Poland

Broadband - fixed subscriptions

total: 10.1 million (2023 est.) subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 26 (2023 est.)

Broadcast media

state-run public TV operates 2 national channels supplemented by 16 regional and several niche channels; privately owned entities operate several national TV networks and some special interest channels; many privately owned local channels; roughly half of all households are linked to satellite or cable TV systems with access to foreign TV; state-run public radio operates 5 national networks and 17 regional stations; 2 privately owned national radio networks, several commercial stations, and many privately owned local radio stations (2019)

Internet country code

.pl

Internet users

percent of population: 86% (2023 est.)

Telephones - fixed lines

total subscriptions: 4.987 million (2023 est.) subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 13 (2023 est.)

Telephones - mobile cellular

total subscriptions: 52.4 million (2023 est.) subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 132 (2022 est.)

Agricultural products

sugar beets, milk, wheat, maize, potatoes, triticale, apples, rapeseed, barley, rye (2023) note: top ten agricultural products based on tonnage

Average household expenditures

on food: 18.6% of household expenditures (2023 est.) on alcohol and tobacco: 6.2% of household expenditures (2023 est.)

Budget

revenues: $291.603 billion (2023 est.) expenditures: $328.497 billion (2023 est.) note: central government revenues (excluding grants) and expenditures converted to US dollars at average official exchange rate for year indicated

Current account balance

$1.789 billion (2024 est.) $14.535 billion (2023 est.) -$15.822 billion (2022 est.) note: balance of payments - net trade and primary/secondary income in current dollars

Economic overview

high-income, diversified, EU-member economy; significant growth in GDP, trade, and investment since joining EU in 2004; private consumption and EU-funded public investments driving GDP growth; increased social spending, flooding recovery costs, and defense spending have added to public debt

Exchange rates

zlotych (PLN) per US dollar - 3.981 (2024 est.) 4.204 (2023 est.) 4.458 (2022 est.) 3.862 (2021 est.) 3.9 (2020 est.)

Exports

$478.579 billion (2024 est.) $471.571 billion (2023 est.) $436.388 billion (2022 est.) note: balance of payments - exports of goods and services in current dollars

Exports - commodities

vehicle parts/accessories, electric batteries, plastic products, cars, seats (2023) note: top five export commodities based on value in dollars

Exports - partners

Germany 25%, UK 6%, Czechia 6%, France 6%, Italy 5% (2023) note: top five export partners based on percentage share of exports

GDP (official exchange rate)

$914.696 billion (2024 est.) note: data in current dollars at official exchange rate

GDP - composition, by end use

household consumption: 57.6% (2024 est.) government consumption: 20.8% (2024 est.) investment in fixed capital: 16.9% (2024 est.) investment in inventories: 0.8% (2024 est.) exports of goods and services: 52.3% (2024 est.) imports of goods and services: -48.3% (2024 est.) note: figures may not total 100% due to rounding or gaps in data collection

GDP - composition, by sector of origin

agriculture: 2.6% (2024 est.) industry: 26.4% (2024 est.) services: 59.9% (2024 est.) note: figures may not total 100% due to non-allocated consumption not captured in sector-reported data

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income

28.9 (2022 est.) note: index (0-100) of income distribution; higher values represent greater inequality

Household income or consumption by percentage share

lowest 10%: 3.3% (2022 est.) highest 10%: 23.1% (2022 est.) note: % share of income accruing to lowest and highest 10% of population

Imports

$441.945 billion (2024 est.) $423.797 billion (2023 est.) $421.765 billion (2022 est.) note: balance of payments - imports of goods and services in current dollars

Imports - commodities

crude petroleum, cars, garments, vehicle parts/accessories, plastic products (2023) note: top five import commodities based on value in dollars

Imports - partners

Germany 22%, China 12%, Italy 5%, Netherlands 4%, USA 4% (2023) note: top five import partners based on percentage share of imports

