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 Index32nd 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
...
31Estonia0.890
32Czechia0.889
33Greece0.887
34Poland0.876
35=Bahrain0.875
35=Lithuania0.875
35=Saudi Arabia0.875
38Portugal0.866
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
...
39Estonia$38 048
40Lithuania$37 931
41Portugal$33 155
42Poland$33 034
43Latvia$32 803
44Hungary$32 789
45Turkey$31 033
46Slovakia$30 690
Europe Avg$40 512
World Avg$20 136
q=193.
Social & Moral
Development Index
12
Pos.Lower is better
Avg Rank12
1Norway28.6
2Denmark30.0
3Sweden30.7
...
29Uruguay53.2
30Hungary53.8
31Costa Rica55.0
32Poland56.2
33Malta56.5
34Liechtenstein57.1
35Chile57.2
36USA57.3
Europe Avg57.4
World Avg86.8
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.

Population2
Pos.2018
Population2
1China1.4b
2India1.4b
3USA327.1m
...
34Algeria42.2m
35Sudan41.8m
36Iraq38.4m
37Poland37.9m
38Afghanistan37.2m
39Canada37.1m
40Morocco36.0m
41Saudi Arabia33.7m
World Avg39.0m
q=195.
Life Expectancy
Higher is better
11
Pos.2021
Years11
1Monaco85.9
2Hong Kong85.5
3Japan84.8
...
48Costa Rica77.0
49Saudi Arabia76.9
50Albania76.5
51Poland76.5
52Sri Lanka76.4
53Algeria76.4
54Montenegro76.3
55Panama76.2
World Avg71.28
q=195.
Fertility Rate
2.0 is best
13
Pos.201313
1N. Korea2.00
2Brunei1.99
3St Vincent & Grenadines2.01
...
97Hungary1.42
98Romania1.42
99Japan1.40
100Poland1.40
101Nepal2.60
102Macedonia1.40
103Fiji2.61
104S. Korea1.38
World Avg2.81
q=180.
Old-Age Dependency Ratio
Lower is better
14
Pos.2016
Per 10014
1Uganda04.3
2Mali04.5
3=Chad04.7
...
157Lithuania36.0
158Czechia36.1
159Cuba36.2
160Poland36.3
161Singapore36.5
162Latvia36.7
163=Sweden37.0
163=Bulgaria37.0
World Avg18.3
q=185.

Migration:

Immigrants15
Pos.2017
%15
1UAE88.4%
2Kuwait75.5%
3Qatar65.2%
...
135Albania1.8%
136Pakistan1.7%
137Nepal1.7%
138Poland1.7%
139Senegal1.7%
140Comoros1.5%
141Fiji1.5%
142Ghana1.4%
World Avg9.4%
q=195.
Emigrants16
Pos.2010
%16
1Dominica104.8%
2Palestine68.4%
3Samoa67.3%
...
76Somalia8.7%
77Kuwait8.5%
78Ecuador8.3%
79Poland8.3%
80Afghanistan8.1%
81Paraguay7.9%
82Russia7.9%
83Mali7.6%
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)17
Pos.Lower is better
Avg Rank17
1Sweden9.0
2Norway14.5
3Denmark14.5
...
27Slovakia42.5
28Estonia42.8
29Portugal42.8
30Poland43.0
31Argentina43.6
32Romania44.1
Europe Avg51.4
World Avg87.9
q=199.
Poland performs very well in ensuring human rights and freedom compared to most other countries. Poland does better than average in terms of supporting personal, civil & economic freedoms18, supporting press freedom19, commentary in Human Rights Watch reports20 (but bad for Europe), the rate of gender bias (from 7 indicators)21 (but bad for Europe), its nominal commitment to Human Rights22, opposing gender inequality23, speed of uptake of HR treaties24 and in LGBT equality25. But, there's bad news too. Poland does worse than average when it comes to its success in fighting anti-semitic prejudice26 (one of the worst in Europe) and in freethought27. Human Rights Watch sounded warnings that in 2017 Poland "continued to undermine the rule of law and human rights protection during the year"28. Poland is Europe's most Catholic country and has the region's most restrictive abortion laws in Europe29 but in 2017 made access to emergency contraception even more limited29, 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)30
Pos.Lower is better
Avg Rank30
1Monaco13.0
2Norway61.0
3=Finland65.3
...
23Slovakia81.1
24Macedonia82.5
25Croatia82.9
26=Poland83.5
27Czechia83.6
28France83.8
29=Bosnia & Herzegovina84.0
29=Albania84.0
31Turkey84.5
Europe Avg82.5
q=46.
Health (2020)30
Pos.Lower is better
Avg Rank30
1Monaco13.0
2Hong Kong18.3
3Maldives41.0
...
59=Turkmenistan83.1
59=Tajikistan83.1
61Canada83.5
62=Poland83.5
63Czechia83.6
64France83.8
65=Bosnia & Herzegovina84.0
65=Albania84.0
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 Maldives31. 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 Palau31.

