The Human Truth Foundation

Poland (Republic of Poland)

http://www.humantruth.info/poland.html

By Vexen Crabtree 2013

#poland

Poland
Republic of Poland
StatusIndependent State
Social and Moral Index28th best
CapitalWarsaw
Land Area 304 150km21
LocationEurope
Population37.9m2
Life Expectancy76.46yrs (2017)3
GNI$33 034 (2017)4
ISO3166-1 CodesPL, POL, 6165
Internet Domain.pl6
CurrencyZloty (PLN)7
Telephone+488

1. Overview

#germany #poland #russia

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, Poland is an increasingly active member of Euro-Atlantic organizations.

CIA's The World Factbook (2013)9

Book CoverChic medieval hot spots like Kraków and Gdansk vie with energetic Warsaw for your urban attention. Outside the cities, forests, rivers, lakes and hills beckon for some fresh-air fun. If they were handing out prizes for `most eventful history´, Poland would be sure to get a medal. The nation has spent centuries at the pointy end of history, grappling with war and invasion. Nothing, however, has succeeded in suppressing the Poles´ strong cultural identity. As a result, centres such as bustling Warsaw and cultured Kraków exude a sophisticated energy that´s a heady mix of old and new.

Away from the cities, Poland offers a diverse range of experiences, from swimming on its Baltic Sea beaches to skiing or hiking in its magnificent mountains. Everywhere in between are towns and cities dotted with ruined castles, picturesque squares, colourful houses and historic churches.Although prices are slowly rising as its economy gathers momentum, Poland is still good value for travellers year-round. As the Polish people work on combining their national identity with their place in Europe, it´s a fascinating time to visit this beautiful country.

"The World" by Lonely Planet (2014)10

2. Poland National and Social Development

#economics #human_development #wealth

UN HDI (2021)11
Pos.Higher is better
Value11
1Switzerland0.962
2Norway0.961
3Iceland0.959
4Hong Kong0.952
5Australia0.951
...
31Estonia0.890
32Czechia0.889
33Greece0.887
34Poland0.876
35Bahrain0.875
36Lithuania0.875
Europe Avg0.87
World Avg0.72
q=191.
Gross National Income Per-Capita (2021)11
Pos.Higher is better
PPP $11
1Liechtenstein$146 830
2Singapore$90 919
3Qatar$87 134
4Luxembourg$84 649
5Ireland$76 169
...
39Estonia$38 048
40Lithuania$37 931
41Portugal$33 155
42Poland$33 034
43Latvia$32 803
44Hungary$32 789
Europe Avg$40 512
World Avg$20 136
q=193.
Social & Moral
Development Index
12,13
Pos.Lower is better
Avg Rank12,13
1Taiwan28.6
2Norway29.4
3Denmark31.2
4Sweden32.2
5Finland32.6
...
25Hungary49.4
26Estonia50.4
27Portugal50.8
28Poland54.6
29Singapore54.7
30USA55.8
Europe Avg57.3
World Avg86.1
q=195.

The United Nations produces an annual Human Development Report which includes the Human Development Index. The factors taken into account include life expectancy, education and schooling and Gross National Income (GNI) amongst many others..

The Social and Moral Development Index concentrates on moral issues and human rights, violence, public health, equality, tolerance, freedom and effectiveness in climate change mitigation and environmentalism, and on some technological issues. A country scores higher for achieving well in those areas, and for sustaining that achievement in the long term. Those countries towards the top of this index can truly said to be setting good examples and leading humankind onwards into a bright, humane, and free future. See: Which are the Best Countries in the World? The Social and Moral Development Index.

3. Poland's Demographics and Migration

#birth_control #demographics #health #immigration #life_expectancy #longevity #migration #overpopulation #population

Population:

Poland's population is predicted to fall to 37 835 000 by 2030. Developed countries with falling populations face a pension's crises, whereby an increasingly ageing population must be cared for by fewer and fewer workers. Economic stability can be maintained by increasing foreign workers from younger countries. This country has a fertility rate of 1.40. The fertility rate is, in simple terms, the average amount of children that each woman has. The higher the figure, the quicker the population is growing, although, to calculate the rate you also need to take into account morbidity, i.e., the rate at which people die. If people live healthy and long lives and morbidity is low, then, 2.0 approximates to the replacement rate, which would keep the population stable. If all countries had such a fertility rate, population growth would end. The actual replacement rate in most developed countries is around 2.1.

