Land
Size, shape and altitude
How big is it, really?
Poland is 4% bigger than Italy.
Italy: 302,070 km² (2023) · Poland: 313,930 km² (2023)
How much coast is there?
Italy’s coastline is 17 times as long as Poland’s.
Italy: 7,600 km (2026 edition) · Poland: 440 km (2026 edition)
How high can you climb?
Italy’s highest peak towers 2,249 m above Poland’s.
Italy: 4,748 m (2026 edition) · Poland: 2,499 m (2026 edition)
People
Who lives there, and how closely
How many people live there?
Italy has 62% more people than Poland.
Italy: 58.9 million (2025) · Poland: 36.4 million (2025)
How crowded is it?
Italy is 67% more densely populated than Poland.
Italy: 199 per km² (2025) · Poland: 119 per km² (2025)
How tall are the men?
Men in Poland are 6.3 cm taller than in Italy.
Italy: 174.4 cm (2019) · Poland: 180.7 cm (2019)
How tall are the women?
Women in Poland are 4.0 cm taller than in Italy.
Italy: 161.8 cm (2019) · Poland: 165.8 cm (2019)
How old is the typical person?
The typical person in Italy is 6.2 years older than in Poland.
Italy: 47.5 years (2023) · Poland: 41.3 years (2023)
How many children per woman?
Women in Italy have 0.0 more children on average than in Poland.
Italy: 1.18 children per woman (2024) · Poland: 1.14 children per woman (2024)
How many people are 65 or older?
25% of people in Italy are 65 or older, versus 21% in Poland.
Italy: 25.1% (2025) · Poland: 20.8% (2025)
How many Nobel laureates were born there?
Poland has produced 7.7 Nobel laureates per 10 million people, Italy 3.4.
Italy: 3.4 (2025) · Poland: 7.7 (2025)
How many official languages?
Italy and Poland are practically level.
Italy: 1 (2026) · Poland: 1 (2026)
Money
What an economy looks like per person
How big is the economy?
Italy’s economy is 2.5 times the size of Poland’s.
Italy: $2.55 trillion (2025) · Poland: $1.04 trillion (2025)
How much is produced per person?
Italy produces 16% more per person than Poland.
Italy: Int$62,803 (2025) · Poland: Int$54,262 (2025)
How evenly is income shared?
Income is more unequally shared in Italy than in Poland (Gini 5.8 points higher).
Italy: 34.3 (2023) · Poland: 28.5 (2023)
How many people are looking for work?
Unemployment is 6.4% in Italy, versus 3.0% in Poland.
Italy: 6.4% (2025) · Poland: 3% (2025)
How much goes to the military?
Poland spends 4.2% of its GDP on the military, Italy 1.6%.
Italy: 1.6% (2024) · Poland: 4.2% (2024)
How expensive is it?
Italy’s price level (US = 100) is 1.3× Poland’s.
Italy: 69% (2025) · Poland: 52% (2025)
Health
Long lives, small beginnings
How much is spent on health?
Italy spends 69% more on health per person than Poland.
Italy: $3,398 (2024) · Poland: $2,014 (2024)
How long do people live?
People in Italy live 5.5 years longer than in Poland.
Italy: 84 years (2024) · Poland: 78.4 years (2024)
How many babies don’t reach their first birthday?
A baby in Poland is 57% more likely to die before turning one than in Italy.
Italy: 2.3 per 1,000 (2024) · Poland: 3.6 per 1,000 (2024)
How many doctors are there?
Italy has 4% more doctors per person than Poland.
Italy: 4.2 per 1,000 (2022) · Poland: 4 per 1,000 (2023)
How common is obesity?
26% of adults in Poland are obese, versus 18% in Italy.
Italy: 17.9% (2024) · Poland: 25.9% (2024)
How many adults smoke?
22% of adults in Italy smoke, versus 22% in Poland.
Italy: 22.4% (2024) · Poland: 21.7% (2024)
Everyday life
Plates, glasses and happiness
How do people rate their lives?
