Poland

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.

Central Europe, east of Germany

52 00 N, 20 00 E

Europe

total: 312,685 sq km

land: 304,255 sq km

water: 8,430 sq km

country comparison to the world: 71

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

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

440 km

territorial sea: 12 nm

exclusive economic zone: defined by international treaties

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

mostly flat plain; mountains along southern border

highest point: Rysy 2,499 m

lowest point: near Raczki Elblaskie -2 m

mean elevation: 173 m

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

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.)

760 sq km (2013)

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

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)

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

flooding

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

37,991,766 (2023 est.)

country comparison to the world: 39

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: 41.9 years

male: 40.3 years

female: 43.6 years (2020 est.)

country comparison to the world: 39

-0.28% (2023 est.)

country comparison to the world: 214

8.31 births/1,000 population (2023 est.)

country comparison to the world: 214

10.75 deaths/1,000 population (2023 est.)

country comparison to the world: 27

-0.34 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2023 est.)

country comparison to the world: 122

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: 0.94 male(s)/female (2023 est.)

27.9 years (2020 est.)

2 deaths/100,000 live births (2020 est.)

country comparison to the world: 185

total: 4.1 deaths/1,000 live births

male: 4.52 deaths/1,000 live births

female: 3.65 deaths/1,000 live births (2023 est.)

country comparison to the world: 186

total population: 79 years

male: 75.28 years

female: 82.94 years (2023 est.)

country comparison to the world: 68

1.41 children born/woman (2023 est.)

country comparison to the world: 213

0.69 (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)

country comparison to the world: 69

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.)

country comparison to the world: 13

total: 24% (2020 est.)

male: 27.9% (2020 est.)

female: 20.1% (2020 est.)

country comparison to the world: 59

0.7% (2010/12)

country comparison to the world: 125

56.6% (2023 est.)

5.2% of GDP (2020 est.)

country comparison to the world: 68

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)

total: 13.4%

male: 12.3%

female: 15% (2021 est.)

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.)

country comparison to the world: 98

0.27% of GDP (2018 est.)

country comparison to the world: 19

particulate matter emissions: 20.54 micrograms per cubic meter (2016 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

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.)

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: name derives from the Polanians, a west Slavic tribe that united several surrounding Slavic groups (9th-10th centuries A.D.) and who passed on their name to the country; the name of the tribe likely comes from the Slavic "pole" (field or plain), indicating the flat nature of their country

parliamentary republic

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; the Polish designation "Warszawa" was the name of a fishing village and several legends/traditions link the city's founding to a man named Wars or Warsz

16 voivodships [provinces] (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)

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

Constitution Day, 3 May (1791)

history: several previous; latest adopted 2 April 1997, approved by referendum 25 May 1997, effective 17 October 1997

amendments: 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; amended 2006, 2009

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

accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

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

18 years of age; universal

chief of state: President Andrzej DUDA (since 6 August 2015)

head of government: Prime Minister Mateusz MORAWIECKI (since 11 December 2017); Deputy Prime Ministers Piotr GLINSKI (since 16 November 2015), Jacek SASIN (since 15 November 2019), Henryk KOWALCZYK (26 October 2021), and Mariusz BLASZCZAK (since 22 June 2022)

cabinet: Council of Ministers proposed by the prime minister, appointed by the president, and approved by the Sejm

elections/appointments: president directly elected by absolute majority popular vote in 2 rounds if needed for a 5-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held on 28 June 2020 with a second round on 12 July 2020 (next to be held in 2025); 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

election results:

2020: Andrzej DUDA reelected president in second round; percent of vote - Andrzej DUDA 51%, Rafal TRZASKOWSKI (KO) 49%

2015: Andrzej DUDA elected president in second round; percent of vote - Andrzej DUDA 51.5%, Bronislaw KOMOROWSKI (independent) 48.5%

description: bicameral Parliament consists of:
Senate or Senat (100 seats; members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by simple majority vote to serve 4-year terms)
Sejm (460 seats; members elected in multi-seat constituencies by party-list proportional representation vote with 5% threshold of total votes needed for parties and 8% for coalitions to gain seats; minority parties exempt from threshold; members serve 4-year terms)

elections: Senate - last held on 13 October 2019 (next to be held in October 2023)
Sejm - last held on 13 October 2019 (next to be held in October 2023)

election results:
Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - PiS 48, KO 43, PSL 3, SLD 2, independent 4; composition (as of October 2021) - men 76, women 24, percent of women 24%
Sejm - percent of vote by party - PiS 43.6%, KO 27.4%, SLD 12.6%, PSL 8.5% Confederation 6.8%, other 1.1%; seats by party - PiS 235, KO 134, SLD 49, PSL 30, KWiN 11, MN 1; men 330, women 130, percent of women 28.3%; note - total Parliament percent of women 27.5%

note: the designation National Assembly or Zgromadzenie Narodowe is only used on those rare occasions when the 2 houses meet jointly

