Poland (Republic of Poland)

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

By Vexen Crabtree 2013

Poland Republic of Poland
Status	Independent State
Social and Moral Index	33rd best
Capital	Warsaw
Land Area	304 150km²₁
Location	Europe
Population	37.9m₂
Life Expectancy	76.46yrs (2017)₃
GNI	$33 034 (2017)₄
ISO3166-1 Codes	PL, POL, 616₅
Internet Domain	.pl₆
Currency	Zloty (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

“Chic 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
1	Switzerland	0.962
2	Norway	0.961
3	Iceland	0.959
	...
31	Estonia	0.890
32	Czechia	0.889
33	Greece	0.887
34	Poland	0.876
35=	Saudi Arabia	0.875
35=	Bahrain	0.875
35=	Lithuania	0.875
38	Portugal	0.866
	Europe Avg	0.87
	World Avg	0.72
q=191.

Gross National Income Per-Capita (2021)₁₁
Pos.		Higher is better PPP $₁₁
1	Liechtenstein	$146 830
2	Singapore	$90 919
3	Qatar	$87 134
	...
39	Estonia	$38 048
40	Lithuania	$37 931
41	Portugal	$33 155
42	Poland	$33 034
43	Latvia	$32 803
44	Hungary	$32 789
45	Turkey	$31 033
46	Slovakia	$30 690
	Europe Avg	$40 512
	World Avg	$20 136
q=193.

Social & Moral Development Index₁₂
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₁₂
1	Denmark	27.0
2	Norway	29.9
3	Sweden	31.8
	...
30	Costa Rica	54.7
31	Hungary	54.7
32	Malta	55.8
33	Poland	56.3
34	Chile	57.5
35	USA	57.5
36	Greece	57.7
37	Monaco	59.0
	Europe Avg	55.7
	World Avg	88.6
q=199.

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 #fertility #health #immigration #life_expectancy #longevity #migration #overpopulation #population #yemen

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 1.26. The fertility rate is, in simple terms, the average amount of children that each woman has. The higher the figure, the quicker the population will grow, although, to calculate the rate you also need to take into account morbidity - 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 (two new children for each set of parents who die), 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. The highest fertility rate ever detected in a single year was in Yemen in 1985, at 8.86.₁₃

Population₂
Pos.		2018 Population₂
1	China	1.4b
2	India	1.4b
3	USA	327.1m
	...
34	Algeria	42.2m
35	Sudan	41.8m
36	Iraq	38.4m
37	Poland	37.9m
38	Afghanistan	37.2m
39	Canada	37.1m
40	Morocco	36.0m
41	Saudi Arabia	33.7m
	World Avg	39.0m
q=195.

Life Expectancy Higher is better₁₁
Pos.		2021 Years₁₁
1	Monaco	85.9
2	Hong Kong	85.5
3	Japan	84.8
	...
48	Costa Rica	77.0
49	Saudi Arabia	76.9
50	Albania	76.5
51	Poland	76.5
52	Sri Lanka	76.4
53	Algeria	76.4
54	Montenegro	76.3
55	Panama	76.2
	World Avg	71.28
q=195.

Fertility Rate 2.0 is best₁₄
Pos.		2022₁₄
1	US Virgin Islands	2.00
2	Ecuador	2.00
3	Nepal	2.01
	...
126	Philippines	2.73
127	Lithuania	1.27
128	Ukraine	1.27
129	Poland	1.26
130	Japan	1.26
131	Botswana	2.75
132	Djibouti	2.76
133	Italy	1.24
	World Avg	2.47
q=208.

Old-Age Dependency Ratio Lower is better₁₅
Pos.		2016 Per 100₁₅
1	Uganda	04.3
2	Mali	04.5
3=	Chad	04.7
	...
157	Lithuania	36.0
158	Czechia	36.1
159	Cuba	36.2
160	Poland	36.3
161	Singapore	36.5
162	Latvia	36.7
163=	Sweden	37.0
163=	Bulgaria	37.0
	World Avg	18.3
q=185.

Migration:

Immigrants₁₆
Pos.		2017 %₁₆
1	UAE	88.4%
2	Kuwait	75.5%
3	Qatar	65.2%
	...
135	Albania	1.8%
136	Pakistan	1.7%
137	Nepal	1.7%
138	Poland	1.7%
139	Senegal	1.7%
140	Comoros	1.5%
141	Fiji	1.5%
142	Ghana	1.4%
	World Avg	9.4%
q=195.

