averageperson.euOne statistical standard, 27 countries

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Poland and the European Union

The same question asked of every column. Numbers that break down by age or sex follow the controls; the rest stay country-wide and say so.

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Poland

the European Union

The widest gap is Housing costs over 40% of income: the European Union 7.7% against Poland 4.1%, 3.6 points apart.

Ageall ages
Sex

One question per row

The faint tick on each bar is the EU27 figure.

Figure
Poland
the European Union

People

Median age1.5 years
43.4 years
44.9 years
Life expectancy at birth3.0 years
78.5 years
81.5 years
People12.35×
36.5m
450.6m
People per square kilometre8.1%
119 per km²
110 per km²
Women in the population0.6 points
51.7%
51.0%
Born abroad11.8 points
2.6%
14.4%
Born outside the EU8.5 points
1.9%
10.4%

Money and work

Disposable income per person59.4%
€14,394
€22,939
Average net income66.5%
€15,588
€25,952
Take-home pay, average-wage worker56.9%
€19,086
€29,954
Gross pay, average-wage worker64.0%
€26,628
€43,658
In work, age 20 to 642.7 points
78.8%
76.1%
Out of work2.9 points
3.1%
6.0%
Hours worked a week2.8 hours
40.1 hours
37.3 hours
At risk of poverty3.1 points
13.2%
16.3%
Housing costs over 40% of income3.6 points
4.1%
7.7%
GDP per person69.0%
€24,680
€41,700

Family and home

People at home21.7%
2.8
2.3
Households with children3.1 points
31.8%
28.7%
Children per woman17.5%
1.14
1.34
Own their home18.7 points
87.2%
68.5%

Health and daily life

Hospital beds23.7%
628 per 100,000 people
507 per 100,000 people
Doctors3.2%
386 per 100,000 people
374 per 100,000 people

Education

With a degree3.1 points
40.0%
36.9%
Students per 1,000 people11.0%
38.2 per 1,000 people
42.4 per 1,000 people

Public spending

Public spending on them72.0%
€11,457
€19,707
Tax raised per person86.1%
€8,704
€16,198
Government debt22.0 points
59.7%
81.7%

Country and infrastructure

Land area13.55×
311,928 km²
4,225,104 km²
Railway density30.1%
63.9 per 1,000 km²
49.1 per 1,000 km²
Motorway density3.03×
6.2 per 1,000 km²
18.6 per 1,000 km²
Cars per 1,000 people9.4%
639 per 1,000 people
584 per 1,000 people
Households with internet1.4 points
96.2%
94.8%
Tourist nights per resident2.52×
2.67
6.73

Environment

Renewable energy7.5 points
18.7%
26.2%

Where €100 of public spending goes

Every euro each general government spends, sorted into the ten functions all 27 countries report against. Open a row for the ranking of 27 and what sits inside it.

Poland

the European Union

Function
Poland
the European Union
10.5%
12.4%
6.0%
3.0%
4.8%
3.5%
12.4%
10.8%
1.4%
1.7%
1.2%
1.5%
12.4%
15.0%
2.9%
2.4%
11.3%
9.7%
37.0%
40.0%

Reference year 2024. Total public spending €100.00 in every column, so the ten shares always add up to one hundred.

Frequently asked: Poland and the European Union

  1. Where do more people live: Poland or the European Union?

    The gap is 12.35×: the European Union 450.6m, Poland 36.5m. People usually resident in the country on 1 January. demo_pjan · 2025. See the figure

  2. Which covers more ground: Poland or the European Union?

    The gap is 13.55×: the European Union 4,225,104, Poland 311,928. Total area of the country, inland water included. reg_area3 · 2026. See the figure

  3. Where were more residents born abroad: Poland or the European Union?

    The gap is 11.8 points: the European Union 14.4%, Poland 2.6%. Share of residents born in another country. Eurostat records country of birth, not ethnicity. migr_pop3ctb · 2025. See the figure

  4. Which spends more on health per resident: Poland or the European Union?

    The gap is 2.08×: the European Union €2,959, Poland €1,423. Hospitals, doctors, medicines and medical equipment, and public health programmes. gov_10a_exp · 2024. See the figure

  5. Which spends a larger share of its budget on defence: Poland or the European Union?

    The gap is 2.9 points: Poland 6.0%, the European Union 3.0%. Armed forces, defence equipment, military aid abroad, and defence research. gov_10a_exp · 2024. See the figure

  6. Where is unemployment higher: Poland or the European Union?

    The gap is 2.9 points: the European Union 6.0%, Poland 3.1%. Share of 15 to 74 year olds in the labour force who are without work and looking for it. une_rt_a · 2025. See the figure

  7. Where does more energy come from renewables: Poland or the European Union?

    The gap is 7.5 points: the European Union 26.2%, Poland 18.7%. Share of final energy use that comes from renewable sources. nrg_ind_ren · 2025. See the figure

  8. Where do more people own their home: Poland or the European Union?

    The gap is 18.7 points: Poland 87.2%, the European Union 68.5%. Share of people living in a home owned by their household, mortgaged or outright. ilc_lvho02 · 2025. See the figure

  9. Where are there more hospital beds per 100,000 people: Poland or the European Union?

    The gap is 23.7%: Poland 628, the European Union 507. Beds available in hospitals, per 100,000 residents. hlth_rs_bds1 · 2024. See the figure

  10. Where are there more university students per 1,000 people: Poland or the European Union?

    The gap is 11.0%: the European Union 42.4, Poland 38.2. People in higher education, per 1,000 residents. educ_uoe_enrt01 · 2024. See the figure

Medians where possible, per-capita averages for spending. This person is a composite of published statistics, not the most common person in the country.