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 disorders 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.
land: 304,255 sq km
water: 8,430 sq 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
exclusive economic zone: defined by international treaties
lowest point: near Raczki Elblaskie -2 m
mean elevation: 173 m
arable land: 36.2% (2018 est.)
permanent crops: 1.3% (2018 est.)
permanent pasture: 10.7% (2018 est.)
forest: 30.6% (2018 est.)
other: 21.2% (2018 est.)
37,991,766 (2023 est.)
noun: Pole(s)
adjective: Polish
Polish 96.9%, Silesian 1.1%, German 0.2%, Ukrainian 0.1%, other and unspecified 1.7% (2011 est.)
note: represents ethnicity declared first
Polish (official) 98.2%, Silesian 1.4%, other 1.1%, unspecified 1.2%; note - data represent the language spoken at home; shares sum to more than 100% because some respondents gave more than one answer on the census; Poland ratified the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages in 2009 recognizing 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 (2011 est.)
major-language sample(s):
Księga Faktów Świata, niezbędne źródło podstawowych informacji. (Polish)
The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information.
Catholic 85% (includes Roman Catholic 84.8% and other Catholic 0.3%), Orthodox 1.3% (almost all are Polish Autocephalous Orthodox), Protestant 0.4% (mainly Augsburg Evangelical and Pentecostal), other 0.3% (includes Jehovah’s Witness, Buddhist, Hare Krishna, Gaudiya Vaishnavism, Muslim, Jewish, Church of Jesus Christ), unspecified 12.9% (2020 est.)
0-14 years: 14.53% (male 2,839,788/female 2,680,401)
15-64 years: 64.87% (male 12,364,282/female 12,280,814)
65 years and over: 20.6% (2023 est.) (male 3,171,838/female 4,654,643)
total dependency ratio: 51.4
youth dependency ratio: 23.4
elderly dependency ratio: 28.6
potential support ratio: 3.5 (2021 est.)
total: 42.4 years (2023 est.)
male: 41.1 years
female: 43.7 years
-1.03% (2023 est.)
8.7 births/1,000 population (2023 est.)
12.9 deaths/1,000 population (2023 est.)
-6.1 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2023 est.)
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
urban population: 60.2% of total population (2023)
rate of urbanization: -0.16% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
1.798 million WARSAW (capital), 769,000 Krakow (2023)
at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female
0-14 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.68 male(s)/female
total population: 0.9 male(s)/female (2023 est.)
27.9 years (2020 est.)
2 deaths/100,000 live births (2020 est.)
total: 5.1 deaths/1,000 live births (2023 est.)
male: 5.6 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 4.7 deaths/1,000 live births
total population: 75.8 years (2023 est.)
male: 71.7 years
female: 80 years
1.31 children born/woman (2023 est.)
0.64 (2023 est.)
62.3% (2014)
improved: urban: 99.9% of population
rural: 100% of population
total: 100% of population
unimproved: urban: 0.1% of population
rural: 0% of population
total: 0% of population (2020 est.)
6.5% of GDP (2020)
3.77 physicians/1,000 population (2020)
6.5 beds/1,000 population (2018)
improved: urban: 100% of population
rural: 100% of population
total: 100% of population
unimproved: urban: 0% of population
rural: 0% of population
total: 0% of population (2020 est.)
degree of risk: intermediate (2023)
vectorborne diseases: tickborne encephalitis
23.1% (2016)
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.)
total: 24% (2020 est.)
male: 27.9% (2020 est.)
female: 20.1% (2020 est.)
56.6% (2023 est.)
5.2% of GDP (2020 est.)
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 99.8%
male: 99.8%
female: 99.8% (2021)
total: 16 years
male: 15 years
female: 17 years (2020)
decreased emphasis on heavy industry and increased environmental concern by post-communist governments has improved environment; air pollution remains serious because of emissions from burning low-quality coals in homes and from coal-fired power plants; the resulting acid rain causes forest damage; water pollution from industrial and municipal sources is a problem, as is disposal of hazardous wastes
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
temperate with cold, cloudy, moderately severe winters with frequent precipitation; mild summers with frequent showers and thundershowers
agricultural land: 48.2% (2018 est.)
arable land: 36.2% (2018 est.)
permanent crops: 1.3% (2018 est.)
permanent pasture: 10.7% (2018 est.)
forest: 30.6% (2018 est.)
other: 21.2% (2018 est.)
urban population: 60.2% of total population (2023)
rate of urbanization: -0.16% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
0.17% of GDP (2018 est.)
