Quality of life comparison

compared to

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

Health

be 16.4% less likely to be obese

In Slovakia, 26.1% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Poland, that number is 21.8% of people as of 2024.

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see 21.9% more spent on your healthcare

Slovakia spends $3,230 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Poland spends $3,939 as of 2024.

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be 37.9% more likely to die by suicide

Slovakia has a suicide rate of 9.9 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Poland, it is 13.7 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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Economy

be 44.4% less likely to be unemployed

In Slovakia, 5.4% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Poland, that number is 3.0% as of 2025.

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Life

be 50.0% less likely to die during childbirth

In Slovakia, approximately 4.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Poland, 2.0 women do as of 2023.

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be 32.1% less likely to die during infancy

In Slovakia, approximately 5.3 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2024. In Poland, on the other hand, 3.6 children do as of 2024.

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have 18.8% fewer children

In Slovakia, there are approximately 8.5 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Poland, there are 6.9 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

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Safety

be 28.6% less likely to be murdered

Slovakia has a homicide rate of 1.1 per 100,000 people as of 2023. In Poland, that number is 0.8 per 100,000 as of 2023.

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Infrastructure

find 25.0% less home broadband

Slovakia has 33.8 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Poland has 25.4 as of 2024.

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live with 13.4 times more strain on fresh water

Slovakia withdraws 2% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Poland withdraws 32% as of 2022.

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Environment

be 36.7% more likely to die from air pollution

In Slovakia, air pollution causes 30.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Poland, it causes 41.0 as of 2019.

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emit 37.0% more CO2

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

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

Compare further: Slovakia vs. Poland

Cost of Living Comparison · 7 categories - 2026 data
Poland is 3.9% cheaper than Slovakia overall
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Size Comparison · See true size
Slovakia is about 6 times smaller than Poland.
→
Moving from Slovakia to Poland · OECD 2021
151 people moved from Slovakia to Poland.
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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.
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How big is Poland compared to Slovakia? See an in-depth size comparison.

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