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

Health

have 16.0% more doctors per person

Poland has 40.3 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2023. Uruguay has 46.7 as of 2022.

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be 60.3% more likely to be obese

In Poland, 21.8% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Uruguay, that number is 35.0% of people as of 2024.

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see 20.4% less spent on your healthcare

Poland spends $3,939 per person on healthcare as of 2024 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Uruguay spends $3,135 as of 2023.

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be 81.1% more likely to die by suicide

Poland has a suicide rate of 13.7 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Uruguay, it is 24.8 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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Economy

be 2.5 times more likely to be unemployed

In Poland, 3.0% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Uruguay, that number is 7.5% as of 2025.

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be 28.1% more likely to live below the poverty line

In Poland, 13.5% live below the poverty line as of 2025. In Uruguay, however, that number is 17.3% as of 2024.

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make 11.3% less money

Poland has a GDP per capita of $28,420 as of 2025, while in Uruguay, the GDP per capita is $25,216 as of 2025.

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Life

have 42.0% more children

In Poland, there are approximately 6.9 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Uruguay, there are 9.8 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

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be 7.5 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 Uruguay, 15.0 women do as of 2023.

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be 72.2% 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 Uruguay, on the other hand, 6.2 children do as of 2024.

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Basic Needs

be 10.6% 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 Uruguay, that number is 100% of people on average (100% in urban areas, and 95% in rural areas) as of 2024.

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Expenditures

spend 10.4% more on education

Poland spends 4.3% of its total GDP on education as of 2022. Uruguay spends 4.8% of total GDP on education as of 2023.

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spend 11.9% more on healthcare

Poland spends 8.1% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2024. In Uruguay, that number is 9.0% of GDP as of 2023.

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Geography

see 50.0% more coastline

Poland has a total of 440 km of coastline. In Uruguay, that number is 660 km.

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Safety

be 14.1 times more likely to be murdered

Poland has a homicide rate of 0.8 per 100,000 people as of 2023. In Uruguay, that number is 11.2 per 100,000 as of 2023.

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be 100.0% more likely to die in a road accident

In Poland, road accidents kill 6.5 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Uruguay, they kill 13.0 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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Infrastructure

find 30.3% more home broadband

Poland has 25.4 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Uruguay has 33.0 as of 2024.

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live with 62.9% less strain on fresh water

Poland withdraws 32% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Uruguay withdraws 12% as of 2022.

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use 13.3% less electricity

Poland uses 4,370 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2024. Uruguay uses 3,790 kWh as of 2023.

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Environment

be 61.0% less likely to die from air pollution

In Poland, air pollution causes 41.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Uruguay, it causes 16.0 as of 2019.

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emit 66.0% less CO2

Poland emits 7.5 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Uruguay emits 2.6 tonnes as of 2024.

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Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), The World Factbook. How we calculate this

Uruguay: At a glance

Uruguay is a sovereign country in South America, with a total land area of approximately 175,015 sq km. Montevideo, founded by the Spanish in 1726 as a military stronghold, soon took advantage of its natural harbor to become an important commercial center. Claimed by Argentina but annexed by Brazil in 1821, Uruguay declared its independence four years later and secured its freedom in 1828 after a three-year struggle. The administrations of President Jose BATLLE in the early 20th century launched widespread political, social, and economic reforms that established a statist tradition. A violent Marxist urban guerrilla movement named the Tupamaros, launched in the late 1960s, led Uruguay's president to cede control of the government to the military in 1973. By yearend, the rebels had been crushed, but the military continued to expand its hold over the government. Civilian rule was not restored until 1985. In 2004, the left-of-center Frente Amplio Coalition won national elections that effectively ended 170 years of political control previously held by the Colorado and Blanco parties. Uruguay's political and labor conditions are among the freest on the continent.
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