Industrial production growth rate

-0.6% (2023 est.) note: annual % change in industrial value added based on constant local currency

Industries

machine building, iron and steel, coal mining, chemicals, shipbuilding, food processing, glass, beverages, textiles

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

3.8% (2024 est.) 11.5% (2023 est.) 14.4% (2022 est.) note: annual % change based on consumer prices

Labor force

18.245 million (2024 est.) note: number of people ages 15 or older who are employed or seeking work

Population below poverty line

12.2% (2023 est.) note: % of population with income below national poverty line

Public debt

50.6% of GDP (2017 est.) note: data cover general government debt and include debt instruments issued (or owned) by government entities other than the treasury; the data include treasury debt held by foreign entities, the data include subnational entities, as well as intragovernmental debt; intragovernmental debt consists of treasury borrowings from surpluses in the social funds, such as for retirement, medical care, and unemployment; debt instruments for the social funds are not sold at public auctions

Real GDP (purchasing power parity)

$1.649 trillion (2024 est.) $1.602 trillion (2023 est.) $1.598 trillion (2022 est.) note: data in 2021 dollars

Real GDP growth rate

2.9% (2024 est.) 0.2% (2023 est.) 5.3% (2022 est.) note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency

Real GDP per capita

$45,100 (2024 est.) $43,700 (2023 est.) $43,400 (2022 est.) note: data in 2021 dollars

Remittances

0.9% of GDP (2024 est.) 1.1% of GDP (2023 est.) 1.1% of GDP (2022 est.) note: personal transfers and compensation between resident and non-resident individuals/households/entities

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

$223.115 billion (2024 est.) $193.783 billion (2023 est.) $166.664 billion (2022 est.) note: holdings of gold (year-end prices)/foreign exchange/special drawing rights in current dollars

Taxes and other revenues

18% (of GDP) (2023 est.) note: central government tax revenue as a % of GDP

Unemployment rate

2.5% (2024 est.) 2.8% (2023 est.) 2.9% (2022 est.) note: % of labor force seeking employment

Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24)

total: 9.9% (2024 est.) male: 10.1% (2024 est.) female: 9.6% (2024 est.) note: % of labor force ages 15-24 seeking employment

Coal

production: 96.72 million metric tons (2023 est.) consumption: 99.932 million metric tons (2023 est.) exports: 10.805 million metric tons (2023 est.) imports: 10.041 million metric tons (2023 est.) proven reserves: 27.758 billion metric tons (2023 est.)

Electricity

installed generating capacity: 64.806 million kW (2023 est.) consumption: 159.639 billion kWh (2023 est.) exports: 11.403 billion kWh (2023 est.) imports: 15.14 billion kWh (2023 est.) transmission/distribution losses: 8.549 billion kWh (2023 est.)

Electricity access

electrification - total population: 100% (2022 est.)

Electricity generation sources

fossil fuels: 72.7% of total installed capacity (2023 est.) solar: 6.9% of total installed capacity (2023 est.) wind: 14.4% of total installed capacity (2023 est.) hydroelectricity: 1.1% of total installed capacity (2023 est.) biomass and waste: 4.9% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

Energy consumption per capita

103.651 million Btu/person (2023 est.)

Natural gas

production: 5.345 billion cubic meters (2023 est.) consumption: 20.602 billion cubic meters (2023 est.) exports: 747.124 million cubic meters (2023 est.) imports: 15.111 billion cubic meters (2023 est.) proven reserves: 91.492 billion cubic meters (2021 est.)

Petroleum

total petroleum production: 24,000 bbl/day (2023 est.) refined petroleum consumption: 743,000 bbl/day (2024 est.) crude oil estimated reserves: 113 million barrels (2021 est.)