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 Mediterranean31, whereas the worst are Micronesia, Australasia and Africa31.

For more, see:

Health:

Poland has some poor policies and cultural issues which cause some public health problems. Poland does better than average for its immunizations take-up32, its adolescent birth rate23 (but bad for Europe), its average life expectancy11 (but low for Europe) and in its food aid and health contributions and WHO compliance33 (but bad for Europe). Poland doesn't do so well in other areas. Poland does worse than average in terms of its suicide rate34, its fertility rate13 and in its smoking rate35. And finally, it falls into the worst-performing 20 in its alcohol consumption rate36. The prevalence of overweight adults has increased by 14% during the last 40 years. Life expectancy in Poland improved by +7.2yrs in the 30 years from 1990, on par with the global average improvement of +7.9yrs.

Life Expectancy
Higher is better
11
Pos.2021
Years11
1Monaco85.9
2Hong Kong85.5
3Japan84.8
...
48Costa Rica77.0
49Saudi Arabia76.9
50Albania76.5
51Poland76.5
52Sri Lanka76.4
53Algeria76.4
54Montenegro76.3
55Panama76.2
Europe Avg78.36
World Avg71.28
q=195.
Alcohol Consumption
Lower is better
36
Pos.2016
Per Capita36
1Bangladesh0.0
2Kuwait0.0
3Libya0.0
...
170=Switzerland11.5
171Austria11.6
172=Estonia11.6
172=Poland11.6
174Russia11.7
175Seychelles12.0
176Belgium12.1
177Portugal12.3
Europe Avg10.3
World Avg6.2
q=189.
Fertility Rate
2.0 is best
13
Pos.201313
1N. Korea2.00
2Brunei1.99
3St Vincent & Grenadines2.01
...
97Hungary1.42
98Romania1.42
99Japan1.40
100Poland1.40
101Nepal2.60
102Macedonia1.40
103Fiji2.61
104S. Korea1.38
Europe Avg1.61
World Avg2.81
q=180.
Smoking Rates
Lower is better
35
Pos.201435
1Guinea 15
2Solomon Islands 26
3Kiribati 28
...
145Cuba1 392
146Saudi Arabia1 395
147Netherlands1 396
148Poland1 396
149Italy1 443
150Germany1 480
151Bulgaria1 505
152Kuwait1 517
Europe Avg1 648
World Avg 819
q=182.
Suicide Rate34
Pos.2013
Per 100k34
1Haiti0
2Grenada0
3Egypt0.1
...
67Czechia28.3
68Suriname28.7
69Hong Kong29.7
70Poland30.5
71Austria30.9
72Uruguay32.3
73France33.2
74Moldova35.7
Europe Avg26.99
World Avg20.93
q=91.
Food Aid, Health Contributions & WHO Compliance
Lower is better
33
Pos.2017
Rank33
1Sweden1
2Ireland2
3Denmark3
...
76Malta76
77Guatemala77
78Sri Lanka78
79Poland79
80Uruguay80
81Dominican Rep.81
82Zambia82
83Croatia83
Europe Avg47.4
World Avg82.0
q=163.
Overweight Adults
Lower is better37
Pos.2016
%37
1Vietnam18.3
2India19.7
3Bangladesh20.0
...
121Macedonia58.1
122Nicaragua58.2
123=Norway58.3
123=Poland58.3
125Ukraine58.4
126=Cuba58.5
126=Italy58.5
128Luxembourg58.7
Europe Avg58.5
World Avg49.0
q=191.