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

Agreement [Jaroslaw GOWIN]
Civic Platform or PO [Donald TUSK]
Konfederajca [Krzysztof BOSAK]
Law and Justice or PiS [Jaroslaw KACZYNSKI]
New Left or NL [Wlodzimierz CZARZASTY and Robert BIEDRON]
Poland 2050 [Szymon HOLOWNIA]
Polish People's Party or PSL [Wladyslaw KOSINIAK-KAMYSZ]
Republican Party or R [Adam BIELAN]
United Poland or SP [Zbigniew ZIOBRO]

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, UN Security Council (temporary), UNWTO, UPU, Wassenaar Arrangement, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC

chief of mission: Ambassador Marek Grzegorz MAGIEROWSKI (since 13 January 2022)

chancery: 2640 16th Street NW, Washington, DC 20009

telephone: [1] (202) 499-1700

FAX: [1] (202) 328-2152; [1] (202) 328-6271

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

chief of mission: Ambassador Mark BRZEZINSKI (since 19 January 2022)

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

two equal horizontal bands of white (top) and red; 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

white crowned eagle; national colors: white, red

name: "Mazurek Dabrowskiego" (Dabrowski's Mazurka)

lyrics/music: Jozef WYBICKI/traditional

note: adopted 1927; the anthem, commonly known as "Jeszcze Polska nie zginela" (Poland Has Not Yet Perished), was written in 1797; the lyrics resonate strongly with Poles because they reflect the numerous occasions in which the nation's lands have been occupied

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)

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

country comparison to the world: 19

6.85% (2021 est.)

-2.02% (2020 est.)

4.45% (2019 est.)

country comparison to the world: 61

$34,900 (2021 est.)

$32,500 (2020 est.)

$33,200 (2019 est.)

note: data are in 2017 dollars

country comparison to the world: 58

$595.72 billion (2019 est.)

5.06% (2021 est.)

3.37% (2020 est.)

2.23% (2019 est.)

country comparison to the world: 161

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.)

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.)

country comparison to the world: 116

18.212 million (2021 est.)

country comparison to the world: 35

agriculture: 11.5%

industry: 30.4%

services: 57.6% (2015)

3.37% (2021 est.)

3.16% (2020 est.)

3.28% (2019 est.)

country comparison to the world: 38

total: 13.4%

male: 12.3%

female: 15% (2021 est.)

country comparison to the world: 131

15.4% (2018 est.)

30.2 (2018 est.)

country comparison to the world: 148

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.)

country comparison to the world: 96

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

country comparison to the world: 104

17.48% (of GDP) (2020 est.)

country comparison to the world: 114

calendar year

-$4.568 billion (2021 est.)

$17.319 billion (2020 est.)

$2.832 billion (2019 est.)

country comparison to the world: 184

$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

country comparison to the world: 20

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

country comparison to the world: 19

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.)

country comparison to the world: 21

$351.77 billion (2019 est.)

$373.721 billion (2018 est.)

country comparison to the world: 31

zlotych (PLN) per US dollar -

3.862 (2021 est.)

3.9 (2020 est.)

3.839 (2019 est.)

3.612 (2018 est.)

3.779 (2017 est.)

electrification - total population: 100% (2020)

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.)

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.)

country comparison to the world: 30

104,800 bbl/day (2017 est.)

country comparison to the world: 43

222,300 bbl/day (2017 est.)

country comparison to the world: 32

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.)

country comparison to the world: 21

112.831 million Btu/person (2019 est.)

country comparison to the world: 48

total subscriptions: 5,308,497 (2021 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 14 (2021 est.)

country comparison to the world: 25

total subscriptions: 50,588,785 (2021 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 132 (2021 est.)

country comparison to the world: 33

general assessment: the liberalized telecom market has seen considerable development in the broadband and mobile sectors; the regulatory environment has encouraged market competition, partly by encouraging operators to secure spectrum and also by ensuring access to cable and fiber infrastructure; the mobile market in recent years has been characterized by the rapid extension of LTE networks and the development of mobile data services based on newly released and re-farmed spectrum; the regulator’s attempts to auction spectrum in a range of bands has been delayed, with spectrum in the 5G-suitable 3.4-3.8GHz range having been suspended to later in 2021 as a result of the Covid-19 outbreak and legislative changes (2021)

domestic: fixed-line is 14 per 100 (service lags in rural areas), mobile-cellular is 132 per 100 persons (2021)

international: country code - 48; landing points for the Baltica and the Denmark-Poland2 submarine cables connecting Poland, Denmark and Sweden; international direct dialing with automated exchanges; satellite earth station - 1 with access to Intelsat, Eutelsat, Inmarsat, and Intersputnik (2019)

