Land
Size, shape and altitude
How big is it, really?
Poland is 32% bigger than Romania.
Poland: 313,930 km² (2023) · Romania: 238,400 km² (2023)
How much coast is there?
Poland’s coastline is 2 times as long as Romania’s.
Poland: 440 km (2026 edition) · Romania: 225 km (2026 edition)
How high can you climb?
Romania’s highest peak towers 45 m above Poland’s.
Poland: 2,499 m (2026 edition) · Romania: 2,544 m (2026 edition)
People
Who lives there, and how closely
How many people live there?
Poland has 92% more people than Romania.
Poland: 36.4 million (2025) · Romania: 19 million (2025)
How crowded is it?
Poland is 44% more densely populated than Romania.
Poland: 119 per km² (2025) · Romania: 83 per km² (2025)
How tall are the men?
Men in Poland are 2.9 cm taller than in Romania.
Poland: 180.7 cm (2019) · Romania: 177.8 cm (2019)
How tall are the women?
Women in Poland are 1.1 cm taller than in Romania.
Poland: 165.8 cm (2019) · Romania: 164.7 cm (2019)
How old is the typical person?
The typical person in Romania is 1.3 years older than in Poland.
Poland: 41.3 years (2023) · Romania: 42.6 years (2023)
How many children per woman?
Women in Romania have 0.3 more children on average than in Poland.
Poland: 1.14 children per woman (2024) · Romania: 1.39 children per woman (2024)
How many people are 65 or older?
21% of people in Poland are 65 or older, versus 20% in Romania.
Poland: 20.8% (2025) · Romania: 20.1% (2025)
How many Nobel laureates were born there?
Poland has produced 7.7 Nobel laureates per 10 million people, Romania 2.1.
Poland: 7.7 (2025) · Romania: 2.1 (2025)
How many official languages?
Poland and Romania are practically level.
Poland: 1 (2026) · Romania: 1 (2026)
Money
What an economy looks like per person
How big is the economy?
Poland’s economy is 2.4 times the size of Romania’s.
Poland: $1.04 trillion (2025) · Romania: $429 billion (2025)
How much is produced per person?
Poland produces 7% more per person than Romania.
Poland: Int$54,262 (2025) · Romania: Int$50,895 (2025)
How evenly is income shared?
Income is more unequally shared in Romania than in Poland (Gini 1.3 points higher).
Poland: 28.5 (2023) · Romania: 29.8 (2023)
How many people are looking for work?
Unemployment is 6.0% in Romania, versus 3.0% in Poland.
Poland: 3% (2025) · Romania: 6% (2025)
How much goes to the military?
Poland spends 4.2% of its GDP on the military, Romania 2.3%.
Poland: 4.2% (2024) · Romania: 2.3% (2024)
How expensive is it?
Poland’s price level (US = 100) is 1.2× Romania’s.
Poland: 52% (2025) · Romania: 44% (2025)
Health
Long lives, small beginnings
How much is spent on health?
Poland spends 92% more on health per person than Romania.
Poland: $2,014 (2024) · Romania: $1,051 (2023)
How long do people live?
People in Poland live 2 years longer than in Romania.
Poland: 78.4 years (2024) · Romania: 76.5 years (2024)
How many babies don’t reach their first birthday?
A baby in Romania is 67% more likely to die before turning one than in Poland.
Poland: 3.6 per 1,000 (2024) · Romania: 6 per 1,000 (2024)
How many doctors are there?
Poland has 11% more doctors per person than Romania.
Poland: 4 per 1,000 (2023) · Romania: 3.6 per 1,000 (2022)
How common is obesity?
38% of adults in Romania are obese, versus 26% in Poland.
Poland: 25.9% (2024) · Romania: 37.7% (2024)
How many adults smoke?
30% of adults in Romania smoke, versus 22% in Poland.
Poland: 21.7% (2024) · Romania: 29.7% (2024)
Everyday life
Plates, glasses and happiness
How do people rate their lives?
