Poles live 78.5 years — 2 years less than EU average; 40 bn PLN needed to close the gap

The average Pole lives 78.5 years, about two years less than the EU average, according to an analysis by BNP Paribas Bank economists. The main causes cited are underfunding of preventive care, diagnostics and outpatient services, as well as a shortage of medical staff. Bringing Polish healthcare spending in line with the EU average would require an additional 40 billion PLN.