Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Iceland instead of Poland, you would:
Health
live 4.4 years longer
In Poland, the average life expectancy is 78 years (75 years for men, 82 years for women) as of 2024. In Iceland, that number is 83 years (81 years for men, 84 years for women) as of 2024.
see 75.9% more spent on your healthcare
Poland spends $3,939 per person on healthcare as of 2024 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Iceland spends $6,927 as of 2024.
be 12.9% less likely to die by suicide
Poland has a suicide rate of 13.7 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Iceland, it is 11.9 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
make 3.5 times more money
Poland has a GDP per capita of $28,420 as of 2025, while in Iceland, the GDP per capita is $98,323 as of 2025.
be 21.5% more likely to be unemployed
In Poland, 3.0% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Iceland, that number is 3.6% as of 2025.
Life
be 41.7% 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 Iceland, on the other hand, 2.1 children do as of 2024.
have 62.3% more children
In Poland, there are approximately 6.9 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Iceland, there are 11.2 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
be 50.0% 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 Iceland, 3.0 women do as of 2023.
Basic Needs
be 10.9% more likely to have internet access
In Poland, approximately 88.6% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Iceland, about 98.2% do as of 2024.
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 Iceland, that number is 100% of people on average (100% in urban areas, and 100% in rural areas) as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 69.6% more on education
Poland spends 4.3% of its total GDP on education as of 2022. Iceland spends 7.3% of total GDP on education as of 2022.
spend 11.4% more on healthcare
Poland spends 8.1% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2024. In Iceland, that number is 9.0% of GDP as of 2024.
Geography
see 11.3 times more coastline
Poland has a total of 440 km of coastline. In Iceland, that number is 4,970 km.
Safety
be 8.2 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 Iceland, that number is 91% as of 2022.
be 63.1% less likely to die in a road accident
In Poland, road accidents kill 6.5 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Iceland, they kill 2.4 per 100,000 as of 2021.
be 61.2% more likely to be murdered
Poland has a homicide rate of 0.8 per 100,000 people as of 2023. In Iceland, that number is 1.3 per 100,000 as of 2023.
Infrastructure
find 47.9% more home broadband
Poland has 25.4 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Iceland has 37.5 as of 2024.
live with 98.8% less strain on fresh water
Poland withdraws 32% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Iceland withdraws 0% as of 2022.
use 11.2 times more electricity
Poland uses 4,370 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2024. Iceland uses 48,998 kWh as of 2024.
Environment
be 80.5% less likely to die from air pollution
In Poland, air pollution causes 41.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Iceland, it causes 8.0 as of 2019.
emit 12.8% more CO2
Poland emits 7.5 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Iceland emits 8.5 tonnes as of 2024.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2022), The World Factbook. How we calculate this
Compare further: Poland vs. Iceland
Iceland: At a glance
How big is Iceland compared to Poland? See an in-depth size comparison.