National Identity
- Official name
- Republic of Poland
- Official name (in Polish)
- Rzeczpospolita Polska
- Name etymology
the name probably comes from the Slavic word pole (field or plain), indicating the flat nature of the country
Sources:- The Constitution of the Republic of Poland of 2nd April, 1997 ↗ - Sejm of the Republic of Poland
- The World Factbook: Poland - CIA
- Coat of arms
- National flag
Translated from gov.pl, the Portal of the Republic of Poland The flag of the Republic of Poland consists of two horizontal stripes of equal width, white at the top and red at the bottom, in the proportions 5:8.
Unofficial translation by WorldometerAs published by gov.pl, the Portal of the Republic of Poland Polish national colours, which is a rarity are of heraldic origin. They derive from the colours of the coat of arms of the Kingdom of Poland and the coat of arms of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. In the Polish flag, the white is a reference to the white of the Eagle, which features on the coat of arms of Poland, and to the white of Pahonia – a knight galloping on horseback, which features on the coat of arms of Lithuania, both againstred background. On the flag, the white stripe is placed above the red stripe because in Polish heraldry, the tincture of the charge has priority over the tincture of the field.
As published in EnglishAs published by gov.pl, the Portal of the Republic of Poland The red-and-white colours were first recognised as national colours on 3 May 1792, on the first anniversary of the signing of the May Constitution. They were officially adopted as the colours of the Polish State by the Sejm of the Kingdom of Poland in 1831, during the November Uprising. After Poland regained independence, the design of the Polish flag was approved by the Legislative Sejm on 1 August 1919.
As published in English- National anthem
- Mazurek Dąbrowskiego0:43
- Title (in Polish)
- Mazurek Dąbrowskiego
- Title (in English, translated)
- Dabrowski’s Mazurka
- Unofficial title (in Polish)
- Jeszcze Polska nie zginęła
- Unofficial title (in English, translated)
- Poland Has Not Yet Perished
- Unofficial title (in Polish)
- Pieśń Legionów Polskich we Włoszech
- Unofficial title (in English, translated)
- Song of the Polish Legions in Italy
- Lyrics
1Jeszcze Polska nie zginęła Kiedy my żyjemy. Co nam obca przemoc wzięła, Szablą odbierzemy.
ChorusMarsz, marsz, Dąbrowski, Z ziemi włoskiej do Polski. Za Twoim przewodem, Złączym się z narodem.
2Przejdziem Wisłę, przejdziem Wartę, Będziem Polakami. Dał nam przykład Bonaparte, Jak zwyciężać mamy.
Marsz, marsz, Dąbrowski,3Jak Czarniecki do Poznania Po szwedzkim zaborze Dla ojczyzny ratowania Wrócim się przez morze.
Marsz, marsz, Dąbrowski,4Już tam ojciec do swej Basi Mówi zapłakany – Słuchaj jeno, pono nasi Biją w tarabany.
Marsz, marsz, Dąbrowski,Source: - Citizens
- Poles
- Official name:The Constitution of the Republic of Poland of 2nd April, 1997 ↗ - Sejm of the Republic of Poland
- Official name, Citizens:The World Factbook: Poland - CIA
- National flag:gov.pl ↗ - gov.pl, the Portal of the Republic of Poland
- National flag:gov.pl ↗ - gov.pl, the Portal of the Republic of Poland
- National anthem:nationalanthems.info ↗
Geography
- Location
- Central Europe, east of Germany
- Total area
- 312,685 km²
- Land area
- 304,255 km²
- Water area
- 8,430 km²
- Land borders
- 2,865 km(7 countries)
- Coastline
- 440 km
- Terrain
Mostly flat plain; mountains along southern border - Mean elevation
- 173 m
- Highest point
- 2,499 mRysy
- Lowest point
- −2 mnear Raczki Elblaskie
- Climate
Temperate with cold, cloudy, moderately severe winters with frequent precipitation; mild summers with frequent showers and thundershowers - Avg. temperature
- 8.8 °C
- Avg. daily range
- 4.8 to 12.5 °C
- Annual precipitation
- 744 mm
Temperature °CMeanDaily rangePrecipitation mmMonthly climate normals Month Avg. high, °C Mean, °C Avg. low, °C Precipitation, mm January 0.8 −1.3 −3.7 51 February 2.4 −0.3 −3.1 46 March 6.7 3.1 −0.5 53 April 13.4 8.8 3.8 49 May 18.2 13.6 8.2 74 June 21.4 17 11.6 79 July 23.6 19 13.8 96 August 23.5 18.6 13.3 74 September 18.3 13.8 9.4 65 October 12.4 8.7 5.2 55 November 6.3 4 1.5 49 December 2.1 0.1 −2.1 52 Country-wide averages over 1991–2020.