Carbon dioxide emissions

264.031 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.) from coal and metallurgical coke: 132.101 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.) from petroleum and other liquids: 95.095 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.) from consumed natural gas: 36.835 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)

Climate

temperate with cold, cloudy, moderately severe winters with frequent precipitation; mild summers with frequent showers and thundershowers

Environmental issues

air pollution (despite environmental policy improvements) because of coal-burning in homes and power plants; acid rain leading to forest damage; water pollution from industrial and municipal sources; disposal of hazardous wastes

Geoparks

total global geoparks and regional networks: 3 (2024) global geoparks and regional networks: Land of Extinct Volcanoes; Muskauer Faltenbogen / Łuk Mużakowa (includes Germany); Holy Cross Mountains (2024)

International environmental agreements

party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Sulphur 94, Antarctic-Environmental Protection, Antarctic- Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Seals, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping-London Convention, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 2006, Wetlands, Whaling signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution-Heavy Metals, Air Pollution-Multi-effect Protocol, Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants

Land use

agricultural land: 47.6% (2023 est.) arable land: 36.6% (2023 est.) permanent crops: 1.1% (2023 est.) permanent pasture: 9.8% (2023 est.) forest: 31% (2023 est.) other: 21% (2023 est.)

Methane emissions

energy: 954.2 kt (2022-2024 est.) agriculture: 595.9 kt (2019-2021 est.) waste: 292 kt (2019-2021 est.) other: 36.3 kt (2019-2021 est.)

Particulate matter emissions

18.8 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)

Total renewable water resources

60.5 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)

Total water withdrawal

municipal: 2.113 billion cubic meters (2022) industrial: 6.44 billion cubic meters (2022) agricultural: 1.28 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)

Urbanization

urban population: 60.2% of total population (2023) rate of urbanization: -0.16% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

Waste and recycling

municipal solid waste generated annually: 12.758 million tons (2024 est.) percent of municipal solid waste recycled: 38.3% (2022 est.)

Area

total : 312,685 sq km land: 304,255 sq km water: 8,430 sq km

Area - comparative

about twice the size of Georgia; slightly smaller than New Mexico

Climate

temperate with cold, cloudy, moderately severe winters with frequent precipitation; mild summers with frequent showers and thundershowers

Coastline

440 km

Elevation

highest point: Rysy 2,499 m lowest point: near Raczki Elblaskie -2 m mean elevation: 173 m

Geographic coordinates

52 00 N, 20 00 E

Geography - note

historically an area of conflict because of flat terrain and the lack of natural barriers on the North European Plain

Irrigated land

1,327 sq km (2016)

Land boundaries

total: 2,865 km border countries (6): Belarus 375 km; Czechia 699 km; Germany 467 km; Lithuania 100 km, Russia (Kaliningrad Oblast) 209 km; Slovakia 517 km; Ukraine 498 km

Land use

agricultural land: 47.6% (2023 est.) arable land: 36.6% (2023 est.) permanent crops: 1.1% (2023 est.) permanent pasture: 9.8% (2023 est.) forest: 31% (2023 est.) other: 21% (2023 est.)

Location

Central Europe, east of Germany

Major lakes (area sq km)

salt water lake(s): Zalew Szczecinski/Stettiner Haff (shared with Germany) - 900 sq km

Major rivers (by length in km)

Wisla (Vistula) river source and mouth (shared with Belarus and Ukraine) - 1,213 km note: longest river in Poland

Major watersheds (area sq km)

Atlantic Ocean drainage: (Black Sea) Danube (795,656 sq km)

Map references

Europe

Maritime claims

territorial sea: 12 nm exclusive economic zone: defined by international treaties

Natural hazards

flooding

Natural resources

coal, sulfur, copper, natural gas, silver, lead, salt, amber, arable land

Population distribution

population concentrated in the southern area around Krakow and the central area around Warsaw and Lodz, with an extension to the northern coastal city of Gdansk