Emigrants₁₇
Pos.		2010 %₁₇
1	Dominica	104.8%
2	Palestine	68.4%
3	Samoa	67.3%
	...
76	Somalia	8.7%
77	Kuwait	8.5%
78	Ecuador	8.3%
79	Poland	8.3%
80	Afghanistan	8.1%
81	Paraguay	7.9%
82	Russia	7.9%
83	Mali	7.6%
	World Avg	11.5%
q=192.

4. Human Rights, Equality & Tolerance

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

Human Rights, Equality & Tolerance (2025)₁₈
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₁₈
1	Sweden	6.1
2	Denmark	8.6
3	Norway	9.0
	...
30	Taiwan	43.7
31	Lithuania	44.7
32	Chile	47.9
33	Poland	48.0
34	S. Korea	48.5
35	Latvia	49.4
	Europe Avg	47.37
	World Avg	86.55
q=199.

Poland does relatively well in ensuring human rights and freedom, compared to many other countries. Poland does better than average in supporting personal, civil & economic freedoms₁₉, commentary in Human Rights Watch reports₂₀ (but bad for Europe), the rate of gender bias (from 7 indicators)₂₁ (but high for Europe), its nominal commitment to Human Rights₂₂, opposing gender inequality₂₃, supporting press freedom₂₄, LGBT equality₂₅, its average Freedom in the World rating and in eliminating modern slavery₂₆. Poland doesn't do so well in other areas. Poland does worse than average in terms of its success in fighting anti-semitic prejudice₂₇ (amongst the worst in Europe) and in freethought₂₈. Human Rights Watch sounded warnings that in 2017 Poland "continued to undermine the rule of law and human rights protection during the year"₂₉. Poland is Europe's most Catholic country and has the region's most restrictive abortion laws in Europe₃₀ but in 2017 made access to emergency contraception even more limited₃₀, 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:

Human Rights and Freedom in Poland

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 (2025)₃₁
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₃₁
1	Monaco	14.3
2	Liechtenstein	30.1
3	Isle of Man	32.1
	...
32	Montenegro	63.8
33	Estonia	67.8
34	Macedonia	70.4
35	Poland	70.8
36	Albania	71.4
37	Hungary	71.6
38	Slovakia	72.6
39	Serbia	72.7
40	Bosnia & Herzegovina	75.0
	Europe Avg	86.87
q=52.

Health (2025)₃₁
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₃₁
1	Monaco	14.3
2	Liechtenstein	30.1
3	Isle of Man	32.1
	...
59	Israel	70.2
60	Macedonia	70.4
61	Qatar	70.7
62	Poland	70.8
63=	French Polynesia	70.9
63=	Puerto Rico	70.9
65	Barbados	71.0
66	Albania	71.4
	World Avg	96.74
q=212.

The countries with the best overall approach to public health, in terms of both public policy and individual lifestyle choices, are Monaco, Liechtenstein and The Isle of Man₃₂. These countries are worth emulating. And, although often through no fault of the average citizen, the worst countries are S. Sudan, Angola and Nigeria₃₂.

21 datasets are used to calculate points for each country, including multiple decades of data on 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, Europe and The Balkans₃₂, whereas the worst are Africa, Micronesia and Melanesia₃₂.

For more, see:

"Countries With the Healthiest Cultures and Health Policies" by Vexen Crabtree (2020).

Health:

Poland has some poor policies and cultural issues which cause some public health problems. Poland does better than average when it comes to its adolescent birth rate₃₃, its immunizations take-up₃₄, its average life expectancy₁₁ (but low for Europe) and in its food aid and health contributions and WHO compliance₃₅ (but bad for Europe). But, there's bad news too. Poland does worse than average when it comes to its suicide rate₃₆, its fertility rate₁₄ (amongst the highest in Europe) and in its smoking rate₃₇. And finally, it falls into the worst 20 for its alcohol consumption rate₃₈. The number of overweight adults has increased by 14% over the past 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. Poland's peak fertility rate was 2.98 in 1960.