Children's Health:

Adolescent Birth Rate
Lower is better
23
Pos.2015
Per 100023
1N. Korea0.5
2S. Korea1.6
3Switzerland2.9
...
40Montenegro12.2
41Lebanon12.4
42Estonia13.1
43Poland13.4
44Bahrain13.5
45Malaysia13.6
46Latvia13.6
47Australia14.1
Europe Avg14.6
World Avg47.9
q=185.
Infant Immunizations 2011-2015
Higher is better
32
Pos.2015
Avg %32
1=Hungary99.0
1=China99.0
3Uzbekistan98.9
...
39=Jordan96.6
39=Brunei96.6
41Spain96.5
42Poland96.5
43Libya96.4
44St Kitts & Nevis96.3
45Bahamas96.2
46Maldives96.2
Europe Avg92.7
World Avg88.3
q=194.

6. Poland's Responsibility Towards The Environment

#biodiversity #climate_change #deforestation #energy #food #meat #over-exploitation #sustainability #the_environment #veganism #vegetarianism

Compared to Europe (2023)38
Pos.Lower is better
Avg Rank38
1Greece50.4
2Italy51.8
3Germany55.8
...
31Slovenia85.5
32Turkey92.2
33Estonia95.8
34Poland98.0
35Azerbaijan99.3
36Macedonia102.8
37Moldova104.8
38Lithuania107.8
39Latvia109.0
Europe Avg79.9
q=43.
Responsibility Towards The Environment (2023)38
Pos.Lower is better
Avg Rank38
1Japan33.2
2Philippines45.0
3Uruguay48.0
...
128Rwanda96.3
129Central African Rep.96.5
130Barbados97.0
131Poland98.0
132Namibia99.0
133Azerbaijan99.3
134Guinea-Bissau99.3
135Russia99.4
World Avg85.7
q=188.
Poland is positioned 131st in the world when it comes to its responsibility towards the environment. This rank is calculated from 7 data sets. Poland does better than average in its score on the Green Future Index39 (but bad for Europe), its environmental performance40 (but low for Europe), its forested percent change 1990-201541 and in energy to GDP efficiency42 (but low for Europe). Poland does not succeed in everything, however. Poland does worse than average in the rate of rational beliefs on the environment in the population43 and in how quickly it ratified the 1993 Convention on Biological Diversity. And finally, it falls into the worst 20 for annual meat consumption per person44 (one of the worst in Europe).