Sources:- The World Factbook: Poland - CIA
- Climate Change Knowledge Portal (ERA5 reanalysis) ↗ - World Bank
- Weather
- Loading
- Land use2023
- Arable36.6%Perm. crops1.1%Pasture9.8%Forest31.0%Other21.0%
- Arable land
- 11,202,000 hectares (36.6%)
- Permanent crops
- 344,000 hectares (1.1%)
- Permanent meadows & pastures
- 3,014,000 hectares (9.8%)
- Forest
- 9,482,680 hectares (31.0%)
- Other land
- 6,421,320 hectares (21.0%)
Source: - Major lakes
- Zalew Szczecinski/Stettiner Haff900 km²
- Natural hazards2026
- River floods5.9High#75/191Coastal floods5.7High#46/191Drought2.8Low#109/191Epidemics2.7Low#165/191Earthquakes0.8Very low#122/191Tsunamis0.0Very lowTropical cyclones0.0Very low
Scores out of 10, ranks out of 191 countries.
Source:- INFORM Risk Index ↗ - European Commission Joint Research Centre
- Location, Land borders, Coastline, Terrain, Mean elevation, Highest point, Lowest point, Climate, Major rivers, Major lakes:The World Factbook: Poland - CIA
- Climate:Climate Change Knowledge Portal (ERA5 reanalysis) ↗ - World Bank
- Land use:FAOSTAT Land Use domain ↗ - FAO
- Natural hazards:INFORM Risk Index ↗ - European Commission Joint Research Centre
Demographics
- Population change2026
- −0.78% per year−297,722 people/yearWorld Rank221stof 237
- Birth rate
- 7.5 per 1,000 population
- Death rate
- 11.1 per 1,000 population
- Net migration rate
- −0.2 per 1,000 population
- 2026
- 43.0 yearsWorld Rank40thof 237
- Age structure2026
- 0-14 years14.1%15-64 years64.6%65 years +21.3%
- Share aged 65 and over
- 21.3%
- Share aged under 18
- 17.5%
- Total dependency ratio
- 55
- Youth dependency ratio
- 22
- Elderly dependency ratio
- 33
- Sex ratio
- 0.94 male / female
MaleAgeFemalePopulation by age group, % of total population Age Male Female 80+ 1.4% 3.1% 70-79 4.3% 6.1% 60-69 5.7% 6.5% 50-59 6.5% 6.6% 40-49 8.5% 8.3% 30-39 7.0% 6.8% 20-29 4.9% 4.7% 10-19 5.5% 5.2% 0-9 4.6% 4.3% - 2026
- 0.79 below the replacement level for Poland ()1.31 births per womanreplacement 2.10123World Rank210thof 237
- 0.63 daughters per woman0.37 below replacement, long-run each generation smaller than the lastreplacement 1.000.511.5
- 2026
- −3.6 per 1,000 populationfor every 1,000 people, 3.6 more deaths than births a year
- 2026
- −0.2 per 1,000 population
- Urbanization2026
- 60.2% live in cities22,792,998 urban residents
- Largest cities2025
- Warsaw, Kraków, Wrocław, ŁódźRankCityPopulation (2025 estimate)1Warsaw1,866,7292Kraków816,6143Wrocław672,6014Łódź639,8905Poznań534,2396Gdańsk489,3287Szczecin383,7868Lublin326,6859Bydgoszcz321,10010Białystok289,217Source:
- Statistics Poland (2025 estimate), via City Population by Thomas Brinkhoff ↗
- 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.