Life Expectancy Higher is better₁₁
Pos.		2021 Years₁₁
1	Monaco	85.9
2	Hong Kong	85.5
3	Japan	84.8
	...
48	Costa Rica	77.0
49	Saudi Arabia	76.9
50	Albania	76.5
51	Poland	76.5
52	Sri Lanka	76.4
53	Algeria	76.4
54	Montenegro	76.3
55	Panama	76.2
	Europe Avg	78.36
	World Avg	71.28
q=195.

Alcohol Consumption Lower is better₃₈
Pos.		2016 Per Capita₃₈
1	Bangladesh	0.0
2	Kuwait	0.0
3	Libya	0.0
	...
170=	Switzerland	11.5
171	Austria	11.6
172=	Estonia	11.6
172=	Poland	11.6
174	Russia	11.7
175	Seychelles	12.0
176	Belgium	12.1
177	Portugal	12.3
	Europe Avg	10.3
	World Avg	6.2
q=189.

Fertility Rate 2.0 is best₁₄
Pos.		2022₁₄
1	US Virgin Islands	2.00
2	Ecuador	2.00
3	Nepal	2.01
	...
126	Philippines	2.73
127	Lithuania	1.27
128	Ukraine	1.27
129	Poland	1.26
130	Japan	1.26
131	Botswana	2.75
132	Djibouti	2.76
133	Italy	1.24
	Europe Avg	1.53
	World Avg	2.47
q=208.

Smoking Rates Lower is better₃₇
Pos.		2014₃₇
1	Guinea	15
2	Solomon Islands	26
3	Kiribati	28
	...
145	Cuba	1 392
146	Saudi Arabia	1 395
147	Netherlands	1 396
148	Poland	1 396
149	Italy	1 443
150	Germany	1 480
151	Bulgaria	1 505
152	Kuwait	1 517
	Europe Avg	1 648
	World Avg	819
q=182.

Suicide Rate₃₆
Pos.		2013 Per 100k₃₆
1	Haiti	0
2	Grenada	0
3	Egypt	0.1
	...
67	Czechia	28.3
68	Suriname	28.7
69	Hong Kong	29.7
70	Poland	30.5
71	Austria	30.9
72	Uruguay	32.3
73	France	33.2
74	Moldova	35.7
	Europe Avg	26.99
	World Avg	20.93
q=91.

Food Aid, Health Contributions & WHO Compliance Lower is better₃₅
Pos.		2017 Rank₃₅
1	Sweden	1
2	Ireland	2
3	Denmark	3
	...
76	Malta	76
77	Guatemala	77
78	Sri Lanka	78
79	Poland	79
80	Uruguay	80
81	Dominican Rep.	81
82	Zambia	82
83	Croatia	83
	Europe Avg	47.4
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Overweight Adults Lower is better₃₉
Pos.		2016 %₃₉
1	Vietnam	18.3
2	India	19.7
3	Bangladesh	20.0
	...
121	Macedonia	58.1
122	Nicaragua	58.2
123=	Norway	58.3
123=	Poland	58.3
125	Ukraine	58.4
126=	Cuba	58.5
126=	Italy	58.5
128	Luxembourg	58.7
	Europe Avg	58.5
	World Avg	49.0
q=191.

Children's Health:

Adolescent Birth Rate Lower is better₃₃
Pos.		2022 Per 1000₃₃
1	Hong Kong	1.6
2	Denmark	1.8
3	S. Korea	2.1
	...
38	Greece	8.3
39	Bahrain	8.7
40	Malaysia	9.1
41	Poland	9.2
42	Czechia	9.4
43	Bosnia & Herzegovina	9.4
44	France	9.4
45	Brunei	9.5
	Europe Avg	11.4
	World Avg	43.8
q=195.

Infant Immunizations 2011-2015 Higher is better₃₄
Pos.		2015 Avg %₃₄
1=	Hungary	99.0
1=	China	99.0
3	Uzbekistan	98.9
	...
39=	Jordan	96.6
39=	Brunei	96.6
41	Spain	96.5
42	Poland	96.5
43	Libya	96.4
44	St Kitts & Nevis	96.3
45	Bahamas	96.2
46	Maldives	96.2
	Europe Avg	92.7
	World Avg	88.3
q=194.

6. Poland's Responsibility Towards The Environment

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

Compared to Europe (2025)₄₀
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₄₀
1	Switzerland	45.0
2	Denmark	50.4
3	Liechtenstein	56.8
	...
23	Bulgaria	75.8
24	Latvia	77.7
25	Slovakia	80.8
26	Poland	81.0
27	Slovenia	82.1
28	Georgia	83.6
29	Macedonia	86.9
30	Croatia	88.5
31	Czechia	89.3
	Europe Avg	86.45
q=48.