Population (2018)2
Pos.
Population2
1China1.4b
2India1.4b
3USA327.1m
4Indonesia267.7m
5Pakistan212.2m
...
34Algeria42.2m
35Sudan41.8m
36Iraq38.4m
37Poland37.9m
38Afghanistan37.2m
39Canada37.1m
World Avg39.0m
q=195.
Life Expectancy (2021)11
Pos.Higher is better
Years11
1Monaco85.9
2Hong Kong85.5
3Japan84.8
4Australia84.5
5Switzerland84.0
...
48Costa Rica77.0
49Saudi Arabia76.9
50Albania76.5
51Poland76.5
52Sri Lanka76.4
53Algeria76.4
World Avg71.28
q=195.
Fertility Rate (2013)14
Pos.2.0 is best14
1N. Korea2.00
2Brunei1.99
3St Vincent & Grenadines2.01
4France1.99
5Turkey2.04
...
97Hungary1.42
98Romania1.42
99Japan1.40
100Poland1.40
101Nepal2.60
102Macedonia1.40
World Avg2.81
q=180.
Old-Age Dependency Ratio (2016)15
Pos.Lower is better
Per 10015
1Uganda04.3
2Mali04.5
3Chad04.7
4Burkina Faso04.7
5Sierra Leone04.8
...
157Lithuania36.0
158Czechia36.1
159Cuba36.2
160Poland36.3
161Singapore36.5
162Latvia36.7
World Avg18.3
q=185.

Migration:

Immigrants (2017)16
Pos.
%16
1UAE88.4%
2Kuwait75.5%
3Qatar65.2%
4Liechtenstein65.1%
5Monaco54.9%
...
135Albania1.8%
136Pakistan1.7%
137Nepal1.7%
138Poland1.7%
139Senegal1.7%
140Comoros1.5%
World Avg9.4%
q=195.
Emigrants (2010)17
Pos.
%17
1Dominica104.8%
2Palestine68.4%
3Samoa67.3%
4Grenada65.5%
5St Kitts & Nevis61.1%
...
76Somalia8.7%
77Kuwait8.5%
78Ecuador8.3%
79Poland8.3%
80Afghanistan8.1%
81Paraguay7.9%
World Avg11.5%
q=192.

4. Human Rights, Equality & Tolerance

#equality #freedom #gender_equality #human_rights #morals #Poland #politics #prejudice #tolerance

Human Rights, Equality & Tolerance (2020)18,19
Pos.Lower is better
Avg Rank18,19
1Sweden9.2
2Norway14.7
3Denmark14.7
4Netherlands15.8
5New Zealand17.5
...
27Slovakia42.7
28Estonia42.9
29Portugal43.0
30Poland43.2
31Argentina43.8
32Romania44.3
Europe Avg50.3
World Avg87.7
q=199.

Poland performs very well in ensuring human rights and freedom compared to most other countries. Poland does better than average for supporting personal, civil & economic freedoms20, supporting press freedom21, commentary in Human Rights Watch reports22 (but low for Europe), the rate of gender bias (from 7 indicators)23 (but bad for Europe), its nominal commitment to Human Rights24, opposing gender inequality25, speed of uptake of HR treaties26 and in LGBT equality27. But, things could still be better. Poland does worse than average in terms of its success in fighting anti-semitic prejudice28 (amongst the highest in Europe) and in freethought29. Human Rights Watch sounded warnings that in 2017 Poland "continued to undermine the rule of law and human rights protection during the year"30. Poland is Europe's most Catholic country and has the region's most restrictive abortion laws in Europe31 but in 2017 made access to emergency contraception even more limited31, as part of its overall commitment to making family planning impossible, even in cases of extreme poverty. Such religious-based doctrine should only be accepted voluntarily by believers, not be forced upon the populace as a whole.