Forest Area Change 1990-2015
Higher is better
41
Pos.2015
%41
1Iceland+205.6
2Bahrain+144.4
3Uruguay+131.3
...
51Cyprus+07.2
52Fiji+06.7
53Laos+06.3
54Poland+06.3
55Liechtenstein+06.2
56Latvia+05.8
57Uzbekistan+05.7
58New Zealand+05.1
Europe Avg+15.0
World Avg+02.8
q=184.
Environmental Performance
Higher is better
40
Pos.201840
1Switzerland87.4
2France84.0
3Denmark81.6
...
47Uruguay64.7
48Estonia64.3
49Singapore64.2
50Poland64.1
51Venezuela63.9
52Russia63.8
53Brunei63.6
54Morocco63.5
Europe Avg69.6
World Avg56.4
q=180.
Energy to GDP Efficiency
Higher is better42
Pos.201442
1Hong Kong26.32
2Sri Lanka20.00
3Panama17.86
...
52=Lebanon09.90
53Hungary09.80
54=Latvia09.80
55Poland09.71
56Argentina09.35
57Pakistan09.26
58Montenegro09.17
59=Slovakia09.09
Europe Avg09.80
World Avg09.29
q=119.
Convention on Biological Diversity
Earlier is better
Pos.0
Signed
1=China1993 Dec 29
1=Guinea1993 Dec 29
1=Cook Islands1993 Dec 29
...
137Singapore1996 Mar 20
138Syria1996 Apr 03
139Suriname1996 Apr 11
140Poland1996 Apr 17
141Lithuania1996 May 01
142Yemen1996 May 21
143Niue1996 May 28
144Madagascar1996 Jun 02
Europe Avg1899 Dec 30
World Avg1899 Dec 30
q=197.
Rational Beliefs on the Environment
Higher is better43
Pos.2011
%43
1Argentina78.3%
2Greece77.6%
3Brazil77.1%
...
112Iraq24.9%
113Sweden24.3%
114New Zealand24.2%
115Poland23.8%
116Belarus23.7%
117Afghanistan23.6%
118Russia23.5%
119Algeria23.5%
Europe Avg33.6%
World Avg39.9%
q=145.
Meat Consumption
Lower is better
44
Pos.2021
kg44
1Congo, DR03.0
2Burundi03.5
3Bangladesh04.3
...
163New Caledonia87.5
164Montenegro88.4
165Belarus88.9
166Poland89.3
167St Lucia89.6
168Taiwan89.8
169Croatia90.8
170French Polynesia92.5
Europe Avg71.1
World Avg52.5
q=185.

In the 2010s, meat consumption per person in Poland was well above the global average (of 49kgs per year), putting unnecessary strain on water supplies and the environment.44

Green Future Index
Higher is better39
Pos.2023
Score39
1Iceland6.7
2Finland6.7
3Norway6.4
...
18Portugal5.5
19USA5.4
20=Switzerland5.4
20=Poland5.4
22Austria5.4
23Bulgaria5.3
24Costa Rica5.3
25S. Africa5.2
Europe Avg5.6
World Avg4.8
q=76.

7. Poland's Modernity and Learning

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

Compared to Europe (2020)45
Pos.Lower is better
Avg Rank45
1Finland8.4
2Switzerland15.1
3Estonia15.8
...
18Netherlands24.7
19Latvia28.2
20France28.8
21Poland34.6
22Lithuania35.0
23Spain37.1
24Italy38.5
25Slovakia39.5
26Portugal40.1
Europe Avg41.2
q=49.
Modernity & Learning (2020)45
Pos.Lower is better
Avg Rank45
1Finland8.4
2Taiwan10.0
3Switzerland15.1
...
28USA29.3
29Israel32.2
30Hong Kong32.6
31Poland34.6
32Lithuania35.0
33Spain37.1
34Italy38.5
35Slovakia39.5
World Avg83.2
q=205.

Modernity and Education:

Research & Development
Higher is better
Pos.2016
% RDP PPP
1S. Korea4.2946
2Israel4.1146
3Japan3.5846
...
33Malaysia1.1347
34Turkey1.0146
35Lithuania0.9548
36Poland0.9446
37=Slovakia0.8946
37=Malta0.8948
39Greece0.8446
40India0.8249
Europe Avg1.32
World Avg0.84
q=126.
Secondary Education
Higher is better
50
Pos.201850
1=Luxembourg100.0%
1=Estonia100.0%
1=Austria100.0%
...
48Ireland88.3%
49Netherlands88.3%
50Cuba87.4%
51Poland85.3%
52Belgium84.8%
53UK84.5%
54Jordan84.0%
55France83.5%
Europe Avg88.3%
World Avg63.0%
q=169.
Length of Schooling
Higher is better
51
Pos.2021
Years51
1Australia21.1
2New Zealand20.3
3Greece20.0
...
35Saudi Arabia16.1
36Israel16.1
37Tonga16.0
38Poland16.0
39Austria16.0
40Estonia15.9
41Thailand15.9
42France15.8
Europe Avg16.1
World Avg13.5
q=193.
Intellectual Endeavours
Lower is better
33
Pos.2017
Rank33
1Ukraine1
2Czechia2
3Hungary3
...
20Australia20
21Germany21
22Grenada22
23Poland23
24France24
25S. Africa25
26Singapore26
27Greece27
Europe Avg31.3
World Avg82.0
q=163.
Maths, Science & Reading
Higher is better
52
Pos.2015
Score52
1Singapore1655
2Hong Kong1598
3Japan1586
...
16New Zealand1517
17=Norway1513
17=Denmark1513
19Poland1511
20Belgium1508
21=Vietnam1507
21=Australia1507
23UK1499
Europe Avg1417
World Avg1389
q=70.
Religiosity
Lower is better
53
Pos.2018
%53
1China3
2Estonia6
3Czechia7
...
32Canada27
33=Uzbekistan29
33=Uruguay29
35Poland30
36Serbia34
37=Israel36
37=Portugal36
39Azerbaijan38
Europe Avg25.8
World Avg54.3
q=106.
IQ
Higher is better54
Pos.200654
1=Hong Kong108
1=Singapore108
3S. Korea106
...
13=Austria100
13=UK100
15New Zealand99
16=Poland99
16=Germany99
16=Finland99
16=Estonia99
16=Sweden99
Europe Avg96.6
World Avg85.6
q=138.

Technology and Information:

Internet Users
Higher is better
55
Pos.201655
1Iceland100%
2Faroe Islands99%
3Norway98%
...
48Macau73%
49=Israel73%
49=Guam73%
51Poland72%
52Brunei72%
53Slovenia72%
54Cyprus72%
55Russia71%
Europe Avg76.7%
World Avg48.1%
q=201.
IT Security
Lower is better
56
Pos.201356
1=Ireland0.11
1=Luxembourg0.11
1=Belize0.11
...
18Sweden0.44
19Romania0.52
20Turkey0.52
21Poland0.55
22Switzerland0.55
23S. Korea0.56
24Australia0.63
25Libya0.63
Europe Avg0.80
World Avg0.98
IPv6 Uptake
Higher is better
57
Pos.2017
Ratio57
1Belgium55.4
2Germany41.8
3Switzerland35.1
...
34Macau4.2
35Singapore4.0
36Sweden3.8
37Poland3.6
38Thailand3.3
39Denmark3.1
40Bosnia & Herzegovina3.1
41Sri Lanka2.9
Europe Avg8.11
World Avg3.82
q=176.

8. 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
Higher is better
58
Pos.2022
%58
1Indonesia68.0
2Kenya61.0
3USA59.0
...
18=UAE47.0
18=Philippines47.0
18=Argentina47.0
18=Poland47.0
22Serbia46.0
23=Netherlands46.0
23=Jamaica46.0
23=Russia46.0
Europe Avg39.0
World Avg39.6
q=125.
Corruption
Higher is better
59
Pos.2022
Points59
1Denmark90.0
2=Finland87.0
2=New Zealand87.0
...
43Italy56.0
44=Slovenia56.0
45Dominica55.0
46=Poland55.0
46=St Lucia55.0
48Costa Rica54.0
49=Fiji53.0
49=Slovakia53.0
Europe Avg57.61
World Avg42.98
q=180.
Happiness
Higher is better
60
Pos.2018
Score60
1Finland7.6
2Norway7.6
3Denmark7.6
...
39Slovakia6.2
40El Salvador6.2
41Nicaragua6.1
42Poland6.1
43Bahrain6.1
44Uzbekistan6.1
45Kuwait6.1
46Thailand6.1
Europe Avg6.06
World Avg5.38
q=156.
Creativity & Culture
Lower is better
33
Pos.2017
Rank33
1Belgium1
2Netherlands2
3Estonia3
...
18Barbados18
19Hungary19
20Slovakia20
21Poland21
22Norway22
23Lithuania23
24St Lucia24
25Canada25
Europe Avg35.0
World Avg82.0
q=163.
Open Trading, Aid & Development
Lower is better
33
Pos.2017
Rank33
1Ireland1
2Denmark2
3Sweden3
...
43Morocco43
44Fiji44
45Bosnia & Herzegovina45
46Poland46
47Japan47
48Armenia48
49UAE49
50Greece50
Europe Avg42.6
World Avg82.0
q=163.