Responsibility Towards The Environment (2025)₄₀
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₄₀
1	Sri Lanka	34.9
2	Uruguay	43.2
3	Switzerland	45.0
	...
91	Algeria	79.7
92	Nicaragua	80.5
93	Slovakia	80.8
94	Poland	81.0
95	UAE	81.8
96	Bolivia	81.8
97	Slovenia	82.1
98	Panama	82.5
	World Avg	84.93
q=199.

All countries' current and historical approach towards the environment is gauged via 21 datasets, including multiple decades of data on its forested percent change 2000-2020, its environmental performance, energy to GDP efficiency, its sign-up rate to major international accords on protecting the environment, the rate of rational beliefs on the environment in the population, reducing annual meat consumption per person and its score on the Green Future Index.

The countries that do the best (Sri Lanka, Uruguay and Switzerland) tend to have avoided the excesses of early industrial countries, and have not yet repeated the same mistakes of environmental destruction - at least, not on the same scale. The regions with the best average results per country are Central America, South America and Scandinavia. The worst are Eritrea, The Vatican City and Timor-Leste (E. Timor), and the worst regions Micronesia, Australasia and Melanesia.

For more, see:

" Countries With the Best Environmental Records" by Vexen Crabtree (2025).

In terms of its responsibility towards the environment, Poland is positioned 94th in the world. This rank is derived from 7 data sets. Poland does better than average when it comes to its score on the Green Future Index₄₁ (but low for Europe), its environmental performance₄₂ (but bad for Europe), its forested percent change 2000-2020₄₃ and in energy to GDP efficiency₄₄. Poland does not succeed in everything, however. Poland does worse than average in terms of its sign-up rate to major international accords on protecting the environment and in the rate of rational beliefs on the environment in the population₄₅. And finally, it sits amongst the bottom 20 in terms of reducing annual meat consumption per person₄₆ (amongst the highest in Europe).

Forest Area Change 2000-2020 Higher is better₄₃
Pos.		Total₄₃
1	Guernsey	82.6%
2	Bahrain	75.2%
3	Iceland	64.7%
	...
49	Tunisia	5.2%
50	Swaziland	5.1%
51	Thailand	4.7%
52	Poland	4.6%
53	Macedonia	4.6%
54	Palau	4.6%
55	Bhutan	4.5%
56	Morocco	4.2%
	Europe Avg	8.2%
	World Avg	-0.1%
q=234.

Environmental Performance Higher is better₄₂
Pos.		2018₄₂
1	Switzerland	87.4
2	France	84.0
3	Denmark	81.6
	...
47	Uruguay	64.7
48	Estonia	64.3
49	Singapore	64.2
50	Poland	64.1
51	Venezuela	63.9
52	Russia	63.8
53	Brunei	63.6
54	Morocco	63.5
	Europe Avg	69.6
	World Avg	56.4
q=180.

Energy to GDP Efficiency Lower is better₄₄
Pos.		2022 Avg₄₄
1	Rwanda	0.25
2	Chad	0.26
3	Tanzania	0.31
	...
74	Peru	0.99
75	Croatia	1.00
76	Hungary	1.01
77	Poland	1.01
78	Montenegro	1.03
79	Lesotho	1.03
80	Mauritius	1.03
81	Macedonia	1.04
	Europe Avg	1.25
	World Avg	1.23
q=165.

From the 1980s to the 1990s, Poland was one of only 7 countries that improved its energy-to-GDP efficiency by more than 1.0.

International Accords on the Environment Higher is better
Pos.		Total Avg Rate
1	Sweden	83%
2	Canada	82%
3	Norway	81%
	...
101	Belize	57%
102	Bulgaria	57%
103	Honduras	57%
104	Poland	57%
105	Mozambique	57%
106	Romania	57%
107	Slovakia	57%
108	St Lucia	56%
	Europe Avg	62.7%
	World Avg	57.5%
q=197.

Poland was one of the 31 countries that signed the Basel Convention during its first year.