- Ethnic groups2011
- Figures count the ethnicity declared first.Polish96.9%Silesian1.1%German0.2%Ukrainian0.1%Other and unspecified1.7%
- Religions2021
- Roman Catholic70.7%Refused to answer20.9%None6.9%
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, and other Catholic each account for less than 1 percent.
Source:- The World Factbook: Poland - CIA
- Languages
- Polish (Polski)
- Population, Population change, Median age, Age structure, Total fertility rate, Net reproduction rate, Natural change, Net migration rate:UN World Population Prospects ↗
- Urbanization:UN World Urbanization Prospects ↗
- Largest cities:Statistics Poland (2025 estimate), via City Population by Thomas Brinkhoff ↗
- Population distribution, Ethnic groups, Religions:The World Factbook: Poland - CIA
Government & Administration
- Form of state
- RepublicThe President is elected by the Nation in universal, equal and direct elections for five years and may be re-elected once; the Constitution names the state «Rzeczpospolita Polska» (Republic of Poland), a unitary state (Arts. 3, 126, 127).Source:
- System of government
- Semi-presidentialAlthough often described as parliamentary, Poland is classified as semi-presidential because it combines a directly elected President with a Council of Ministers that needs a Sejm (lower house) confidence vote and can be removed by a no-confidence vote naming a successor (Arts. 154, 158).
- Territorial organisation
- Unitary
- Official websites
- Government (in Polish)
- President
- Parliament
- Capital
- Warsaw1.9 million people(2024)
- National holidays
- 14 days in 2026
- ThuJan 1New Year's Day
- TueJan 6Epiphany
- SunApr 5Easter Sunday
- MonApr 6Easter Monday
- FriMay 1National Day
- SunMay 3National Day of the Third of May
- SunMay 24Pentecost
- ThuJun 4Corpus Christi
- SatAug 15Assumption Day
- SunNov 1All Saints' Day
- WedNov 11National Independence Day
- ThuDec 24Christmas Eve
- FriDec 25Christmas Day
- SatDec 26Second Day of Christmas
Nationwide public holidays only, excluding regional, bank and government-only days.
- Time
- Currency
- Polish Zloty (PLN)
- Entry requirements
- Official visa and entry information
- Calling code
- +48
- Internet TLD
- .pl
- ISO 3166-1 codes
- PL, POL
- Infrastructure
- Passengers carried
- 8,782,362 by the country's airlines(2023)
- Heliports
- 16
- Aircraft departures
- 102,938 by the country's airlines(2023)
- Air freight
- 343.9 million tonne-km(2023)
- Aircraft registration prefix
- SP
Sources:- The World Factbook: Poland - CIA
- World Development Indicators ↗ - World Bank
- Flag carrier
- LOT Polish AirlinesState-owned
- Passenger rail
- PKP Intercity
- 2025
- 53 / 100World Rank52ndof 182
Significant declinerDown 10 points since 2015, when it scored 63.
Confidence intervalCorruption index score by year Year Score Lower bound Upper bound 2012 58 55 62 2013 60 56 64 2014 61 57 65 2015 63 59 67 2016 62 59 65 2017 60 58 62 2018 60 57 63 2019 58 55 61 2020 56 53.7 58.3 2021 56 54 58 2022 55 52.8 57.2 2023 54 51.8 56.2 2024 53 50 56 2025 53 49.7 56.3 Source:- Corruption Perceptions Index 2025 ↗ - Transparency International, CC BY 4.0
- Form of state, System of government, Territorial organisation:Konstytucja Rzeczypospolitej Polskiej z dnia 2 kwietnia 1997 r., Dziennik Ustaw 1997 nr 78 poz. 483 ↗
- National holidays:Open World Holidays Framework (vacanza/holidays) ↗
- Infrastructure:The World Factbook: Poland - CIA
- Infrastructure:World Development Indicators ↗ - World Bank
- Corruption Perceptions Index:Corruption Perceptions Index 2025 ↗ - Transparency International, CC BY 4.0
Economy
- High income
- GDP growth (real)2026
- +3.4% per yearWorld Rank84thof 195
- GDP per capita (PPP)2026
- GDP per capita (nominal)
- $31,186 (46th in the world)
