Overview of Human Rights in Poland

The Republic of Poland is a multiparty democracy.  Recent elections have been regarded as free and fair.  The government generally works to respect the civil and human rights of its citizens; however, human rights violations were reported in recent years. First, security forces have been under investigation for the unlawful use of firearms. Also at issue has been  the killing of three people in a recent case involving police use of weapons in questionable circumstances.   It should also be noted that prison conditions are extremely poor. Additionally, the judiciary is considered inefficient and ineffective. From time to time the government restricts the freedoms of speech and press.  Finally, both societal discrimination and violence have occurred against ethnic minorities and children.  That said, when compared with other countries, Poland has a better than average human rights record.

Human Development Index (HDI) Rank:

37th out of 177

Note: Human Development Index (HDI) is a composite index that measures the level of well-being of nations in the world. It uses factors such as poverty, literacy, life-expectancy, education, gross domestic product, and purchasing power parity to assess the average achievements in each nation. It has been used in the United Nation’s Human Development Report since 1993.