Rational Beliefs on the Environment Higher is better₄₅
Pos.		2011 %₄₅
1	Argentina	78.3%
2	Greece	77.6%
3	Brazil	77.1%
	...
112	Iraq	24.9%
113	Sweden	24.3%
114	New Zealand	24.2%
115	Poland	23.8%
116	Belarus	23.7%
117	Afghanistan	23.6%
118	Russia	23.5%
119	Algeria	23.5%
	Europe Avg	33.6%
	World Avg	39.9%
q=145.

Meat Consumption Lower is better₄₆
Pos.		2021 kg₄₆
1	Congo, DR	03.0
2	Burundi	03.5
3	Bangladesh	04.3
	...
163	New Caledonia	87.5
164	Montenegro	88.4
165	Belarus	88.9
166	Poland	89.3
167	St Lucia	89.6
168	Taiwan	89.8
169	Croatia	90.8
170	French Polynesia	92.5
	Europe Avg	71.1
	World Avg	52.5
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.₄₆

Green Future Index Higher is better₄₁
Pos.		2023 Score₄₁
1	Iceland	6.7
2	Finland	6.7
3	Norway	6.4
	...
18	Portugal	5.5
19	USA	5.4
20=	Switzerland	5.4
20=	Poland	5.4
22	Austria	5.4
23	Bulgaria	5.3
24	Costa Rica	5.3
25	S. Africa	5.2
	Europe Avg	5.6
	World Avg	4.8
q=76.

7. Poland's Modernity and Learning

#capitalism #charity #corruption #economics #education #english #extremism #happiness #health #human_development #inequality #intelligence #it_security #life_expectancy #maths #modernity #morals #peace #poland #politics #religion #religiosity #religious_violence #research #science #secularisation #social_development #technology #terrorism #the_internet

Compared to Europe (2020)₄₇
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₄₇
1	Finland	7.1
2	Belgium	12.9
3	Denmark	13.6
	...
18	Spain	30.0
19	Latvia	30.3
20	Lithuania	31.4
21	Poland	33.2
22	Luxembourg	33.9
23	Italy	34.0
24	Portugal	34.4
25	Greece	36.3
26	Slovakia	42.9
	Europe Avg	39.81
q=45.

Modernity & Learning (2020)₄₇
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₄₇
1	Finland	7.1
2	Belgium	12.9
3	Denmark	13.6
	...
26	Latvia	30.3
27	Hong Kong	31.2
28	Lithuania	31.4
29	Poland	33.2
30	Luxembourg	33.9
31	Italy	34.0
32	Singapore	34.1
33	Portugal	34.4
	World Avg	86.31
q=190.

The most modern countries, with the best results from education, the highest levels of research, and with the easiest access to information on the Internet, are Finland, Belgium and Denmark₄₈. The worst countries are Eritrea, S. Sudan and Sierra Leone₄₈. Despite improves in global education, access to tertiary (adult) education is becoming increasingly unequal between the rich haves and the poor have-nots₄₉.

“Education, at all levels and ages, is the single most vital support for equality as well as being a country's most vital economic and social resource. [...] Every successful aspirant to modernisation and economic development, from Japan to South Korea, China to Chile, has got there with a big emphasis on education.”
Bill Emmott (2017)₅₀

15 datasets are used to calculate points for each country, including multiple decades of data on Research and Development, Secondary Education, Length of Schooling, Intellectual Endeavours, Maths, Science & Reading, Religiosity, IQ, the percent of citizens with access to the internet, Freedom On The Internet, IT Security, IPv6 Uptake and digital quality of life. The regions with the best average results per country are Scandinavia, Baltic States and Europe₄₈, whereas the worst are Melanesia, Africa and Micronesia₄₈.

For more, see:

" Which Countries are Most Modern, With the Best Education and Internet Access?" by Vexen Crabtree (2025).

Modernity and Education:

Research & Development Higher is better
Pos.		2016 % RDP PPP
1	S. Korea	4.29₅₁
2	Israel	4.11₅₁
3	Japan	3.58₅₁
	...
33	Malaysia	1.13₅₂
34	Turkey	1.01₅₁
35	Lithuania	0.95₅₃
36	Poland	0.94₅₁
37=	Slovakia	0.89₅₁
37=	Malta	0.89₅₃
39	Greece	0.84₅₁
40	India	0.82₅₄
	Europe Avg	1.32
	World Avg	0.84
q=126.