Terrain

mostly flat plain; mountains along southern border

Administrative divisions

16 provinces or voivodships ( wojewodztwa , singular - wojewodztwo ); Dolnoslaskie (Lower Silesia), Kujawsko-Pomorskie (Kuyavia-Pomerania), Lodzkie (Lodz), Lubelskie (Lublin), Lubuskie (Lubusz), Malopolskie (Lesser Poland), Mazowieckie (Masovia), Opolskie (Opole), Podkarpackie (Subcarpathia), Podlaskie, Pomorskie (Pomerania), Slaskie (Silesia), Swietokrzyskie (Holy Cross), Warminsko-Mazurskie (Warmia-Masuria), Wielkopolskie (Greater Poland), Zachodniopomorskie (West Pomerania)

Capital

name: Warsaw geographic coordinates: 52 15 N, 21 00 E time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time) daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October etymology: the origin of the name is unknown; Warszawa was the name of a fishing village, and several legends link the city's founding to a man named Wars or Warsz

Citizenship

citizenship by birth: no citizenship by descent only: both parents must be citizens of Poland dual citizenship recognized: no residency requirement for naturalization: 5 years

Constitution

history: several previous; latest adopted 2 April 1997, approved by referendum 25 May 1997, effective 17 October 1997 amendment process: proposed by at least one fifth of Sejm deputies, by the Senate, or by the president of the republic; passage requires at least two-thirds majority vote in the Sejm and absolute majority vote in the Senate; amendments to articles relating to sovereignty, personal freedoms, and constitutional amendment procedures also require passage by majority vote in a referendum

Country name

conventional long form: Republic of Poland conventional short form: Poland local long form: Rzeczpospolita Polska local short form: Polska former: Polish People's Republic etymology: the name probably comes from the Slavic word pole ( field or plain), indicating the flat nature of the country

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission: Ambassador Thomas ROSE (since 6 November 2025) embassy: Aleje Ujazdowskie 29/31, 00-540 Warsaw mailing address: 5010 Warsaw Place, Washington, DC 20521-5010 telephone: [48] (22) 504-2000 FAX: [48] (22) 504-2088 email address and website: acswarsaw@state.gov https://pl.usembassy.gov/ consulate(s) general: Krakow

Diplomatic representation in the US

chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charg d'Affaires Bogdan Adam KLICH (since 21 November 2024) chancery: 2640 16th Street NW, Washington, DC 20009 telephone: [1] (202) 499-1700 FAX: [1] (202) 328-2152 email address and website: washington.amb.sekretariat@msz.gov.pl https://www.gov.pl/web/usa-en/embassy-washington consulate(s) general: Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, New York

Executive branch

chief of state: President Karol NAWROCKI (since 6 August 2025) head of government: Prime Minister Donald TUSK (since 11 December 2023) cabinet: Council of Ministers proposed by the prime minister, appointed by the president, and approved by the Sejm election/appointment process: president directly elected by absolute-majority popular vote in 2 rounds, if needed, for a 5-year term (eligible for a second term); prime minister, deputy prime ministers, and Council of Ministers appointed by the president and confirmed by the Sejm; all presidential candidates resign their party affiliation most recent election date: 18 May 2025, with the second round on 1 June 2025 election results: 2025: Karol NAWROCKI elected president in second round; percent of vote - Karol NAWROCKI (PiS) 50.9%, Rafal TRZASKOWSKI (KO) 49.1%; NAWROCKI takes office 6 August 2025 2025: First round Rafal TRZASKOWSKI (KO) 31.4%, Karol NAWROCKI 29.5% (PiS), Slawomir MENTZEN 14.8%, Grzegorz BRAUN 6.3%, and Szymon HOLOWNIA 5.0%; second round to be held on 1 June 2025; 2020: Andrzej DUDA reelected president in second round; percent of vote - Andrzej DUDA (independent) 51%, Rafal TRZASKOWSKI (KO) 49% 2015: Andrzej DUDA elected president in second round; percent of vote - Andrzej DUDA (independent) 51.5%, Bronislaw KOMOROWSKI (independent) 48.5% expected date of next election: July 2030

