Quality of life comparison

compared to

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

Health

live 3.1 years less

In Belgium, the average life expectancy is 82 years (79 years for men, 85 years for women) as of 2022. In Poland, that number is 79 years (75 years for men, 83 years for women) as of 2022.

Economy

be 47.2% less likely to be unemployed

In Belgium, 5.5% of adults are unemployed as of 2023. In Poland, that number is 2.9% as of 2023.

pay a 40.4% lower top tax rate

Belgium has a top tax rate of 53.7% as of 2016. In Poland, the top tax rate is 32.0% as of 2016.

make 30.7% less money

Belgium has a GDP per capita of $63,600 as of 2023, while in Poland, the GDP per capita is $44,100 as of 2023.

Life

be 60.0% less likely to die during childbirth

In Belgium, approximately 5.0 women per 100,000 births die during labor as of 2020. In Poland, 2.0 women do as of 2020.

be 30.4% more likely to die during infancy

In Belgium, approximately 3.2 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2022. In Poland, on the other hand, 4.2 children do as of 2022.

have 22.2% fewer children

In Belgium, there are approximately 10.8 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Poland, there are 8.4 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

Expenditures

spend 22.4% less on education

Belgium spends 6.7% of its total GDP on education as of 2020. Poland spends 5.2% of total GDP on education as of 2020.

spend 41.4% less on healthcare

Belgium spends 11.1% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2020. In Poland, that number is 6.5% of GDP as of 2020.

Geography

see 6.6 times more coastline

Belgium has a total of 66 km of coastline. In Poland, that number is 440 km.

The statistics above were calculated using the following data sources: Service Public Fédéral Finances, The World Factbook, Ministry of Finance, Poland.

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 Belgium? See an in-depth size comparison.

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