Secondary Education Higher is better₅₅
Pos.		2018₅₅
1=	Luxembourg	100.0%
1=	Estonia	100.0%
1=	Austria	100.0%
	...
48	Ireland	88.3%
49	Netherlands	88.3%
50	Cuba	87.4%
51	Poland	85.3%
52	Belgium	84.8%
53	UK	84.5%
54	Jordan	84.0%
55	France	83.5%
	Europe Avg	88.3%
	World Avg	63.0%
q=169.

Length of Schooling Higher is better₅₆
Pos.		2021 Years₅₆
1	Australia	21.1
2	New Zealand	20.3
3	Greece	20.0
	...
35	Saudi Arabia	16.1
36	Israel	16.1
37	Tonga	16.0
38	Poland	16.0
39	Austria	16.0
40	Estonia	15.9
41	Thailand	15.9
42	France	15.8
	Europe Avg	16.1
	World Avg	13.5
q=193.

Intellectual Endeavours Lower is better₃₅
Pos.		2017 Rank₃₅
1	Ukraine	1
2	Czechia	2
3	Hungary	3
	...
20	Australia	20
21	Germany	21
22	Grenada	22
23	Poland	23
24	France	24
25	S. Africa	25
26	Singapore	26
27	Greece	27
	Europe Avg	31.3
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Maths, Science & Reading Higher is better₅₇
Pos.		2015 Score₅₇
1	Singapore	1655
2	Hong Kong	1598
3	Japan	1586
	...
16	New Zealand	1517
17=	Norway	1513
17=	Denmark	1513
19	Poland	1511
20	Belgium	1508
21=	Vietnam	1507
21=	Australia	1507
23	UK	1499
	Europe Avg	1417
	World Avg	1389
q=70.

Religiosity Lower is better₅₈
Pos.		2018 %₅₈
1	China	3
2	Estonia	6
3	Czechia	7
	...
32	Canada	27
33=	Uzbekistan	29
33=	Uruguay	29
35	Poland	30
36	Serbia	34
37=	Israel	36
37=	Portugal	36
39	Azerbaijan	38
	Europe Avg	25.8
	World Avg	54.3
q=106.

IQ Higher is better₅₉
Pos.		2006₅₉
1=	Hong Kong	108
1=	Singapore	108
3	S. Korea	106
	...
13=	Austria	100
13=	UK	100
15	New Zealand	99
16=	Poland	99
16=	Germany	99
16=	Finland	99
16=	Estonia	99
16=	Sweden	99
	Europe Avg	96.6
	World Avg	85.6
q=138.

Technology and Information:

Internet Users Higher is better₆₀
Pos.		2016₆₀
1	Iceland	100%
2	Faroe Islands	99%
3	Norway	98%
	...
48	Macau	73%
49=	Israel	73%
49=	Guam	73%
51	Poland	72%
52	Brunei	72%
53	Slovenia	72%
54	Cyprus	72%
55	Russia	71%
	Europe Avg	76.7%
	World Avg	48.1%
q=201.

IT Security Lower is better₆₁
Pos.		2013₆₁
1=	Ireland	0.11
1=	Luxembourg	0.11
1=	Belize	0.11
	...
18	Sweden	0.44
19	Romania	0.52
20	Turkey	0.52
21	Poland	0.55
22	Switzerland	0.55
23	S. Korea	0.56
24	Australia	0.63
25	Libya	0.63
	Europe Avg	0.80
	World Avg	0.98

IPv6 Uptake Higher is better₆₂
Pos.		2017 Ratio₆₂
1	Belgium	55.4
2	Germany	41.8
3	Switzerland	35.1
	...
34	Macau	4.2
35	Singapore	4.0
36	Sweden	3.8
37	Poland	3.6
38	Thailand	3.3
39	Denmark	3.1
40	Bosnia & Herzegovina	3.1
41	Sri Lanka	2.9
	Europe Avg	8.11
	World Avg	3.82
q=176.

Digital Quality of Life Higher is better₆₃
Pos.		2024₆₃
1	Germany	77.9%
2	Finland	76.9%
3	France	73.9%
	...
17	USA	67.5%
18	Bulgaria	66.3%
19	Belgium	66.1%
20=	Poland	66.0%
20=	S. Korea	66.0%
22	Ireland	65.9%
23	Israel	65.4%
24	Norway	64.5%
	Europe Avg	61.0%
	World Avg	48.4%
q=121.

