Poland
Europe · Central Europe
Rapidly growing economy with affordable living, increasingly popular with remote workers.
Expat
Ideal destination
Retiree
Ideal destination
At a Glance
📈Poland's Human Development Index
0.881
Very High human development#35 of 191 countries worldwide, #25 of 44 in Europe.
Higher than 82% of countries with data. UNDP Human Development Report.
UNDP builds the index from three dimensions: a long and healthy life, being knowledgeable, and a decent standard of living. They are measured by life expectancy at birth, mean and expected years of schooling, and gross national income per capita.
Closest indicators in this dataset
World Bank, own vintages. UNDP’s own component values are not carried here, so these are related measures rather than the index inputs.
Nearest countries by HDI
Full HDI ranking, all 191 countries →Poland
Poland is a Central European country with a history of great complexity and a culture of extraordinary resilience, expressed in the beautiful rebuilt streets of Warsaw and Wrocław, the medieval university city of Kraków, and the Baltic coast. The food tradition is hearty and satisfying, the cities are energetic and increasingly cosmopolitan, and the countryside has a quiet, pastoral beauty. It suits those who appreciate history with depth, a strong sense of national identity, and excellent value.
- Fastest-growing major economy in the EU over the past 30 years.
- Never defaulted on its debt through the entire post-communist transition.
- Home to Auschwitz — and yet often omitted from discussions of European WWII memory.
Quick Facts
Capital
Warsaw
Language
Polish
Currency
zł PLN
Area
306,270 km²
Nomad Hub
Fixed Broadband
218Mbps
Mobile
114Mbps
GDP / Capita
$28K
PPP / Capita
$54K
Inflation
3.8%
Unemployment
3.0%
Innovation (GII)
37.7
GNI / Capita
$26K
Tax Revenue
18.0%
FDI Inflows
1.9%
Education Spend
4.3%
Cost of Living
47.3
Price Level Index
37th pct
20-Year Trend + IMF Forecast
Income & inflation over time
HDI since 1990
0.715 → 0.881 (+0.166)Year by year →UNDP Human Development Report, 2023-24 edition. 33 annual values, none interpolated; hover any point for its year.
Twenty years here
Year by year →The world report →World Bank observations, first to last available year per indicator (roughly 2005–2024; each series has its own window).
Thinking about Poland for real?
The matcher weighs your budget, timeline and dealbreakers against the same data on this page, then answers with the places that actually fit.
Find your match →
Poland head-to-head
💬Quick answers
What is Poland's Human Development Index?
Poland's Human Development Index is 0.881 (UNDP Human Development Report), ranked #35 of 191 countries.
Is Poland safe?
Poland scores 1.61 on the Global Peace Index (lower is more peaceful), ranked #22 of 160 countries by the Institute for Economics & Peace. That measures national-level peace, not street crime; both are covered below.
How expensive is Poland?
Numbeo's cost-of-living index puts Poland at 47.3 (New York = 100); that is #88 cheapest of 143 countries with data.
What is life expectancy in Poland?
Life expectancy at birth in Poland is 78.4 yrs (World Bank), ranked #48 of 195 countries.
What is the quality of life in Poland?
Numbeo's quality-of-life index scores Poland at 156.1, ranked #37 of 87 countries with data. It composites purchasing power, safety, healthcare, cost of living, commute and pollution from resident surveys, so it reflects what residents report rather than what an economy produces.