0.27% of GDP (2018 est.)
particulate matter emissions: 18.83 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)
carbon dioxide emissions: 299.04 megatons (2016 est.)
methane emissions: 46.62 megatons (2020 est.)
municipal solid waste generated annually: 10.863 million tons (2015 est.)
municipal solid waste recycled annually: 2,866,746 tons (2015 est.)
percent of municipal solid waste recycled: 26.4% (2015 est.)
salt water lake(s): Zalew Szczecinski/Stettiner Haff (shared with Germany) - 900 sq km
Wisla (Vistula) river source and mouth (shared with Belarus and Ukraine) - 1,213 km
note - longest river in Poland
Atlantic Ocean drainage: (Black Sea) Danube (795,656 sq km)
municipal: 1.96 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)
industrial: 5.87 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)
agricultural: 1.39 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)
60.5 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)
diversified, high-growth European economy; COVID-19 led to first recession in nearly 3 decades, albeit small; EU and NATO member; bolstering US relations; economic concentration in western region; aging labor force; growing debt
$1.318 trillion (2021 est.)
$1.233 trillion (2020 est.)
$1.259 trillion (2019 est.)
note: data are in 2017 dollars
6.85% (2021 est.)
-2.02% (2020 est.)
4.45% (2019 est.)
$34,900 (2021 est.)
$32,500 (2020 est.)
$33,200 (2019 est.)
note: data are in 2017 dollars
$595.72 billion (2019 est.)
5.06% (2021 est.)
3.37% (2020 est.)
2.23% (2019 est.)
Fitch rating: A- (2007)
Moody’s rating: A2 (2002)
Standard & Poors rating: A- (2018)
note: The year refers to the year in which the current credit rating was first obtained.
agriculture: 2.4% (2017 est.)
industry: 40.2% (2017 est.)
services: 57.4% (2017 est.)comparison rankings:
household consumption: 58.6% (2017 est.)
government consumption: 17.7% (2017 est.)
investment in fixed capital: 17.7% (2017 est.)
investment in inventories: 2% (2017 est.)
exports of goods and services: 54% (2017 est.)
imports of goods and services: -49.9% (2017 est.)
milk, sugar beets, wheat, potatoes, triticale, maize, barley, apples, mixed grains, rye
machine building, iron and steel, coal mining, chemicals, shipbuilding, food processing, glass, beverages, textiles
3.36% (2021 est.)
18.212 million (2021 est.)
3.37% (2021 est.)
3.16% (2020 est.)
3.28% (2019 est.)
total: 13.4% (2021 est.)
male: 12.3%
female: 15%
15.4% (2018 est.)
30.2 (2018 est.)
on food: 16.7% of household expenditures (2018 est.)
on alcohol and tobacco: 5.7% of household expenditures (2018 est.)
lowest 10%: 3%
highest 10%: 23.9% (2015 est.)
revenues: $244.485 billion (2019 est.)
expenditures: $248.868 billion (2019 est.)
-1.7% (of GDP) (2017 est.)
50.6% of GDP (2017 est.)
54.2% of GDP (2016 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
17.48% (of GDP) (2020 est.)
calendar year
-$4.568 billion (2021 est.)
$17.319 billion (2020 est.)
$2.832 billion (2019 est.)
$411.621 billion (2021 est.) note: data are in current year dollars
$336.317 billion (2020 est.) note: data are in current year dollars
$330.934 billion (2019 est.) note: data are in current year dollars
Germany 28%, UK 6%, Czechia 6%, France 6%, Netherlands 4% (2020)
cars and vehicle parts, seats, furniture, electric batteries, computers (2020)
$380.699 billion (2021 est.) note: data are in current year dollars
$295.897 billion (2020 est.) note: data are in current year dollars
$302.525 billion (2019 est.) note: data are in current year dollars
Germany 25%, China 12%, Italy 5%, Netherlands 5%, Czechia 4% (2020)
cars and vehicle parts, crude petroleum, packaged medicines, broadcasting equipment, office machinery/parts (2020)
$166.03 billion (31 December 2021 est.)