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

.pl

total: 32.3 million (2021 est.)

percent of population: 85% (2021 est.)

country comparison to the world: 31

total: 8,369,218 (2020 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 22 (2020 est.)

country comparison to the world: 24

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)

country comparison to the world: 46

87

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

country comparison to the world: 14

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)

country comparison to the world: 18

3,997 km (2009) (navigable rivers and canals)

country comparison to the world: 29

total: 149

by type: general cargo 7, oil tanker 6, other 136 (2022)

country comparison to the world: 74

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)

Polish Armed Forces: Land Forces (Wojska Ladowe), Navy (Marynarka Wojenna), Air Force (Sily Powietrzne), Special Forces (Wojska Specjalne), Territorial Defense Force (Wojska Obrony Terytorialnej); Ministry of Interior and Administration: Border Guard (includes coast guard duties) (2023)

note: the police force is a national law enforcement body with regional and municipal units overseen by the Ministry of Interior and Administration; the Border Guard is responsible for border security and combating irregular migration and also reports to the Ministry of Interior and Administration

3% of GDP (2023 est.)

2.4% of GDP (2022)

2.3% of GDP (2021)

2.2% of GDP (2020)

2% of GDP (2019)

country comparison to the world: 32

approximately 120,000 active-duty personnel (65,000 Army; 7,000 Navy; 15,000 Air Force; 3,000 Special Forces; 25,000 joint service/other; 5,000 active Territorial Defense Forces); approximately 25,000 other Territorial Defense Forces (reserves) (2022)

note: in June 2019, the Polish Government approved a plan to increase the size of the military over a period of 10 years to over 200,000 troops, including doubling the size of the Territorial Defense Forces; in 2021, it announced additional plans to increase the size of the military to over 300,000 personnel

the military's inventory consists of a mix of Soviet-era and more modern, NATO-compatible, weapons systems; in recent years, the leading suppliers of armaments have included several European countries, South Korea, and the US; Poland has a large domestic defense sector that produces or provides upgrades to a wide variety of weapons systems, particularly ground systems such as tanks and other armored vehicles; it also cooperates with the European and US defense sectors (2023)

note: in late 2018, Poland announced a 7-year (through 2026) approximately $50 billion defense modernization plan that would include such items as 5th generation combat aircraft, unmanned aerial vehicles, rocket artillery, helicopters, submarines, frigates, and improved cyber security; in 2022, it signed large military weapons contracts with South Korea and the US

18-28 years of age for male and female voluntary military service; conscription phased out in 2009-12; 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; women serve in the military on the same terms as men (2022)

note 1: as of 2019, women made up about 7% of the military's full-time personnel

note 2: in May 2022, Poland announced a new 12-month voluntary military service program with recruits going through a 1-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

250 Kosovo (NATO/KFOR); up to 180 Latvia (NATO); 200 Lebanon (UNIFIL); 230 Romania (NATO) (2023)

note 1: 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

note 2: in response to Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine, some NATO countries, including Poland, have committed additional troops and equipment to the battlegroups deployed in NATO territory in the Baltic States and eastern Europe

Poland joined NATO in 1999; Czechia, Hungary, and Poland were invited to begin accession talks at NATO's Madrid Summit in 1997, and in March 1999 they became the first former members of the Warsaw Pact to join the Alliance

since 2017, Poland has hosted a US-led multi-national NATO ground force battlegroup as part of the Alliance’s Enhanced Forward Presence initiative; since 2014, Poland has also hosted NATO fighter detachments at Malbork Air Base under NATO's enhanced air policing arrangements

Poland hosts a NATO-led divisional headquarters (Multinational Division Northeast; operational in 2018), which coordinates training and preparation activities of its respective subordinate battlegroups in Poland and Lithuania; Poland also hosts a corps-level headquarters (Multinational Corps Northeast) (2023)

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 Appendix-T

Poland-Belarus-Ukraine: as a member state that forms part of the EU's external border, Poland has implemented the strict Schengen border rules to restrict illegal immigration and trade along its eastern borders with Belarus and Ukraine

refugees (country of origin): 1,618,785 (Ukraine) (as of 26 June 2023)

stateless persons: 1,435 (2022)

a major source of precursor or essential chemicals used in the production of illicit narcotics