For tables, charts and commentary, see:

5. Poland's Health

#alcohol #birth_control #demographics #health #life_expectancy #longevity #mental_health #obesity #overpopulation #parenting #Poland #population #smoking #suicide #vaccines

Compared to Europe (2020)32,33
Pos.Lower is better
Avg Rank32,33
1Monaco13.0
2Norway61.0
3Finland65.3
4Switzerland65.6
5Italy67.5
...
23Slovakia81.1
24Macedonia82.5
25Croatia82.9
26Poland83.5
27Czechia83.6
28France83.8
29Bosnia & Herzegovina84.0
Europe Avg82.5
q=46.
Health (2020)32,33
Pos.Lower is better
Avg Rank32,33
1Monaco13.0
2Hong Kong18.3
3Maldives41.0
4Singapore42.6
5Japan51.0
...
59Turkmenistan83.1
60Tajikistan83.1
61Canada83.5
62Poland83.5
63Czechia83.6
64France83.8
65Bosnia & Herzegovina84.0
World Avg93.5
q=196.

The countries with the best overall approach to public health, in terms of both public policy and individual lifestyle choices, are Monaco, Hong Kong and The Maldives32. These countries are worth emulating. And, although often through no fault of the average citizen, the worst countries are The Marshall Islands, S. Sudan and Palau32.

The data sets used to calculate points for each country are its average life expectancy, its alcohol consumption rate, its fertility rate, its smoking rate, its suicide rate, its food aid and health contributions and WHO compliance, the prevalence of overweight adults, its adolescent birth rate and its immunizations take-up. The regions with the best average results per country are Scandinavia, Asia and The Mediterranean32, whereas the worst are Micronesia, Australasia and Africa32.

For more, see:

Health:

Poland does relatively well in encouraging good health, compared to many other countries. Poland comes in the best 20 when it comes to its fertility rate14. It does better than average in terms of its immunizations take-up34, its adolescent birth rate25 (but bad for Europe), its average life expectancy11 (but bad for Europe) and in its food aid and health contributions and WHO compliance35 (but high for Europe). But, things still need to improve in Poland. Poland does worse than average in its suicide rate36 and in its smoking rate37. And finally, it falls into the worst 20 in its alcohol consumption rate38. The prevalence of overweight adults has increased by 14% over the last 40 years.

Life Expectancy (2021)11
Pos.Higher is better
Years11
1Monaco85.9
2Hong Kong85.5
3Japan84.8
4Australia84.5
5Switzerland84.0
...
48Costa Rica77.0
49Saudi Arabia76.9
50Albania76.5
51Poland76.5
52Sri Lanka76.4
53Algeria76.4
Europe Avg78.36
World Avg71.28
q=195.
Alcohol Consumption (2016)38
Pos.Lower is better
Per Capita38
1Bangladesh0.0
2Kuwait0.0
3Libya0.0
4Mauritania0.0
5Somalia0.0
...
170Switzerland11.5
171Austria11.6
172Estonia11.6
173Poland11.6
174Russia11.7
175Seychelles12.0
Europe Avg10.3
World Avg6.2
q=189.
Fertility Rate (2013)14
Pos.2.0 is best14
1N. Korea2.00
2Brunei1.99
3St Vincent & Grenadines2.01
4France1.99
5Turkey2.04
...
97Hungary1.42
98Romania1.42
99Japan1.40
100Poland1.40
101Nepal2.60
102Macedonia1.40
Europe Avg1.61
World Avg2.81
q=180.
Smoking Rates (2014)37
Pos.Higher is worse37
182Montenegro4 125
181Belarus3 831
180Lebanon3 023
179Macedonia2 732
178Russia2 690
...
151Bulgaria1 505
150Germany1 480
149Italy1 443
148Poland1 396
147Netherlands1 396
146Saudi Arabia1 395
Europe Avg1 648
World Avg 819
q=182.
Suicide Rate (2013)36
Pos.
Per 100k36
1Haiti0
2Grenada0
3Egypt0.1
4Jordan0.2
5Maldives0.7
...
67Czechia28.3
68Suriname28.7
69Hong Kong29.7
70Poland30.5
71Austria30.9
72Uruguay32.3
Europe Avg26.99
World Avg20.93
q=91.
Food Aid, Health Contributions & WHO Compliance (2017)35
Pos.Lower is better
Rank35
1Sweden1
2Ireland2
3Denmark3
4UK4
5Norway5
...
76Malta76
77Guatemala77
78Sri Lanka78
79Poland79
80Uruguay80
81Dominican Rep.81
Europe Avg47.4
World Avg82.0
q=163.
Overweight Adults (2016)39
Pos.Lower is better
%39
1Vietnam18.3
2India19.7
3Bangladesh20.0
4Ethiopia20.9
5Nepal21.0
...
121Macedonia58.1
122Nicaragua58.2
123Norway58.3
124Poland58.3
125Ukraine58.4
126Cuba58.5
Europe Avg58.5
World Avg49.0
q=191.