People in Poland rate their lives 0.14 points higher than in Romania.
Poland: 6.77 (2025) · Romania: 6.63 (2025)
How much do people drink?
Adults in Romania drink 48% more alcohol than in Poland.
Poland: 11.5 litres (2023) · Romania: 17.1 litres (2023)
How much meat is on the menu?
Poland has 15% more meat per person than Romania.
Poland: 83.3 kg (2023) · Romania: 72.5 kg (2023)
How much food is there per day?
Poland has 81 kcal more food per person per day than Romania.
Poland: 3,730 kcal (2023) · Romania: 3,649 kcal (2023)
How long do people work?
Workers in Romania put in 19 more hours a year than in Poland.
Poland: 1,807 hours (2023) · Romania: 1,826 hours (2023)
How long do people go to school?
Adults in Poland went to school 1.7 years longer than in Romania.
Poland: 13.2 years (2023) · Romania: 11.6 years (2023)
How many tourists visit?
Romania welcomed 30% more tourists per resident than Poland (2019).
Poland: 0.54 (2024) · Romania: 0.7 (2024)
Connected
Online, electrified, urban
How many people are online?
91% of people in Romania are online, versus 89% in Poland.
Poland: 89% (2024) · Romania: 91% (2024)
Who has electricity at home?
Poland and Romania are practically level.
Poland: 100% (2024) · Romania: 100% (2024)
How many live in cities?
60% of people in Poland live in cities, versus 52% in Romania.
Poland: 60% (2025) · Romania: 52% (2025)
How many phones per person?
Poland has 138 mobile subscriptions per 100 people, Romania 120.
Poland: 138 (2024) · Romania: 120 (2024)
How much railway is there?
Poland’s railway network is 73% longer than Romania’s.
Poland: 18,620 km (2021) · Romania: 10,769 km (2021)
How much do they fly?
Airlines from Poland fly 63% more passengers per resident than those from Romania.
Poland: 0.24 (2023) · Romania: 0.15 (2023)
Planet
Air, forests and energy
How much of the land is forest?
Forest covers 31% of Poland, but only 30% of Romania.
Poland: 31.1% (2023) · Romania: 30.1% (2023)
How much CO₂ does each person emit?
The average person in Poland emits 2 times as much CO₂ as someone in Romania.
Poland: 7.1 t (2024) · Romania: 3.6 t (2024)
How green is the power grid?
47% of Romania’s electricity is renewable, versus 32% in Poland.
Poland: 31.5% (2025) · Romania: 47% (2025)
How clean is the air?
The air in Poland carries 9% more fine dust than in Romania.
Poland: 15.6 µg/m³ (2024) · Romania: 14.3 µg/m³ (2024)
Safety
Measured risk, not vibes
How common is murder?
You are 40% more likely to be murdered in Romania than in Poland.
Poland: 0.8 per 100k (2023) · Romania: 1.1 per 100k (2024)
How dangerous are the roads?
Roads in Romania are 48% deadlier than in Poland.
Poland: 6.5 per 100k (2021) · Romania: 9.6 per 100k (2021)
Climate
What the year feels like
How warm is it?
Romania is on average 1.3 °C warmer than Poland.
Poland: 9.7°C (2016–2025 avg) · Romania: 11°C (2016–2025 avg)
How much rain falls?
Poland and Romania are nearly identical here.
Poland: 763 mm (2016–2025 avg) · Romania: 758 mm (2016–2025 avg)
Quick answers
Is Poland bigger than Romania?
Poland is larger. Poland is 32% bigger than Romania.
Which has more people, Poland or Romania?
Poland has 92% more people than Romania (2025 estimates).
Where do people live longer, Poland or Romania?
People in Poland live 2 years longer than in Romania. Life expectancy at birth is 78.4 years in Poland and 76.5 in Romania.
Are people taller in Poland or Romania?
Men in Poland are 2.9 cm taller than in Romania (NCD-RisC, cohort born 2019).