Flag

description: two equal horizontal bands of white (top) and red meaning: colors derive from the Polish emblem, a white eagle on a red field note: similar to the flags of Indonesia and Monaco, which are red (top) and white

Government type

parliamentary republic

Independence

11 November 1918 (republic proclaimed); notable earlier dates: 14 April 966 (adoption of Christianity, traditional founding date), 1 July 1569 (Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth created)

International law organization participation

accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

International organization participation

Arctic Council (observer), Australia Group, BIS, BSEC (observer), CBSS, CD, CE, CEI, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, ECB, EIB, ESA, EU, FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, MONUSCO, NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OIF (observer), OPCW, OSCE, PCA, Schengen Convention, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNHRC, UNIDO, UNMIL, UNMISS, UNOCI, UNOOSA, UN Security Council (temporary), UNWTO, UPU, Wassenaar Arrangement, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC

Judicial branch

highest court(s): Supreme Court or Sad Najwyzszy (consists of the first president of the Supreme Court and 120 justices organized in criminal, civil, labor and social insurance, and extraordinary appeals and public affairs and disciplinary chambers); Constitutional Tribunal (consists of 15 judges, including the court president and vice president) judge selection and term of office: president of the Supreme Court nominated by the General Assembly of the Supreme Court and selected by the president of Poland; other judges nominated by the 25-member National Judicial Council and appointed by the president of Poland; judges serve until retirement, usually at age 65, but tenure can be extended; Constitutional Tribunal judges chosen by the Sejm for single 9-year terms subordinate courts: administrative courts; military courts; local, regional and appellate courts subdivided into military, civil, criminal, labor, and family courts

Legal system

civil law system; judicial review of legislative, administrative, and other governmental acts; constitutional law rulings of the Constitutional Tribunal are final

Legislative branch

legislative structure: bicameral note: the designation "National Assembly" (or Zgromadzenie Narodowe) is only used on those rare occasions when the two houses meet jointly

Legislative branch - lower chamber

chamber name: Sejm number of seats: 460 (all directly elected) electoral system: proportional representation scope of elections: full renewal term in office: 4 years most recent election date: 10/15/2023 parties elected and seats per party: Law and Justice (PiS) (194); Civic Coalition (KO) (157); The Third Way (65); The New Left (Nowa Lewica) (26); Other (18) percentage of women in chamber: 31.3% expected date of next election: October 2027

Legislative branch - upper chamber

chamber name: Senate (Senat) number of seats: 100 (all directly elected) electoral system: plurality/majority scope of elections: full renewal term in office: 4 years most recent election date: 10/15/2023 parties elected and seats per party: Civic Coalition (KO) (41); Law and Justice (PiS) (34); The Third Way (11); The New Left (Nowa Lewica) (9); Independents (5) percentage of women in chamber: 19% expected date of next election: October 2027

National anthem(s)

title: "Mazurek Dabrowskiego" (Dabrowski's Mazurka) lyrics/music: Jozef WYBICKI/traditional history: adopted 1927;

National coat of arms

Poland s coat of arms was designed in 1927 by noted Polish graphic artist and educator Zygmunt Kaminski. The white crowned eagle is the national symbol, and white and red are the national colors, with white representing purity and truth and red symbolizing courage and the blood shed for freedom.