Children's Health:

Adolescent Birth Rate (2015)25
Pos.Lower is better
Per 100025
1N. Korea0.5
2S. Korea1.6
3Switzerland2.9
4Hong Kong3.2
5Slovenia3.8
...
40Montenegro12.2
41Lebanon12.4
42Estonia13.1
43Poland13.4
44Bahrain13.5
45Malaysia13.6
Europe Avg14.6
World Avg47.9
q=185.
Infant Immunizations 2011-2015 (2015)34
Pos.Higher is better
Avg %34
1Hungary99.0
2China99.0
3Uzbekistan98.9
4Niue98.8
5Mongolia98.7
...
39Jordan96.6
40Brunei96.6
41Spain96.5
42Poland96.5
43Libya96.4
44St Kitts & Nevis96.3
Europe Avg92.7
World Avg88.3
q=194.

6. Poland's Modernity and Learning

#education #english #intelligence #it_security #maths #modernity #religion #religiosity #research #science #secularisation #technology #the_internet

Compared to Europe (2020)19
Pos.Lower is better
Avg Rank19
1Finland8.4
2Switzerland15.1
3Estonia15.8
4Denmark16.0
5Belgium16.1
...
18Netherlands24.7
19Latvia28.2
20France28.8
21Poland34.6
22Lithuania35.0
23Spain37.1
24Italy38.5
Europe Avg41.2
q=49.
Modernity and Learning (2020)19
Pos.Lower is better
Avg Rank19
1Finland8.4
2Taiwan10.0
3Switzerland15.1
4Estonia15.8
5Denmark16.0
...
28USA29.3
29Israel32.2
30Hong Kong32.6
31Poland34.6
32Lithuania35.0
33Spain37.1
34Italy38.5
World Avg83.2
q=205.

Modernity and Education:

Research and Development (2016)
Pos.Higher is better
% RDP PPP
1S. Korea4.2940
2Israel4.1140
3Japan3.5840
4Finland3.1740
5Sweden3.1640
...
33Malaysia1.1341
34Turkey1.0140
35Lithuania0.9542
36Poland0.9440
37Slovakia0.8940
38Malta0.8942
Europe Avg1.32
World Avg0.84
q=126.
Secondary Education (2018)43
Pos.Higher is better43
1Luxembourg100.0%
2Estonia100.0%
3Austria100.0%
4Canada100.0%
5Finland100.0%
...
48Ireland88.3%
49Netherlands88.3%
50Cuba87.4%
51Poland85.3%
52Belgium84.8%
53UK84.5%
Europe Avg88.3%
World Avg63.0%
q=169.
Length of Schooling (2021)44
Pos.Higher is better
Years44
1Australia21.1
2New Zealand20.3
3Greece20.0
4Belgium19.6
5Sweden19.4
...
35Saudi Arabia16.1
36Israel16.1
37Tonga16.0
38Poland16.0
39Austria16.0
40Estonia15.9
Europe Avg16.1
World Avg13.5
q=193.
Intellectual Endeavours (2017)35
Pos.Lower is better
Rank35
1Ukraine1
2Czechia2
3Hungary3
4Denmark4
5UK5
...
20Australia20
21Germany21
22Grenada22
23Poland23
24France24
25S. Africa25
Europe Avg31.3
World Avg82.0
q=163.
Maths, Science & Reading (2015)45
Pos.Higher is better
Score45
1Singapore1655
2Hong Kong1598
3Japan1586
4Macau1582
5Estonia1573
...
16New Zealand1517
17Norway1513
18Denmark1513
19Poland1511
20Belgium1508
21Vietnam1507
Europe Avg1417
World Avg1389
q=70.
Religiosity (2018)46
Pos.Lower is better
%46
1China3
2Estonia6
3Czechia7
4Switzerland9
5Denmark9
...
32Canada27
33Uzbekistan29
34Uruguay29
35Poland30
36Serbia34
37Israel36
Europe Avg25.8
World Avg54.3
q=106.
IQ (2006)47
Pos.Higher is better47
1Hong Kong108
2Singapore108
3S. Korea106
4Japan105
5Taiwan105
...
13Austria100
14UK100
15New Zealand99
16Poland99
17Germany99
18Finland99
Europe Avg96.6
World Avg85.6
q=138.

