Quality of life comparison

compared to

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

Health

live 4.9 years less

In Iceland, the average life expectancy is 84 years (81 years for men, 86 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 18.3% less likely to be unemployed

In Iceland, 3.6% of adults are unemployed as of 2023. In Poland, that number is 2.9% as of 2023.

pay a 30.9% lower top tax rate

Iceland has a top tax rate of 46.3% as of 2016. In Poland, the top tax rate is 32.0% as of 2016.

make 33.7% less money

Iceland has a GDP per capita of $66,500 as of 2023, while in Poland, the GDP per capita is $44,100 as of 2023.

be 34.1% more likely to live below the poverty line

In Iceland, 8.8% live below the poverty line as of 2017. In Poland, however, that number is 11.8% as of 2022.

Life

be 33.3% less likely to die during childbirth

In Iceland, approximately 3.0 women per 100,000 births die during labor as of 2020. In Poland, 2.0 women do as of 2020.

be 2.5 times more likely to die during infancy

In Iceland, approximately 1.6 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 33.3% fewer children

In Iceland, there are approximately 12.6 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Poland, there are 8.4 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

Basic Needs

be 15.0% less likely to have internet access

In Iceland, approximately 100.0% of the population has internet access as of 2021. In Poland, about 85.0% do as of 2021.

Expenditures

spend 32.5% less on education

Iceland spends 7.7% of its total GDP on education as of 2020. Poland spends 5.2% of total GDP on education as of 2020.

spend 32.3% less on healthcare

Iceland spends 9.6% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2020. In Poland, that number is 6.5% of GDP as of 2020.

Geography

see 91.1% less coastline

Iceland has a total of 4,970 km of coastline. In Poland, that number is 440 km.

The statistics above were calculated using the following data sources: The World Factbook, Directorate of Internal Revenue, 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 Iceland? See an in-depth size comparison.

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