National color(s)

white, red

National heritage

total World Heritage Sites: 17 (15 cultural, 2 natural) selected World Heritage Site locales: Historic Krakow (c); Historic Warsaw (c); Medieval Torun (c); Wooden Tserkvas of the Carpathian Region (c); Castle of the Teutonic Order in Malbork (c); Wieliczka and Bochnia Royal Salt Mines (c); Auschwitz Birkenau Concentration Camp (c); Ancient and Primeval Beech Forests of the Carpathians (n); Białowieza Forest (n); Old City of Zamość (c)

National holiday

Constitution Day, 3 May (1791)

National symbol(s)

white crowned eagle

Political parties

Civic Coalition Confederation Free Republicans Polish Coalition or PSL The Left United Right or PiS

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Background

Poland's history as a state began near the middle of the 10th century. By the mid-16th century, the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth ruled a vast tract of land in Central and Eastern Europe. During the 18th century, internal disorder weakened the nation, and in a series of agreements between 1772 and 1795, Russia, Prussia, and Austria partitioned Poland among themselves. Poland regained its independence in 1918 only to be overrun by Germany and the Soviet Union in World War II. It became a Soviet satellite state following the war. Labor turmoil in 1980 led to the formation of the independent trade union Solidarity that over time became a political force with over 10 million members. Free elections in 1989 and 1990 won Solidarity control of the parliament and the presidency, bringing the communist era to a close. A "shock therapy" program during the early 1990s enabled the country to transform its economy into one of the most robust in Central Europe. Poland joined NATO in 1999 and the EU in 2004.

Military - note

the Polish Armed Forces are responsible for defense of the country's sovereignty and territory, deterring potential threats, and fulfilling Poland's commitments to NATO, EU, and European security; Poland s geographic location on NATO s eastern flank and its history of foreign invasion underpin the Polish military s focus on territorial and border defense; in peacetime, the Armed Forces provide support to the Border Guard; other security concerns include hybrid threats from Russia and Belarus, such as cyberattacks, sabotage, and weaponized migration; since the 2010s, Poland has taken steps to enhance the security of its borders with Russia and Belarus since 2014, Poland has hosted several NATO military formations designed to enhance the defense of Poland and NATO s eastern flank, including a US-led multinational NATO ground force battlegroup as part of the Alliance s Enhanced Forward Presence initiative, NATO fighter detachments at Malbork Air Base, a NATO-led divisional headquarters (Multinational Division Northeast), which coordinates training and preparation activities of its respective subordinate battlegroups in Poland and Lithuania, and a corps-level NATO field headquarters (Multinational Corps Northeast); Poland also has increased the the US military presence in the country; Poland participates in a variety of EU and NATO military deployments in Africa, the Baltic States, Southern Europe, and the Middle East; Poland also provided support to the NATO mission in Afghanistan (2025)

Military and security forces

Polish Armed Forces (Polskie Siły Zbrojne): Land Forces (Wojska Ladowe), Navy (Marynarka Wojenna), Air Force (Sily Powietrzne), Special Forces (Wojska Specjalne), Territorial Defense Forces (Wojska Obrony Terytorialnej), Cyberspace Defense Forces (Wojska Obrony Cyberprzestrzeni) Ministry of Interior and Administration: Polish National Police (Policja); Border Guard (Straż Graniczna or SG) (2025)

Military and security service personnel strengths

approximately 235,000 active military personnel (2025) note: a new national defense law in 2022 set a goal to double the size of Poland s armed forces to 300,000 personnel, including 250,000 professional soldiers and 50,000 territorials

Military deployments

250 Kosovo (NATO/KFOR); up to 300 Latvia (NATO); 190 Lebanon (UNIFIL) (2025) note: Poland has obligated about 2,500 troops to the Lithuania, Poland, and Ukraine joint military brigade (LITPOLUKRBRIG), which was established in 2014; the brigade is headquartered in Poland and is comprised of an international staff, three battalions, and specialized units; units affiliated with the multinational brigade remain within the structures of the armed forces of their respective countries until the brigade is activated for participation in an international operation

Military equipment inventories and acquisitions

the military's inventory consists of a mix of some Soviet-era and a growing amount of more modern, NATO-compatible weapons systems; in recent years, significant suppliers of armaments have included Finland, South Korea, and the US; Poland has a domestic defense sector that produces or provides upgrades to various weapons systems, particularly ground systems such as tanks and other armored vehicles; it also cooperates with the European and US defense sectors (2025)

Military expenditures

4.5% of GDP (2025 est.) 3.8% of GDP (2024 est.) 3.3% of GDP (2023 est.) 2.2% of GDP (2022 est.) 2.2% of GDP (2021 est.)

