Maintaining the high ground

According to the United Nations Development Programme's (UNDP) recently released 2007/2008 Human Development Index (HDI), Poland was ranked 37 out of 177, the same position it occupied last year. Its placement in the top 70 countries means the UNDP regards Poland as being in a state of "high human development," compared with medium (71-155) and low (156-177) development.

Iceland, Norway and Australia topped the ranking. Of the 10 countries that joined the EU in 2004, the majority were ranked higher than Poland. Since 1999, however, Poland has moved up a total of 14 places.

"Poland belongs to the richest countries in the world, however it's hard for us to believe it," said Tomasz Teluk, the president of the Foundation Globalization Institute.

The HDI ranking evaluates human development according to life expectancy at birth, adult literacy rate, gross enrollment in education, purchasing power parity and other data.

"This is the only international ranking in which Poland isn't losing ground," Teluk said.

There's room for improvement, however.

"We cannot do much [to improve] GDP per capita, as we are one of the largest countries in Europe, or the literacy rate, as illiteracy has been effectively erradicated in Europe," noted Teluk.

However, there is a deal that can be changed. "We can try to improve two other factors to become more competitive with other developed countries. Our educational system needs reforms. Poland can not depend on the same education system as years ago - reality is changing, getting more digital," said Teluk. "Another area in which Poland should be ashamed is healthcare. Life expectancy in Poland is one of the lowest in Europe. And, according to polls, patients rate Poland's health care as the worst in Europe," he added.