If you lived in Poland instead of Puerto Rico, you would:

Health

be 48.6% less likely to be obese

In Puerto Rico, 42.4% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Poland, that number is 21.8% of people as of 2024.

View global rankings →

live 3.5 years less

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

View global rankings →

be 2.5 times more likely to die by suicide

Puerto Rico has a suicide rate of 5.4 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Poland, it is 13.7 per 100,000 as of 2021.

View global rankings →

Economy

be 50.3% less likely to be unemployed

In Puerto Rico, 6.0% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Poland, that number is 3.0% as of 2025.

View global rankings →

make 30.0% less money

Puerto Rico has a GDP per capita of $40,620 as of 2025, while in Poland, the GDP per capita is $28,420 as of 2025.

View global rankings →

Life

be 81.8% less likely to die during childbirth

In Puerto Rico, approximately 11.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Poland, 2.0 women do as of 2023.

View global rankings →

be 40.4% less likely to die during infancy

In Puerto Rico, approximately 6.0 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2022. In Poland, on the other hand, 3.6 children do as of 2024.

View global rankings →

have 21.1% more children

In Puerto Rico, there are approximately 5.7 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Poland, there are 6.9 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

View global rankings →

Geography

see 12.2% less coastline

Puerto Rico has a total of 501 km of coastline. In Poland, that number is 440 km.

View global rankings →

Safety

be 94.5% less likely to be murdered

Puerto Rico has a homicide rate of 14.6 per 100,000 people as of 2023. In Poland, that number is 0.8 per 100,000 as of 2023.

View global rankings →

be 48.0% less likely to die in a road accident

In Puerto Rico, road accidents kill 12.5 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Poland, they kill 6.5 per 100,000 as of 2021.

View global rankings →

Infrastructure

live with 66.3% more strain on fresh water

Puerto Rico withdraws 20% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Poland withdraws 32% as of 2022.

View global rankings →

Environment

emit 56.6% more CO2

Puerto Rico emits 4.8 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Poland emits 7.5 tonnes as of 2024.

View global rankings →


Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), The World Factbook (2022), World Health Organization (2024), United Nations SDG Indicators (2021). 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.
Read more

How big is Poland compared to Puerto Rico? See an in-depth size comparison.

Share this

Ask the Elsewhere Community

Join the Elsewhere community and ask a question about Poland or Puerto Rico. It's a free, question-and-answer based forum to discuss what life is like in countries and cities around the world.