Technology and Information:

Internet Users (2016)48
Pos.Higher is better48
1Iceland100%
2Faroe Islands99%
3Norway98%
4Bermuda97%
5Andorra97%
...
48Macau73%
49Israel73%
50Guam73%
51Poland72%
52Brunei72%
53Slovenia72%
Europe Avg76.7%
World Avg48.1%
q=201.
IT Security (2013)49
Pos.Lower is better49
1Ireland0.11
2Luxembourg0.11
3Belize0.11
4Hong Kong0.12
5Mexico0.16
...
18Sweden0.44
19Romania0.52
20Turkey0.52
21Poland0.55
22Switzerland0.55
23S. Korea0.56
Europe Avg0.80
World Avg0.98
q=81.
IPv6 Uptake (2017)50
Pos.Higher is better
Ratio50
1Belgium55.4
2Germany41.8
3Switzerland35.1
4USA35.0
5Greece33.5
...
34Macau4.2
35Singapore4.0
36Sweden3.8
37Poland3.6
38Thailand3.3
39Denmark3.1
Europe Avg8.11
World Avg3.82
q=176.

7. National Culture

#charity #corruption #happiness #morals #politics

Poland has an adequate long-term record on corruption, but in the ten years from 2012 perceptions have gotten worse.

World Giving Index (2013-2021)51
Pos.Lower is better51
1Myanmar (Burma)2.7
2New Zealand4.0
3USA4.7
4Australia4.9
5Indonesia9.0
...
109Macedonia89.6
110Burkina Faso90.5
111Bosnia & Herzegovina91.0
112Poland91.4
113Algeria92.3
114Moldova92.7
Europe Avg75.2
World Avg67.9
q=160.
Corruption (2022)52
Pos.Higher is better
Points52
1Denmark90.0
2Finland87.0
3New Zealand87.0
4Norway84.0
5Singapore83.0
...
43Italy56.0
44Slovenia56.0
45Dominica55.0
46Poland55.0
47St Lucia55.0
48Costa Rica54.0
Europe Avg57.61
World Avg42.98
q=180.
Happiness (2018)53
Pos.Higher is better53
1Finland7.6
2Norway7.6
3Denmark7.6
4Iceland7.5
5Switzerland7.5
...
39Slovakia6.2
40El Salvador6.2
41Nicaragua6.1
42Poland6.1
43Bahrain6.1
44Uzbekistan6.1
Europe Avg6.06
World Avg5.38
q=156.
Creativity and Culture (2017)35
Pos.Lower is better
Rank35
1Belgium1
2Netherlands2
3Estonia3
4Switzerland4
5Sweden5
...
18Barbados18
19Hungary19
20Slovakia20
21Poland21
22Norway22
23Lithuania23
Europe Avg35.0
World Avg82.0
q=163.
Open Trading, Aid and Development (2017)35
Pos.Lower is better
Rank35
1Ireland1
2Denmark2
3Sweden3
4Netherlands4
5Switzerland5
...
43Morocco43
44Fiji44
45Bosnia & Herzegovina45
46Poland46
47Japan47
48Armenia48
Europe Avg42.6
World Avg82.0
q=163.