Source:- 2025
- Services59.7% of GDPIndustry25.8% of GDPAgriculture2.5% of GDPManufacturing15%part of industry
- Households
- +57.9%
- Government
- +21.3%
- Investment
- +17.9%
- Exports
- +50%
- Imports
- −47.1%
The shape of the economyGDP by end useSource:- World Development Indicators ↗ - World Bank
- Inflation2026
- 3.2%down 0.4 percentage points0.4pp from 2025
- Labor force2024
- 19.3 million (50% of population)World Rank34thof 187
- Labor force participation2024
- 58.7% of people aged 15+
- Unemployment2024
- 2.8%
- Youth unemployment2024
- 10.7% ages 15 to 24
- Labor productivity2024
- $46.7 per hour worked at PPP
- Labor cost2025
- PLN 80.90 per hour$21.51 (USD), $39.21 (PPP)
- Budget balance2026
- 7.2% of GDP deficit
- Current account
- 1.9% of GDP, $21.7 billion deficit
Source: - Debt2024
- Government debt55.3% of GDPHousehold debt22.9% of GDPCompany debt35.5% of GDPInterest on debt2.2% of GDPCentral government debt45% of GDP
- Trade2025
- Goods$390.5 billion74.9%
- Services$130.9 billion25.1%
- Total exports
- $521.4 billion
- Change from 2024
- up 8.9 percent on the previous year8.9%
Sources:- World Development Indicators ↗ - World Bank
- The World Factbook: Poland - CIA
- 2024
- +0.99World Rank25thof 145
- Projected GDP growth
- +2.7% a year over the next 10 years
Source:- Atlas of Economic Complexity ↗ - Harvard Growth Lab
- Agricultural products2024
- Triticale, Rye, Oats, and 7 more
- 1Triticale48.6×
- 2Rye25.1×
- 3Oats8.8×
- 4Sugar beet7.6×
- 5Rape or colza seed4.3×
- 6Apples4.2×
- 7Barley2.5×
- 8Raw milk of cattle2.4×
- 9Meat of chickens (fresh or chilled)2.3×
- 10Wheat1.9×
ProductSource:- FAOSTAT ↗ - Food and Agriculture Organization
- Gold reserves2025
- 550 tonnesWorth $77.3 billion, 28% of total official reserves by value
- Industries
- machine building, iron and steel, coal mining, chemicals, shipbuilding, food processing, glass, beverages, textiles
- Income level, GDP by sector, Trade, Gold reserves:World Development Indicators ↗ - World Bank
- GDP (nominal), GDP growth (real), GDP per capita (PPP), Inflation, Budget balance:IMF World Economic Outlook ↗
- Labor force, Labor force participation, Unemployment, Youth unemployment, Labor productivity, Labor cost:ILOSTAT ↗ - International Labour Organization
- Debt:IMF Global Debt Database ↗
- Debt:IMF Public Finances in Modern History ↗
- Trade, Industries:The World Factbook: Poland - CIA
- Economic Complexity Index:Atlas of Economic Complexity ↗ - Harvard Growth Lab
- Agricultural products:FAOSTAT ↗ - Food and Agriculture Organization
Cost of Living
- Cost of living index
- Loading
- Monthly costs (excluding rent)
- Loading
- Rent
- Loading
- Buying an apartment
- Loading
- Average gross salary2025
- €2,037 per month$2,302 (USD), $4,196 (PPP)
- Median
- €1,775 per month($2,006)
- Men
- €2,189 per month($2,474)
- Women
- €1,890 per month($2,135)
Source:- ILOSTAT ↗ - International Labour Organization
- 2025
- PLN 4,666 per month, gross$1,241 (USD), $2,262 (PPP)
- Share of the average gross salary
- 54%
Source:- ILOSTAT ↗ - International Labour Organization
- Average gross salary, Minimum wage:ILOSTAT ↗ - International Labour Organization
Society
- 2023
- 0.906Very highWorld Rank35thof 193PolandWorld
Human Development Index by year Year Poland World 1990 0.722 0.608 1991 0.720 0.611 1992 0.724 0.614 1993 0.737 0.617 1994 0.747 0.620 1995 0.754 0.625 1996 0.763 0.631 1997 0.775 0.636 1998 0.784 0.641 1999 0.793 0.646 2000 0.801 0.651 2001 0.809 0.657 2002 0.816 0.662 2003 0.822 0.669 2004 0.820 0.675 2005 0.826 0.681 2006 0.831 0.688 2007 0.836 0.694 2008 0.841 0.698 2009 0.846 0.701 2010 0.852 0.707 2011 0.858 0.713 2012 0.863 0.717 2013 0.873 0.721 2014 0.873 0.726 2015 0.879 0.731 2016 0.884 0.735 2017 0.882 0.739 2018 0.884 0.741 2019 0.887 0.745 2020 0.880 0.742 2021 0.884 0.742 2022 0.902 0.752 2023 0.906 0.756 Source:- Human Development Report ↗ - United Nations Development Programme