People in Poland rate their lives 0.19 points higher than in Italy.
Italy: 6.57 (2025) · Poland: 6.77 (2025)
How much do people drink?
Adults in Poland drink 36% more alcohol than in Italy.
Italy: 8.4 litres (2023) · Poland: 11.5 litres (2023)
How much meat is on the menu?
Poland has 17% more meat per person than Italy.
Italy: 71.2 kg (2023) · Poland: 83.3 kg (2023)
How much food is there per day?
Italy has 23 kcal more food per person per day than Poland.
Italy: 3,753 kcal (2023) · Poland: 3,730 kcal (2023)
How long do people work?
Workers in Poland put in 106 more hours a year than in Italy.
Italy: 1,701 hours (2023) · Poland: 1,807 hours (2023)
How long do people go to school?
Adults in Poland went to school 2.4 years longer than in Italy.
Italy: 10.8 years (2023) · Poland: 13.2 years (2023)
How many tourists visit?
Italy welcomed 82% more tourists per resident than Poland (2019).
Italy: 0.98 (2024) · Poland: 0.54 (2024)
Connected
Online, electrified, urban
How many people are online?
89% of people in Italy are online, versus 89% in Poland.
Italy: 89% (2024) · Poland: 89% (2024)
Who has electricity at home?
Italy and Poland are practically level.
Italy: 100% (2024) · Poland: 100% (2024)
How many live in cities?
70% of people in Italy live in cities, versus 60% in Poland.
Italy: 70% (2025) · Poland: 60% (2025)
How many phones per person?
Poland has 138 mobile subscriptions per 100 people, Italy 133.
Italy: 133 (2024) · Poland: 138 (2024)
How much railway is there?
Poland’s railway network is 8% longer than Italy’s.
Italy: 17,305 km (2021) · Poland: 18,620 km (2021)
How much do they fly?
Airlines from Italy fly 43% more passengers per resident than those from Poland.
Italy: 0.34 (2023) · Poland: 0.24 (2023)
Planet
Air, forests and energy
How much of the land is forest?
Forest covers 33% of Italy, but only 31% of Poland.
Italy: 32.9% (2023) · Poland: 31.1% (2023)
How much CO₂ does each person emit?
The average person in Poland emits 39% more CO₂ than someone in Italy.
Italy: 5.1 t (2024) · Poland: 7.1 t (2024)
How green is the power grid?
49% of Italy’s electricity is renewable, versus 32% in Poland.
Italy: 48.8% (2025) · Poland: 31.5% (2025)
How clean is the air?
The air in Poland carries 3% more fine dust than in Italy.
Italy: 15.2 µg/m³ (2024) · Poland: 15.6 µg/m³ (2024)
Safety
Measured risk, not vibes
How common is murder?
You are 41% more likely to be murdered in Poland than in Italy.
Italy: 0.6 per 100k (2023) · Poland: 0.8 per 100k (2023)
How dangerous are the roads?
Roads in Poland are 30% deadlier than in Italy.
Italy: 5 per 100k (2021) · Poland: 6.5 per 100k (2021)
Climate
What the year feels like
How warm is it?
Italy is on average 4.2 °C warmer than Poland.
Italy: 13.9°C (2016–2025 avg) · Poland: 9.7°C (2016–2025 avg)
How much rain falls?
Italy gets 35% more rain than Poland.
Italy: 1,030 mm (2016–2025 avg) · Poland: 763 mm (2016–2025 avg)
Quick answers
Is Italy bigger than Poland?
Poland is larger. Poland is 4% bigger than Italy.
Which has more people, Italy or Poland?
Italy has 62% more people than Poland (2025 estimates).
Where do people live longer, Italy or Poland?
People in Italy live 5.5 years longer than in Poland. Life expectancy at birth is 84.0 years in Italy and 78.4 in Poland.
Are people taller in Italy or Poland?
Men in Poland are 6.3 cm taller than in Italy (NCD-RisC, cohort born 2019).
