 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

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be 4.0 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 Finland, 8.0 women do as of 2023.

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Basic Needs

be 11.0% 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 Finland, that number is 100% of people on average (100% in urban areas, and 100% in rural areas) as of 2024.

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Expenditures

spend 48.0% more on education

Poland spends 4.3% of its total GDP on education as of 2022. Finland spends 6.4% of total GDP on education as of 2022.

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spend 29.9% more on healthcare

Poland spends 8.1% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2024. In Finland, that number is 10.5% of GDP as of 2023.

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Geography

see 2.8 times more coastline

Poland has a total of 440 km of coastline. In Finland, that number is 1,250 km.

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Safety

be 7.7 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 Finland, that number is 86% as of 2021.

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be 35.4% less likely to die in a road accident

In Poland, road accidents kill 6.5 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Finland, they kill 4.2 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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be 22.5% more likely to be murdered

Poland has a homicide rate of 0.8 per 100,000 people as of 2023. In Finland, that number is 1.0 per 100,000 as of 2023.

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Infrastructure

find 43.8% more home broadband

Poland has 25.4 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Finland has 36.5 as of 2024.

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live with 78.1% less strain on fresh water

Poland withdraws 32% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Finland withdraws 7% as of 2022.

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use 3.4 times more electricity

Poland uses 4,370 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2024. Finland uses 14,819 kWh as of 2024.

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Environment

be 82.9% less likely to die from air pollution

In Poland, air pollution causes 41.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Finland, it causes 7.0 as of 2019.

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emit 26.6% less CO2

Poland emits 7.5 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Finland emits 5.5 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

Finland: At a glance

Finland is a sovereign country in Europe, with a total land area of approximately 303,815 sq km. Finland was a province and then a grand duchy under Sweden from the 12th to the 19th centuries, and an autonomous grand duchy of Russia after 1809. It gained complete independence in 1917. During World War II, it successfully defended its independence through cooperation with Germany and resisted subsequent invasions by the Soviet Union - albeit with some loss of territory. In the subsequent half century, Finland transformed from a farm/forest economy to a diversified modern industrial economy; per capita income is among the highest in Western Europe. A member of the European Union since 1995, Finland was the only Nordic state to join the euro single currency at its initiation in January 1999. In the 21st century, the key features of Finland's modern welfare state are high quality education, promotion of equality, and a national social welfare system - currently challenged by an aging population and the fluctuations of an export-driven economy.
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