9. Peace Versus Instability

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

Global Peace Index
Lower is better
61
Pos.2023
Score61
1Iceland1.12
2Denmark1.31
3Ireland1.31
...
26Slovakia1.58
27Latvia1.58
28Sweden1.63
29Poland1.63
30Bulgaria1.64
31=Spain1.65
31=Romania1.65
31=Taiwan1.65
Europe Avg1.70
World Avg2.07
q=163.
Peacekeeping & Security
Lower is better
33
Pos.2017
Rank33
1Samoa1
2S. Africa2
3Tunisia3
...
104Latvia104
105Laos105
106Mozambique106
107Poland107
108Ukraine108
109Belgium109
110Panama110
111Equatorial Guinea111
Europe Avg84.6
World Avg82.0
q=163.
Refugees & UN Treaties
Lower is better
33
Pos.2017
Rank33
1Austria1
2Germany2
3Netherlands3
...
21Ireland21
22Costa Rica22
23Thailand23
24Poland24
25S. Africa25
26Chile26
27Panama27
28Portugal28
Europe Avg37.8
World Avg82.0
q=163.
Impact of Terrorism
Lower is better
62
Pos.2019
Score62
1Togo0.00
2Mongolia0.00
3Swaziland0.00
...
42=Lithuania0.46
42=Sierra Leone0.46
44Jamaica0.47
45Poland0.48
46Gabon0.55
47Malawi0.66
48Azerbaijan0.70
49Czechia0.87
Europe Avg1.62
World Avg2.78
q=150.

10. Economic Inequality and Poverty

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

Inequality in Life Expectancy
Lower is better63
Pos.201963
1Iceland2.40
2=Singapore2.50
2=Hong Kong2.50
...
29UK4.10
30Hungary4.20
31=Croatia4.30
31=Poland4.30
31=New Zealand4.30
34Belarus4.40
35=Canada4.60
35=Malta4.60
Europe Avg4.86
World Avg14.59
q=184.
Income Inequality (Gini Coefficient)
Lower is better64
Pos.2017
%64
1Ukraine25.0
2=Belarus25.4
2=Slovenia25.4
...
22Hungary30.4
23Austria30.5
24=Sao Tome & Principe30.8
24=Poland30.8
26Croatia31.1
27S. Korea31.6
28Germany31.7
29=Egypt31.8
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)53
Pos.Lower is better
%53
1China3
2Estonia6
3Czechia7
...
32Canada27
33=Uzbekistan29
33=Uruguay29
35Poland30
36Serbia34
37=Israel36
37=Portugal36
39Azerbaijan38
40Chile41
41=Croatia42
41=Moldova42
43Argentina43
44Mexico45
45Kyrgyzstan47
46Kosovo48
47=Tajikistan50
World Avg54.3
q=106.
Disbelief In God (2007)65
Pos.Higher is better
%65
1Vietnam81
2Japan65
3Sweden64
...
61=Uzbekistan4
62Lebanon3
63=Congo, (Brazzaville)3
63=Poland3
63=Jamaica3
63=India3
67Angola2
68=Chile2
68=Central African Rep.2
68=Tajikistan2
68=Turkmenistan2
68=Indonesia2
73Paraguay1
74=Nicaragua1
74=Bolivia1
74=Colombia1
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 below66:

Christian94.3%
Muslim0.1%
Hindu0.1%
Buddhist0.1%
Folk Religion0.1%
Jewish0.1%
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)67.

The Afterlife: Ipsos-NA in 2011 gathered some statistics on Poland68. 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.

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.

The International Humanist and Ethical Union produced a report in 2012 entitled "Freedom of Thought" (2012)70, 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)71

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 Poland72.

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