8. Poland's Culture, Peace and Inequality

#capitalism #charitability #charity #corruption #culture #economics #equality #extremism #happiness #health #human_development #inequality #life_expectancy #morals #peace #poland #politics #religious_violence #social_development #terrorism

Compared to Europe (2020)₆₄
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₆₄
1	Denmark	11.2
2	Norway	13.9
3	Netherlands	14.4
	...
16	Czechia	38.9
17	Hungary	41.1
18	France	41.3
19	Poland	41.5
20	Estonia	44.2
21	Spain	45.0
22	Cyprus	47.4
23	Portugal	48.2
24	Italy	48.6
	Europe Avg	48.48
q=44.

Culture, Peace & Inequality (2020)₆₄
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₆₄
1	Denmark	11.2
2	Norway	13.9
3	Netherlands	14.4
	...
23	Hungary	41.1
24	UAE	41.1
25	France	41.3
26	Poland	41.5
27	Estonia	44.2
28	Qatar	44.8
29	Spain	45.0
30	Japan	45.5
	World Avg	78.12
q=180.

This is the final pillar of the Social and Moral Development Index; it has 22 datasets, including multiple decades of data on World Giving Index, resisting corruption, overall happiness, Creativity and Culture, Open Trading, Aid and Development, its Global Peace Index rating, Peacekeeping and Security, Refugees and UN Treaties, the impact of terrorism, Inequality in Life Expectancy, Income Inequality (Gini Coefficient) and Multidimensional Poverty.

For more, see:

"Which are the Countries for International Contributions, Creativity, Peace and Inequality?" by Vexen Crabtree (2025).

National Culture:

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 better₆₅
Pos.		2022 %₆₅
1	Indonesia	68.0
2	Kenya	61.0
3	USA	59.0
	...
18=	UAE	47.0
18=	Philippines	47.0
18=	Argentina	47.0
18=	Poland	47.0
22	Serbia	46.0
23=	Netherlands	46.0
23=	Jamaica	46.0
23=	Russia	46.0
	Europe Avg	39.0
	World Avg	39.6
q=125.

Corruption Higher is better₆₆
Pos.		2022 Points₆₆
1	Denmark	90.0
2=	Finland	87.0
2=	New Zealand	87.0
	...
43	Italy	56.0
44=	Slovenia	56.0
45	Dominica	55.0
46=	Poland	55.0
46=	St Lucia	55.0
48	Costa Rica	54.0
49=	Fiji	53.0
49=	Slovakia	53.0
	Europe Avg	57.61
	World Avg	42.98
q=180.

Happiness Higher is better₆₇
Pos.		2024 Score₆₇
1	Finland	7.7
2	Denmark	7.5
3	Iceland	7.5
	...
23	UK	6.7
24	USA	6.7
25	Belize	6.7
26	Poland	6.7
27	Taiwan	6.7
28	Uruguay	6.7
29	Kosovo	6.7
30	Kuwait	6.6
	Europe Avg	6.37
	World Avg	5.58
q=147.

Creativity & Culture Lower is better₃₅
Pos.		2017 Rank₃₅
1	Belgium	1
2	Netherlands	2
3	Estonia	3
	...
18	Barbados	18
19	Hungary	19
20	Slovakia	20
21	Poland	21
22	Norway	22
23	Lithuania	23
24	St Lucia	24
25	Canada	25
	Europe Avg	35.0
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Open Trading, Aid & Development Lower is better₃₅
Pos.		2017 Rank₃₅
1	Ireland	1
2	Denmark	2
3	Sweden	3
	...
43	Morocco	43
44	Fiji	44
45	Bosnia & Herzegovina	45
46	Poland	46
47	Japan	47
48	Armenia	48
49	UAE	49
50	Greece	50
	Europe Avg	42.6
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Peace Versus Instability:

Global Peace Index Lower is better₆₈
Pos.		2023 Score₆₈
1	Iceland	1.12
2	Denmark	1.31
3	Ireland	1.31
	...
26	Slovakia	1.58
27	Latvia	1.58
28	Sweden	1.63
29	Poland	1.63
30	Bulgaria	1.64
31=	Spain	1.65
31=	Romania	1.65
31=	Taiwan	1.65
	Europe Avg	1.70
	World Avg	2.07
q=163.