Military service age and obligation

18 years of age for voluntary military service for men and women; no conscription; professional soldiers serve on a permanent basis (for an unspecified period of time) or on a contract basis (for a specified period of time); initial contract period is 24 months (2025) note 1: as of 2024, women made up about 16.5% of the military's full-time personnel note 2: in 2022, Poland announced a new 12-month voluntary military service program with recruits going through a one-month basic training period with a military unit, followed by 11 months of specialized training; upon completion of service, the volunteers would be allowed to join the Territorial Defense Forces or the active reserve, and have priority to join the professional army and be given preference for employment in the public sector; the program is part of an effort to increase the size of the Polish military

Age structure

0-14 years: 14.2% (male 2,830,048/female 2,676,300) 15-64 years: 65.9% (male 12,513,402/female 13,036,977) 65 years and over: 19.8% (2024 est.) (male 3,097,965/female 4,591,618)

Alcohol consumption per capita

total: 10.96 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.) beer: 5.72 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.) wine: 0.88 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.) spirits: 4.36 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.) other alcohols: 0 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

Birth rate

8.03 births/1,000 population (2025 est.)

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

0.7% (2019 est.)

Currently married women (ages 15-49)

58.6% (2021 est.)

Death rate

11.56 deaths/1,000 population (2025 est.)

Dependency ratios

total dependency ratio: 51.6 (2024 est.) youth dependency ratio: 21.6 (2024 est.) elderly dependency ratio: 30.1 (2024 est.) potential support ratio: 3.3 (2024 est.)

Drinking water source

urban: 95.8% of population (2022 est.) rural: 82.2% of population (2022 est.) total: 90.4% of population (2022 est.) urban: 4.2% of population (2022 est.) rural: 17.8% of population (2022 est.) total: 9.6% of population (2022 est.)

Education expenditure

4.3% of GDP (2022 est.) 10% national budget (2022 est.)

Ethnic groups

Polish 96.9%, Silesian 1.1%, German 0.2%, Ukrainian 0.1%, other and unspecified 1.7% (2011 est.) note: represents ethnicity declared first

Gross reproduction rate

0.65 (2025 est.)

Health expenditure

6.7% of GDP (2022) 10.7% of national budget (2022 est.)

Hospital bed density

6.1 beds/1,000 population (2020 est.)

Infant mortality rate

total: 4.6 deaths/1,000 live births (2025 est.) male: 5.3 deaths/1,000 live births female: 4.4 deaths/1,000 live births

Languages

Polish (official) 98.2%, Silesian 1.4%, other 1.1%, unspecified 1.2% (2011 est.) major-language sample(s): Księga Fakt w Świata, niezbędne źr dło podstawowych informacji. (Polish) The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information. note 1: shares of languages sum to more than 100% because some respondents gave more than one answer on the census; data represent language spoken at home note 2: Poland also recognizes Kashub as a regional language; Czech, Hebrew, Yiddish, Belarusian, Lithuanian, German, Armenian, Russian, Slovak, and Ukrainian as national minority languages; and Karaim, Lemko, Romani (Polska Roma and Bergitka Roma), and Tatar as ethnic minority languages

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 76.7 years (2024 est.) male: 72.8 years female: 80.9 years

Major urban areas - population

1.798 million WARSAW (capital), 769,000 Krakow (2023)

Maternal mortality ratio

2 deaths/100,000 live births (2023 est.)

Median age

total: 43.4 years (2025 est.) male: 41.5 years female: 44.3 years

Mother's mean age at first birth

27.9 years (2020 est.)

