Land
Size, shape and altitude
How big is it, really?
Poland fits inside China 30 times.
China: 9,562,910 km² (2023) · Poland: 313,930 km² (2023)
How much coast is there?
China’s coastline is 33 times as long as Poland’s.
China: 14,500 km (2026 edition) · Poland: 440 km (2026 edition)
How high can you climb?
China’s highest peak towers 6,350 m above Poland’s.
China: 8,849 m (2026 edition) · Poland: 2,499 m (2026 edition)
People
Who lives there, and how closely
How many people live there?
China has 39 times as many people as Poland.
China: 1.41 billion (2025) · Poland: 36.4 million (2025)
How crowded is it?
China is 26% more densely populated than Poland.
China: 150 per km² (2025) · Poland: 119 per km² (2025)
How tall are the men?
Men in Poland are 5.0 cm taller than in China.
China: 175.7 cm (2019) · Poland: 180.7 cm (2019)
How tall are the women?
Women in Poland are 2.3 cm taller than in China.
China: 163.5 cm (2019) · Poland: 165.8 cm (2019)
How old is the typical person?
The typical person in Poland is 2.2 years older than in China.
China: 39.1 years (2023) · Poland: 41.3 years (2023)
How many children per woman?
Women in Poland have 0.1 more children on average than in China.
China: 1.01 children per woman (2024) · Poland: 1.14 children per woman (2024)
How many people are 65 or older?
21% of people in Poland are 65 or older, versus 15% in China.
China: 14.9% (2025) · Poland: 20.8% (2025)
How many Nobel laureates were born there?
Poland has produced 7.7 Nobel laureates per 10 million people, China 0.1.
China: 0.1 (2025) · Poland: 7.7 (2025)
How many official languages?
China and Poland are practically level.
China: 1 (2026) · Poland: 1 (2026)
Money
What an economy looks like per person
How big is the economy?
China’s economy is 19 times the size of Poland’s.
China: $19.5 trillion (2025) · Poland: $1.04 trillion (2025)
How much is produced per person?
Poland produces 85% more per person than China.
China: Int$29,333 (2025) · Poland: Int$54,262 (2025)
How evenly is income shared?
Income is more unequally shared in China than in Poland (Gini 7.5 points higher).
China: 36 (2022) · Poland: 28.5 (2023)
How many people are looking for work?
Unemployment is 4.6% in China, versus 3.0% in Poland.
China: 4.6% (2025) · Poland: 3% (2025)
How much goes to the military?
Poland spends 4.2% of its GDP on the military, China 1.7%.
China: 1.7% (2024) · Poland: 4.2% (2024)
How expensive is it?
Poland’s price level (US = 100) is 1.1× China’s.
China: 47% (2025) · Poland: 52% (2025)
Health
Long lives, small beginnings
How much is spent on health?
Poland spends 2.6 times as much on health per person as China.
China: $763 (2023) · Poland: $2,014 (2024)
How long do people live?
People in Poland live 0.39 years longer than in China.
China: 78 years (2024) · Poland: 78.4 years (2024)
How many babies don’t reach their first birthday?
A baby in China is 14% more likely to die before turning one than in Poland.
China: 4.1 per 1,000 (2024) · Poland: 3.6 per 1,000 (2024)
How many doctors are there?
Poland has 30% more doctors per person than China.
China: 3.1 per 1,000 (2022) · Poland: 4 per 1,000 (2023)
How common is obesity?
26% of adults in Poland are obese, versus 9.1% in China.
China: 9.1% (2024) · Poland: 25.9% (2024)
How many adults smoke?
23% of adults in China smoke, versus 22% in Poland.
China: 22.8% (2024) · Poland: 21.7% (2024)
Everyday life
Plates, glasses and happiness
How do people rate their lives?
People in Poland rate their lives 0.69 points higher than in China.
China: 6.07 (2025) · Poland: 6.77 (2025)
How much do people drink?
Adults in Poland drink 3.1 times as much alcohol as in China.
China: 3.7 litres (2023) · Poland: 11.5 litres (2023)
How much meat is on the menu?
Poland has 13% more meat per person than China.
China: 73.5 kg (2023) · Poland: 83.3 kg (2023)
How much food is there per day?
Poland has 203 kcal more food per person per day than China.
China: 3,527 kcal (2023) · Poland: 3,730 kcal (2023)
How long do people work?
Workers in China put in 521 more hours a year than in Poland.
China: 2,328 hours (2023) · Poland: 1,807 hours (2023)
How long do people go to school?
Adults in Poland went to school 5.2 years longer than in China.
China: 8 years (2023) · Poland: 13.2 years (2023)
How many tourists visit?
Poland welcomed 12 times as many tourists per resident as China (2019).
China: 0.05 (2019) · Poland: 0.54 (2024)
Connected
Online, electrified, urban
How many people are online?
92% of people in China are online, versus 89% in Poland.
China: 92% (2025) · Poland: 89% (2024)
Who has electricity at home?
China and Poland are practically level.
China: 100% (2024) · Poland: 100% (2024)
How many live in cities?
66% of people in China live in cities, versus 60% in Poland.
China: 66% (2025) · Poland: 60% (2025)
How many phones per person?
Poland has 138 mobile subscriptions per 100 people, China 132.
China: 132 (2024) · Poland: 138 (2024)
How much railway is there?
China’s railway network is 5.9 times as long as Poland’s.
China: 109,767 km (2021) · Poland: 18,620 km (2021)
How much do they fly?
Airlines from China fly 83% more passengers per resident than those from Poland.
China: 0.44 (2023) · Poland: 0.24 (2023)
Planet
Air, forests and energy
How much of the land is forest?
Forest covers 31% of Poland, but only 24% of China.
China: 24% (2023) · Poland: 31.1% (2023)
How much CO₂ does each person emit?
The average person in China emits 22% more CO₂ than someone in Poland.
China: 8.7 t (2024) · Poland: 7.1 t (2024)
How green is the power grid?
37% of China’s electricity is renewable, versus 32% in Poland.
China: 37% (2025) · Poland: 31.5% (2025)
How clean is the air?
The air in China carries 2 times as much fine dust as in Poland.
China: 31.3 µg/m³ (2024) · Poland: 15.6 µg/m³ (2024)
Safety
Measured risk, not vibes
How common is murder?
You are 60% more likely to be murdered in Poland than in China.
China: 0.5 per 100k (2020) · Poland: 0.8 per 100k (2023)
How dangerous are the roads?
Roads in China are 2.7 times as deadly as in Poland.
China: 17.4 per 100k (2021) · Poland: 6.5 per 100k (2021)
Climate
What the year feels like
How warm is it?
Poland is on average 1.9 °C warmer than China.
China: 7.8°C (2016–2025 avg) · Poland: 9.7°C (2016–2025 avg)
How much rain falls?
China gets 7% more rain than Poland.
China: 813 mm (2016–2025 avg) · Poland: 763 mm (2016–2025 avg)
Quick answers
Is China bigger than Poland?
China is larger. Poland fits inside China 30 times.
Which has more people, China or Poland?
China has 39 times as many people as Poland (2025 estimates).
Where do people live longer, China or Poland?
People in Poland live 0.39 years longer than in China. Life expectancy at birth is 78.0 years in China and 78.4 in Poland.
Are people taller in China or Poland?
Men in Poland are 5.0 cm taller than in China (NCD-RisC, cohort born 2019).