- 2023
- 28.5
- Mean years of schooling2023
- 13.2 years
- Expected for a child today
- 16.7 years
Source:- Human Development Report ↗ - United Nations Development Programme
- Education expenditure2022
- 4.3% of GDP
- Share of government spending
- 10%
Source:- World Development Indicators ↗ - World Bank
- Internet users2024
- 88.6% of the population
- Households with Internet access
- 95.9%
Source:- ITU DataHub ↗ - International Telecommunication Union
- Mobile subscriptions2024
- 53.2 million
- Fixed telephone lines
- 4,414,633
- Fixed broadband
- 25.4 subscriptions per 100 people
Counts subscriptions, not people.
Source:- ITU DataHub ↗ - International Telecommunication Union
- Credit-card ownership2024
- 20% of adults
- Debit-card ownership
- 81%
- Account at a bank or mobile-money provider
- 86%
- Made or received a digital payment
- 82%
Source:- Global Findex Database ↗ - World Bank
- Refugees hosted2025
- 1 million people
- Asylum seekers
- 13,250
- Stateless persons
- 1,494
- Internally displaced persons
- 120(2021)All due to disasters
- Refugees from Poland abroad
- 1,412
Sources:- Refugee Data Finder ↗ - UN Refugee Agency
- Global Internal Displacement Database ↗ - Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre
- Inbound tourists2024
- Official tourism site19.7 million arrivalsdown 7% against 20197% below 2019World Rank15thof 139
- Per resident
- 5.1 arrivals per 10 residents
- Same-day visitors
- 57.2 million arrivals
- $16.8 billion
- Spending per arrival
- $854
- Share of GDP
- 2.3% tourism direct GDP(2022)
- Domestic trips
- 52.9 million overnight trips by residents
- Residents' trips abroad
- 14.7 million overnight trips
- $12.9 billion
- Average hotel stay
- 2.3 nights
Overnight arrivals by year2010 to 2024A tourist stays at least one night. Arrivals count trips, not people.
Source:- UN Tourism Data Dashboard ↗ - UN Tourism
- UNESCO World Heritage Sites
- 17 sites15 cultural2 natural
Site Type Historic Krakow Cultural Historic Warsaw Cultural Medieval Torun Cultural Wooden Tserkvas of the Carpathian Region Cultural Castle of the Teutonic Order in Malbork Cultural Wieliczka and Bochnia Royal Salt Mines Cultural Auschwitz Birkenau Concentration Camp Cultural Ancient and Primeval Beech Forests of the Carpathians Natural Białowieza Forest Natural Old City of Zamość Cultural The Factbook names 10 of the 17 sites.
Source:- The World Factbook: Poland - CIA
- Human Development Index, Mean years of schooling:Human Development Report ↗ - United Nations Development Programme
- Income inequality (Gini), Education expenditure:World Development Indicators ↗ - World Bank
- Internet users, Mobile subscriptions:ITU DataHub ↗ - International Telecommunication Union
- Credit-card ownership:Global Findex Database ↗ - World Bank
- Refugees hosted:Refugee Data Finder ↗ - UN Refugee Agency
- Refugees hosted:Global Internal Displacement Database ↗ - Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre
- Inbound tourists:UN Tourism Data Dashboard ↗ - UN Tourism
- UNESCO World Heritage Sites:The World Factbook: Poland - CIA
Crime & Safety
- Travel advisory (US)
- Loading
- Active humanitarian crisisAug 2026
- None - no active crisis
- Homicide rate2024
- Very low by global standards0.7 per 100,000 peopleWorld Rank100thof 115
- Crime rates
- 7 offence categories
Offence Per 100,000 Count Year Homicide (victims) 0.7 261 2024 Serious assault 13.3 5,145 2023 Sexual violence 9.1 3,515 2023 Kidnapping 0.6 246 2015 Burglary 183.0 70,256 2022 Theft 315.0 120,901 2022 Vehicle theft 23.8 9,123 2022 A low figure can also mean weak recording.