8. Peace Versus Instability

#extremism #human_development #peace #politics #religious_violence #terrorism

Global Peace Index (2021)54
Pos.Lower is better54
1Iceland1.10
2New Zealand1.25
3Denmark1.26
4Portugal1.27
5Slovenia1.32
...
21Netherlands1.51
22Bhutan1.51
23Malaysia1.52
24Poland1.52
25Romania1.53
26Slovakia1.56
Europe Avg1.69
World Avg2.08
q=163.
Peacekeeping and Security (2017)35
Pos.Lower is better
Rank35
1Samoa1
2S. Africa2
3Tunisia3
4Egypt4
5Nigeria5
...
104Latvia104
105Laos105
106Mozambique106
107Poland107
108Ukraine108
109Belgium109
Europe Avg84.6
World Avg82.0
q=163.
Refugees and UN Treaties (2017)35
Pos.Lower is better
Rank35
1Austria1
2Germany2
3Netherlands3
4Sweden4
5Malta5
...
21Ireland21
22Costa Rica22
23Thailand23
24Poland24
25S. Africa25
26Chile26
Europe Avg37.8
World Avg82.0
q=163.
Impact of Terrorism (2019)55
Pos.Lower is better
Score55
1Togo0.00
2Mongolia0.00
3Swaziland0.00
4Equatorial Guinea0.00
5Cambodia0.00
...
42Lithuania0.46
43Sierra Leone0.46
44Jamaica0.47
45Poland0.48
46Gabon0.55
47Malawi0.66
Europe Avg1.62
World Avg2.78
q=150.

9. The Natural Environment

#biodiversity #climate_change #deforestation #over-exploitation #the_environment

Forest Area Change 1990-2015 (2015)56
Pos.Higher is better
%56
1Iceland+205.6
2Bahrain+144.4
3Uruguay+131.3
4Kuwait+81.2
5Dominican Rep.+79.5
...
51Cyprus+07.2
52Fiji+06.7
53Laos+06.3
54Poland+06.3
55Liechtenstein+06.2
56Latvia+05.8
Europe Avg+15.0
World Avg+02.8
q=184.
Environmental Performance (2018)57
Pos.Higher is better57
1Switzerland87.4
2France84.0
3Denmark81.6
4Malta80.9
5Sweden80.5
...
47Uruguay64.7
48Estonia64.3
49Singapore64.2
50Poland64.1
51Venezuela63.9
52Russia63.8
Europe Avg69.6
World Avg56.4
q=180.
Energy to GDP Efficiency (2014)58
Pos.Higher is better58
1Hong Kong26.32
2Sri Lanka20.00
3Panama17.86
4Colombia17.54
5Ireland17.54
...
52Lebanon09.90
53Hungary09.80
54Latvia09.80
55Poland09.71
56Argentina09.35
57Pakistan09.26
Europe Avg09.80
World Avg09.29
q=119.
Convention on Biological Diversity
Pos.Earlier is better
Signed
1China1993 Dec 29
2Guinea1993 Dec 29
3Cook Islands1993 Dec 29
4Vanuatu1993 Dec 29
5Papua New Guinea1993 Dec 29
...
137Singapore1996 Mar 20
138Syria1996 Apr 03
139Suriname1996 Apr 11
140Poland1996 Apr 17
141Lithuania1996 May 01
142Yemen1996 May 21
Europe Avg1899 Dec 30
World Avg1899 Dec 30
q=197.
Rational Beliefs on the Environment (2011)59
Pos.Higher is better
%59
1Argentina78.3%
2Greece77.6%
3Brazil77.1%
4Trinidad & Tobago74.5%
5Costa Rica74.2%
...
112Iraq24.9%
113Sweden24.3%
114New Zealand24.2%
115Poland23.8%
116Belarus23.7%
117Afghanistan23.6%
Europe Avg33.6%
World Avg39.9%
q=145.

10. Economic Inequality and Poverty

#capitalism #economics #health #inequality #life_expectancy #social_development

Inequality in Life Expectancy (2019)60
Pos.Higher is worse60
184Chad40.90
183Central African Rep.40.10
182Sierra Leone39.00
181Somalia38.90
180Nigeria37.10
...
35Canada4.60
34Belarus4.40
33New Zealand4.30
32Poland4.30
31Croatia4.30
30Hungary4.20
Europe Avg4.86
World Avg14.59
q=184.
Income Inequality (Gini Coefficient) (2017)61
Pos.Lower is better
%61
1Ukraine25.0
2Belarus25.4
3Slovenia25.4
4Czechia25.9
5Moldova25.9
...
22Hungary30.4
23Austria30.5
24Sao Tome & Principe30.8
25Poland30.8
26Croatia31.1
27S. Korea31.6
Europe Avg31.5
World Avg38.1
q=152.

