averageperson.euOne statistical standard, 27 countries

Side by side

the European Union and Poland

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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the European Union

Poland

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
the European Union
Poland

People

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

Money and work

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

Family and home

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

Health and daily life

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

Education

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

Public spending

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

Country and infrastructure

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

Environment

Renewable energy7.5 points
26.2%
18.7%

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.

the European Union

Poland

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

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

Frequently asked: the European Union and Poland

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

    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

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

    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

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

    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: the European Union or Poland?

    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: the European Union or Poland?

    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 do housing costs eat more of the income: the European Union or Poland?

    The gap is 3.6 points: the European Union 7.7%, Poland 4.1%. Share whose housing costs exceed 40% of their disposable income. ilc_lvho07a · 2025. See the figure

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

    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: the European Union or Poland?

    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: the European Union or Poland?

    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: the European Union or Poland?

    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.