Source:- UNODC Data Portal ↗ - UN Office on Drugs and Crime
- Prison population2023
- 192.2 per 100,000 people
- Persons held
- 74,505
Source:- UNODC Data Portal ↗ - UN Office on Drugs and Crime
- Active humanitarian crisis:INFORM Severity Index ↗ - European Commission Joint Research Centre
- Homicide rate, Crime rates, Prison population:UNODC Data Portal ↗ - UN Office on Drugs and Crime
Health
- Life expectancy2026
- 79.2 years
- Health expenditure2024
- 8.1% of GDP$2,014 per person
- Physicians2023
- 4.03 per 1,000 population
- Hospital beds2022
- 6 per 1,000 population
- Infant mortality2026
- 3.1 per 1,000 live births
- Maternal mortality2023
- 2 per 100,000 live births
- Alcohol consumption2022
- 11.9 litres of pure alcohol per adult per year
- Tobacco use2020
- 24% of adults
- Men
- 27.8%
- Women
- 20.2%
Source:- Global Health Observatory ↗ - World Health Organization
- Alcohol and Tobacco Spending2023
- 6.2% of household spendingWorld Rank12thof 105
- World median
- 3.1%
Source:- The World Factbook: Poland - CIA
- Road traffic deaths2019
- 9.4 per 100,000 population
- Life expectancy, Infant mortality:UN World Population Prospects ↗
- Health expenditure, Physicians, Hospital beds, Road traffic deaths:World Development Indicators ↗ - World Bank
- Maternal mortality:Maternal mortality estimates ↗ - UN Maternal Mortality Estimation Inter-agency Group
- Alcohol consumption, Tobacco use:Global Health Observatory ↗ - World Health Organization
- Alcohol and Tobacco Spending:The World Factbook: Poland - CIA
Environment
- CO₂ emissions2024
- 276.1 Mt per yeardown 1.6 percent on the previous year1.6% from 2023
- CO₂ per capita
- 7.4 t per personWorld Rank33rdof 207
- Share of global CO₂
- 0.70%
- Methane (CH₄)
- 43.1 Mt CO₂-eq
- Nitrous oxide (N₂O)
- 24.2 Mt CO₂-eq
- Fluorinated gases
- 4.86 Mt CO₂-eq
- All greenhouse gases
- 348.2 Mt CO₂-eq
Source:- Emissions Database for Global Atmospheric Research (EDGAR) ↗ - European Commission, Joint Research Centre
- 2024
- 14.3 µg/m³ of PM2.50.9 years of life expectancy lost against the WHO guidelineMost polluted98thof 236
- WHO guideline
- 5 µg/m³
- National standard
- 10 µg/m³
- Life expectancy gain if the national standard were met
- 0.4 years
Source:- Air Quality Life Index ↗ - Energy Policy Institute at the University of Chicago
- 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
Source:- The World Factbook: Poland - CIA
- International agreements
- 18 of 20 landmark treaties in forceParty to 137 multilateral environmental agreements
Treaty Standing Joined Climate Paris Agreement in force 2016 UN Framework Convention on Climate Change in force 1994 Kyoto Protocol in force 2005 Ozone layer Montreal Protocol in force 1990 Vienna Convention (Ozone Layer) in force 1990 Biodiversity Convention on Biological Diversity in force 1996 CITES in force 1990 Convention on Migratory Species (Bonn) in force 1996 Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety in force 2004 Nagoya Protocol signed 2011, not ratified Land and heritage Ramsar Convention on Wetlands in force 1978 World Heritage Convention in force 1976 UN Convention to Combat Desertification in force 2002 Chemicals and waste Basel Convention in force 1992 Rotterdam Convention (PIC) in force 2005 Stockholm Convention (POPs) in force 2009 Minamata Convention on Mercury in force 2021 Oceans UN Convention on the Law of the Sea in force 1998 High Seas Treaty (BBNJ) signed 2023, not ratified MARPOL 73/78 in force 1986 Source:- International Environmental Agreements Database ↗ - Université Laval
- CO₂ emissions:Emissions Database for Global Atmospheric Research (EDGAR) ↗ - European Commission, Joint Research Centre
