Factbook dossier
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.
Location
Central Europe, east of Germany
Area
total : 312,685 sq km land: 304,255 sq km water: 8,430 sq km
Natural resources
coal, sulfur, copper, natural gas, silver, lead, salt, amber, arable land
Population
total: 38,746,310 (2024 est.) male: 18,441,415 female: 20,304,895
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
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
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.)
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
Government type
parliamentary republic
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
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
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
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 per capita
$45,100 (2024 est.) $43,700 (2023 est.) $43,400 (2022 est.) note: data in 2021 dollars
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
3.8% (2024 est.) 11.5% (2023 est.) 14.4% (2022 est.) note: annual % change based on consumer prices
Exports - partners
Germany 25%, UK 6%, Czechia 6%, France 6%, Italy 5% (2023) note: top five export partners based on percentage share of exports
Imports - partners
Germany 22%, China 12%, Italy 5%, Netherlands 4%, USA 4% (2023) note: top five import partners based on percentage share of imports
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 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.)