Peacekeeping & Security Lower is better₃₅
Pos.		2017 Rank₃₅
1	Samoa	1
2	S. Africa	2
3	Tunisia	3
	...
104	Latvia	104
105	Laos	105
106	Mozambique	106
107	Poland	107
108	Ukraine	108
109	Belgium	109
110	Panama	110
111	Equatorial Guinea	111
	Europe Avg	84.6
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Refugees & UN Treaties Lower is better₃₅
Pos.		2017 Rank₃₅
1	Austria	1
2	Germany	2
3	Netherlands	3
	...
21	Ireland	21
22	Costa Rica	22
23	Thailand	23
24	Poland	24
25	S. Africa	25
26	Chile	26
27	Panama	27
28	Portugal	28
	Europe Avg	37.8
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Impact of Terrorism Lower is better₆₉
Pos.		2019 Score₆₉
1	Togo	0.00
2	Mongolia	0.00
3	Swaziland	0.00
	...
42=	Lithuania	0.46
42=	Sierra Leone	0.46
44	Jamaica	0.47
45	Poland	0.48
46	Gabon	0.55
47	Malawi	0.66
48	Azerbaijan	0.70
49	Czechia	0.87
	Europe Avg	1.62
	World Avg	2.78
q=150.

Economic Inequality and Poverty:

Inequality in Life Expectancy Lower is better₇₀
Pos.		2019₇₀
1	Iceland	2.40
2=	Singapore	2.50
2=	Hong Kong	2.50
	...
29	UK	4.10
30	Hungary	4.20
31=	Croatia	4.30
31=	Poland	4.30
31=	New Zealand	4.30
34	Belarus	4.40
35=	Canada	4.60
35=	Malta	4.60
	Europe Avg	4.86
	World Avg	14.59
q=184.

Income Inequality (Gini Coefficient) Lower is better₇₁
Pos.		2023 %₇₁
1	Slovakia	24.1%₇₂
2	Slovenia	24.3%₇₂
3	Belarus	24.4%₇₃
	...
18	Kiribati	27.8%₇₄
19	Armenia	27.9%₇₅
20	Denmark	28.3%₇₂
21=	Poland	28.5%₇₂
21=	Bhutan	28.5%₇₅
23	Timor-Leste (E. Timor)	28.7%₇₆
24	Croatia	28.9%₇₂
25	Kosovo	29.0%₇₇
	Europe Avg	30.7%
	World Avg	36.5%
q=167.

Poland had the 10th-lowest income inequality in the 1980s.

9. Religion and Beliefs

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

Religiosity (2018)₅₈
Pos.		Lower is better %₅₈
1	China	3
2	Estonia	6
3	Czechia	7
	...
32	Canada	27
33=	Uzbekistan	29
33=	Uruguay	29
35	Poland	30
36	Serbia	34
37=	Israel	36
37=	Portugal	36
39	Azerbaijan	38
40	Chile	41
41=	Croatia	42
41=	Moldova	42
43	Argentina	43
44	Mexico	45
45	Kyrgyzstan	47
46	Kosovo	48
47=	Tajikistan	50
	World Avg	54.3
q=106.

Disbelief In God (2007)₇₈
Pos.		Higher is better %₇₈
1	Vietnam	81
2	Japan	65
3	Sweden	64
	...
61=	Uzbekistan	4
62	Lebanon	3
63=	Congo, (Brazzaville)	3
63=	Poland	3
63=	Jamaica	3
63=	India	3
67	Angola	2
68=	Chile	2
68=	Central African Rep.	2
68=	Tajikistan	2
68=	Turkmenistan	2
68=	Indonesia	2
73	Paraguay	1
74=	Nicaragua	1
74=	Bolivia	1
74=	Colombia	1
	World Avg	9.9
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 below₇₉:

Christian	94.3%
Muslim	0.1%
Hindu	0.1%
Buddhist	0.1%
Folk Religion	0.1%
Jewish	0.1%
Unaffiliated	5.6%

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:

"Institutionalized Religions Have Their Numbers Inflated by National Polls" by Vexen Crabtree (2009)

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)₈₀.

The Afterlife: Ipsos-NA in 2011 gathered some statistics on Poland₈₁. 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 folk₈₂.

The International Humanist and Ethical Union produced a report in 2012 entitled "Freedom of Thought" (2012)₈₃, 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)₈₄

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 Poland₈₅.

Links: