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

Health

be 37.6% less likely to be obese

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

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see 25.6% more spent on your healthcare

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

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be 44.8% less likely to die by suicide

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

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have 13.8% fewer doctors per person

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

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Economy

be 60.4% less likely to be unemployed

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

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be 22.0% less likely to live below the poverty line

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

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make 12.7% more money

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

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Life

be 86.7% less likely to die during childbirth

In Uruguay, approximately 15.0 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 41.9% less likely to die during infancy

In Uruguay, approximately 6.2 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 29.6% fewer children

In Uruguay, there are approximately 9.8 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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Expenditures

spend 10.6% less on healthcare

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

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Geography

see 33.3% less coastline

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

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Safety

be 92.9% less likely to be murdered

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

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be 50.0% less likely to die in a road accident

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

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Infrastructure

use 15.3% more electricity

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

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find 23.2% less home broadband

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

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live with 2.7 times more strain on fresh water

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

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Environment

be 2.6 times more likely to die from air pollution

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

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emit 2.9 times more CO2

Uruguay emits 2.6 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), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), The World Factbook. 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.
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