$154.219 billion (31 December 2020 est.)
$128.392 billion (31 December 2019 est.)
$351.77 billion (2019 est.)
$373.721 billion (2018 est.)
zlotych (PLN) per US dollar -
Exchange rates:
3.862 (2021 est.)
3.9 (2020 est.)
3.839 (2019 est.)
3.612 (2018 est.)
3.779 (2017 est.)
electrification - total population: 100% (2021)
installed generating capacity: 47.269 million kW (2020 est.)
consumption: 149.203 billion kWh (2020 est.)
exports: 7.357 billion kWh (2020 est.)
imports: 20.624 billion kWh (2020 est.)
transmission/distribution losses: 9.995 billion kWh (2020 est.)comparison rankings:
fossil fuels: 79.8% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
nuclear: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
solar: 1.4% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
wind: 10.8% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
hydroelectricity: 2% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
tide and wave: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
geothermal: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
biomass and waste: 6% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
production: 108.152 million metric tons (2020 est.)
consumption: 110.674 million metric tons (2020 est.)
exports: 11.063 million metric tons (2020 est.)
imports: 13.281 million metric tons (2020 est.)
proven reserves: 26.932 billion metric tons (2019 est.)
total petroleum production: 28,400 bbl/day (2021 est.)
refined petroleum consumption: 697,700 bbl/day (2019 est.)
crude oil and lease condensate exports: 6,000 bbl/day (2018 est.)
crude oil and lease condensate imports: 542,100 bbl/day (2018 est.)
crude oil estimated reserves: 113 million barrels (2021 est.)
554,200 bbl/day (2017 est.)
104,800 bbl/day (2017 est.)
222,300 bbl/day (2017 est.)
production: 5.667 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)
consumption: 21.464 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)
exports: 704.975 million cubic meters (2019 est.)
imports: 16.633 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)
proven reserves: 91.492 billion cubic meters (2021 est.)
304.04 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)
from coal and metallurgical coke: 176.938 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)
from petroleum and other liquids: 89.944 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)
from consumed natural gas: 37.158 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)
112.831 million Btu/person (2019 est.)
number of registered air carriers: 6 (2020)
inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 169
annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers: 9,277,538 (2018)
annual freight traffic on registered air carriers: 271.49 million (2018) mt-km
SP
126 (2021)
87
civil airports: 13
military airports: 13
joint use (civil-military) airports: 0
other airports: 61
note: paved runways have a concrete or asphalt surface but not all have facilities for refueling, maintenance, or air traffic control; the length of a runway required for aircraft to safely operate depends on a number of factors including the type of aircraft, the takeoff weight (including passengers, cargo, and fuel), engine types, flap settings, landing speed, elevation of the airport, and average maximum daily air temperature; paved runways can reach a length of 5,000 m (16,000 ft.), but the “typical” length of a commercial airline runway is between 2,500-4,000 m (8,000-13,000 ft.)
39
note: unpaved runways have a surface composition such as grass or packed earth and are most suited to the operation of light aircraft; unpaved runways are usually short, often less than 1,000 m (3,280 ft.) in length; airports with unpaved runways often lack facilities for refueling, maintenance, or air traffic control
6 (2021)
14,198 km gas, 1,374 km oil, 2,483 km refined products (2018)
total: 19,461 km (2020) 11,946 km electrified
total: 420,000 km (2016)
paved: 291,000 km (2016) (includes 1,492 km of expressways, 1,559 of motorways)
unpaved: 129,000 km (2016)
3,997 km (2009) (navigable rivers and canals)
total: 149 (2022)
by type: general cargo 7, oil tanker 6, other 136
major seaport(s): Gdansk, Gdynia, Swinoujscie
container port(s) (TEUs): Gdansk (2,117,829) (2021)
LNG terminal(s) (import): Swinoujscie
river port(s): Szczecin (River Oder)
manyapis