11. Religion and Beliefs

#afterlife #belief #buddhism #christianity #god #heaven #hell #hinduism #islam #judaism #poland #RCC #religion #religiosity #secularisation #universalism

Religiosity (2018)46
Pos.Lower is better
%46
1China3
2Estonia6
3Czechia7
4Switzerland9
5Denmark9
...
32Canada27
33Uzbekistan29
34Uruguay29
35Poland30
36Serbia34
37Israel36
World Avg54.3
q=106.
Disbelief In God (2007)62
Pos.Higher is better
%62
1Vietnam81
2Japan65
3Sweden64
4Czechia61
5Estonia49
...
61Uzbekistan4
62Lebanon3
63Congo, (Brazzaville)3
64Poland3
65Jamaica3
66India3
World Avg9.9
q=137.

Data from the Pew Forum, a professional polling outfit, states that in 2010 the religious makeup of this country was as follows in the table below63:

Christian94.3%
Muslim0.1%
Hindu0.1%
Buddhist0.1%
Folk Religion0.1%
Jew0.1%
Unaffiliated5.6%

It appears that when asked "What religion are you" many give pollsters the 'correct' answer despite how they actually feel, and despite what they actually believe. Although 94.8% of the populace say they belong to a religion, only 30% say that they are religious when the question is phrased as "Is religion an important part of your daily life?".

For more on this phenomenon, see:

The CIA World Factbook has slightly different data, and states: Roman Catholic 89.8% [about 75% practicing], Eastern Orthodox 1.3%, Protestant 0.3%, other 0.3%, unspecified 8.3% (2002)64.

The Afterlife: Ipsos-NA in 2011 gathered some statistics on Poland65. Despite the large numbers of Christians, not many have traditional beliefs in the afterlife - just 20%. More people don't know what to believe (32%). Some believe that upon death, you simply cease to exist (21%). Also, 1% specifically believe in heaven but not in hell (which is nice - making them possible "universalists"). 7% believe in reincarnation.

The International Humanist and Ethical Union produced a report in 2012 entitled "Freedom of Thought" (2012)66, in which they document bias and prejudice at the national level that is based on religion, belief and/or lack of belief. Their entry for Poland states:

The constitution and other laws and policies protect freedom of religion or belief. However, Poland's penal code states "Whoever offends religious feelings of other people by publicly insulting an object of religious cult or a place for public holding of religious ceremonies, is subject to a fine, restriction of liberty or loss of liberty for up to 2 years."

Cases of Discrimination

[...]

In January 2012, Dorota Rabczewska, a popular musician better known as Doda, was fined US $1,450 for "offending religious feelings" when she said in an interview that the Bible is full of "unbelievable tales" and that "it's hard to believe in something written down by someone drunk on wine and smoking some kind of herbs."

In October 2012, Poland's Supreme Court opened the way for a blasphemy verdict against another musician, Adam Darksi. Darski, who uses the stage name Nergal, is the lead singer of a heavy metal group named Behemoth. During a concert in 2007 Darski ripped up a Bible and called it deceitful and described the Roman Catholic Church as "a criminal sect". He was tried for "offending religious feelings". A lower court dismissed the charges, but the Supreme Court was then asked to rule on the legal arguments arising from the case. The Supreme Court ruled that Darski could be convicted of the crime of "offending religious feelings" even if he did not act with the "direct intention" of offending those feelings. That interpretation closed off an argument used by lawyers for Darski, who said he had not committed a crime because he did not intend to offend anyone. The case therefore returns to a lower court. If found guilty, Darski faces a maximum sentence of two years in jail, under Poland's criminal code.

"Freedom of Thought" by IHEU (2012)67

Once, Poland was known for its long series of atrocities against Jews, especially during the Holocaust of the 1940s but in modern times there is now (thankfully) "a significant renascence of Jewish culture" in Poland68.

Freedom of Religion and Belief: The Roman Catholic Church has an established position in Poland which is counter to what is expected of a modern democracy, and it has influenced and steered public discourse to a place of increasingly hardline intolerance of those typical things that the Catholic Church fought against in the dark ages: women's rights and tolerance of LGBT folk69.

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