- Air pollution:Air Quality Life Index ↗ - Energy Policy Institute at the University of Chicago
- Environmental issues:The World Factbook: Poland - CIA
- International agreements:International Environmental Agreements Database ↗ - Université Laval
Food & Water
- No access to safe drinking water2022
- 1.7% of the population
- Renewable water2022
- 61 billion m³ per year
- Per person
- 1,576 m³ per year
- Dependency ratio
- 11% originates outside the country
- Annual water withdrawal
- 9.8 billion m³ per year
- Withdrawn for agriculture
- 13%
- Water stress
- 32% of available freshwater withdrawn
Source:- AQUASTAT ↗ - Food and Agriculture Organization
- Obesity2024
- 21.8% of adults
- Men
- 25.7%
- Women
- 17.6%
Source:- Global Health Observatory ↗ - World Health Organization
- Underweight children2018
- 0.7% of children under five
- No access to safe drinking water, Renewable water:AQUASTAT ↗ - Food and Agriculture Organization
- Obesity:Global Health Observatory ↗ - World Health Organization
- Underweight children:World Development Indicators ↗ - World Bank
Energy
- Energy consumption2024
- Per capita
- 102.9 GJ per person
- Share of world total
- 0.62%
- Supply
- Deficitproduces 47% of what it consumes, 2024
Source:- International Energy Statistics ↗ - U.S. Energy Information Administration
- Electricity2024
- Balanced trade, imports 15 TWh and exports 13 TWh in 2024167 TWh generated per year
- Generation
- 167 TWh per year
- Consumption
- 158 TWh per year
- Imports
- 15 TWh per year
- Exports
- 13 TWh per year
- Net
- −2 TWh per year
Source:- International Energy Statistics ↗ - U.S. Energy Information Administration
- Oil, gas & coal
- Deficitproduces 6% of what it consumes, 2025Oil reserves2025115 million barrelsWorld Rank68thof 99
Oil imports and exports count crude oil only.
- Mineral resources2025
- Copper
Mineral Mine production Reserves Copper 410,000 t1.8% of world 33 million t USGS estimates. Shows only minerals where the country is a major producer.
Source:- Mineral Commodity Summaries ↗ - U.S. Geological Survey
- Energy consumption, Electricity, Oil, gas & coal:International Energy Statistics ↗ - U.S. Energy Information Administration
- Oil, gas & coal:Worldwide Oil and Gas Survey ↗ - Oil & Gas Journal
- Mineral resources:Mineral Commodity Summaries ↗ - U.S. Geological Survey
Defense
- Military expenditure2024
- 4.2% of GDP$38 billion, 8.5% of government spending
- Military personnel2025
- approximately 235,000active military personnel
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.
Source:- The World Factbook: Poland - CIA
- Military service2025
- Voluntaryno conscription; men and women 18+; professional soldiers serve on a permanent basis or on a contract basis, initial contract period 24 months
As of 2024, women made up about 16.5% of the military's full-time personnel.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.
Source:- The World Factbook: Poland - CIA
- Space program2025
- Polish Space Agency (POLSA; established 2014; operational in 2015)
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
- 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
Key milestones
Source:- The World Factbook: Poland - CIA
- Nuclear weapons2026
- None - no nuclear arsenal
- Military expenditure:SIPRI Military Expenditure Database ↗ - Stockholm International Peace Research Institute
- Military expenditure:World Development Indicators ↗ - World Bank
- Military personnel, Military service, Space program:The World Factbook: Poland - CIA
- Nuclear weapons:Status of World Nuclear Forces ↗ - Federation of American Scientists