Nationality

noun: Pole(s) adjective: Polish

Net migration rate

-6.26 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2025 est.)

Obesity - adult prevalence rate

23.1% (2016)

Physician density

4.03 physicians/1,000 population (2023)

Population

total: 38,746,310 (2024 est.) male: 18,441,415 female: 20,304,895

Population distribution

population concentrated in the southern area around Krakow and the central area around Warsaw and Lodz, with an extension to the northern coastal city of Gdansk

Population growth rate

-0.98% (2025 est.)

Religions

Roman Catholic 70.7%, refused to answer 20.9%, no religion 6.9%; less than 1 percent: Orthodox, Jehovah Witness, Evangelic of Augsburg, Greek Catholic, Pentecostal, other Protestant, not stated, old Catholic Mariavite Church, other Christians, Islam, Buddhist, Polish Catholic Church, other, Baptist Union of Poland, Pagan, Seventh Day Adventist, Hindu, other Catholic (2021 est.)

Sanitation facility access

urban: 100% of population (2022 est.) rural: 100% of population (2022 est.) total: 100% of population (2022 est.) urban: 0% of population (2022 est.) rural: 0% of population (2022 est.) total: 0% of population (2022 est.)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

total: 17 years (2023 est.) male: 16 years (2023 est.) female: 18 years (2023 est.)

Sex ratio

at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female 0-14 years: 1.06 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.96 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.67 male(s)/female total population: 0.91 male(s)/female (2024 est.)

Tobacco use

total: 21.6% (2025 est.) male: 25.6% (2025 est.) female: 17.8% (2025 est.)

Total fertility rate

1.33 children born/woman (2025 est.)

Urbanization

urban population: 60.2% of total population (2023) rate of urbanization: -0.16% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

Key space-program milestones

1978 - first Polish astronaut in space on Soviet spacecraft 1991 - began cooperating with the ESA 1994 - began participating in Russia's Koronas solar research missions 2012 - joined ESA; first domestically built scientific nanosatellite (PW-Sat) launched on European rocket 2021 - joined US-led Artemis Accords for lunar and space exploration 2024 - successfully launched domestically developed experimental suborbital rocket (ILR-33 Amber 2K) to altitude of 101 kms 2025 - first Polish astronaut and scientific mission on International Space Station

Space agency/agencies

Polish Space Agency (POLSA; established 2014; operational in 2015) (2025)

Space program overview

builds satellites, including nano/cube remote sensing (RS) and scientific/technology satellites; researches and develops communications, RS, navigational, and other scientific applications for satellite payloads; creating infrastructure for data from meteorological and environmental satellites; researches and develops other space-related technologies, including sensors and robotic probes for interplanetary landers, and launcher systems; space program is integrated with the ESA and the EU; participates in a variety of ESA/EU and international programs; cooperates with a variety of other foreign space agencies and industries, including those of Brazil, Canada, China, ESA/EU member states (particularly France, Germany, Italy), India, Japan, Mexico, Russia, Ukraine, UK, and the US; has a commercial space sector with more than 300 active enterprises (2025)

Terrorist group(s)

Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham (ISIS) note: details about the history, aims, leadership, organization, areas of operation, tactics, targets, weapons, size, and sources of support of the group(s) appear(s) in the Terrorism reference guide

Illicit drugs

USG identification: major precursor-chemical producer (2025)

Refugees and internally displaced persons

refugees: 1,019,863 (2024 est.) stateless persons: 1,486 (2024 est.)

Airports

318 (2025)

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

SP

Heliports

16 (2025)

Merchant marine

total: 152 (2023) by type: general cargo 6, oil tanker 6, other 140

Ports

total ports: 10 (2024) large: 2 medium: 2 small: 4 very small: 2 ports with oil terminals: 5 key ports: Gdansk, Gdynia, Port Polnochny, Szczecin

Railways

total: 19,461 km (2020) 11,946 km electrified