Poland

Introduction

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 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. With its transformation to a democratic, market-oriented country largely completed and with large investments in defense, energy, and other infrastructure, Poland is an increasingly active member of Euro-Atlantic organizations.

Geography

Location

Central Europe, east of Germany

Geographic coordinates

52 00 N, 20 00 E

Map references

Europe

Area

total: 312,685 sq km
land: 304,255 sq km
water: 8,430 sq km
country comparison to the world: 71

Area - comparative

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

Land boundaries

total: 3,071 km
border countries (7): Belarus 418 km, Czech Republic 796 km, Germany 467 km, Lithuania 104 km, Russia (Kaliningrad Oblast) 210 km, Slovakia 541 km, Ukraine 535 km

Coastline

440 km

Maritime claims

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

Climate

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

Terrain

mostly flat plain; mountains along southern border

Elevation

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

Natural resources

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

Land use

agricultural land: 48.2% (2011 est.)
arable land: 36.2% (2011 est.)/permanent crops: 1.3% (2011 est.)/permanent pasture: 10.7% (2011 est.)
forest: 30.6% (2011 est.)
other: 21.2% (2011 est.)

Irrigated land

970 sq km (2012)

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

Natural hazards

flooding

Environment - current issues

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

Environment - international agreements

party to: Air Pollution, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Seals, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Sulfur 94

Geography - note

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

People and Society

Population

38,420,687 (July 2018 est.)
country comparison to the world: 37

Nationality

noun: Pole(s)
adjective: Polish

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 1.3% (2011 est.)
note: data represents 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

Religions

Catholic 85.9% (includes Roman Catholic 85.6% and Greek Catholic, Armenian Catholic, and Byzantine-Slavic Catholic .3%), Orthodox 1.3% (almost all are Polish Autocephalous Orthodox), Protestant 0.4% (mainly Augsburg Evangelical and Pentacostal), other 0.4% (includes Jehovah's Witness, Buddhist, Hare Krishna, Gaudiya Vaishnavism, Muslim, Jewish, Mormon), unspecified 12.1% (2017 est.)

Age structure

0-14 years: 14.8%(male 2,924,077 /female 2,762,634)
15-24 years: 10.34%(male 2,040,043 /female 1,932,009)
25-54 years: 43.44%(male 8,431,045 /female 8,260,124)
55-64 years: 13.95%(male 2,538,566 /female 2,819,544)
65 years and over: 17.47%(male 2,663,364 /female 4,049,281) (2018 est.)
population pyramid:

Dependency ratios

total dependency ratio: 43.9 (2015 est.)
youth dependency ratio: 21.4 (2015 est.)
elderly dependency ratio: 22.5 (2015 est.)
potential support ratio: 4.5 (2015 est.)

Median age

total: 41.1 years (2018 est.)
male: 39.4 years
female: 42.8 years
country comparison to the world: 44

Population growth rate

-0.16% (2018 est.)
country comparison to the world: 206

Birth rate

9.3 births/1,000 population (2018 est.)
country comparison to the world: 202

Death rate

10.5 deaths/1,000 population (2018 est.)
country comparison to the world: 29

Net migration rate

-0.4 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2018 est.)
country comparison to the world: 124

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

Urbanization

urban population: 60% of total population(2019)
rate of urbanization: -0.25% annual rate of change(2015-20 est.)

Major urban areas - population

1.776 million WARSAW (capital), 768,000 Krakow (2019)

Sex ratio

at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female
0-14 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
15-24 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
25-54 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
55-64 years: 0.9 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.66 male(s)/female
total population: 0.94 male(s)/female (2018 est.)

Mother's mean age at first birth

27.4 years (2014 est.)

Maternal mortality rate

2 deaths/100,000 live births (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 184

Infant mortality rate

total: 4.4 deaths/1,000 live births (2018 est.)
male: 4.7 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 3.9 deaths/1,000 live births
country comparison to the world: 184

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 77.9 years (2018 est.)
male: 74.1 years
female: 82 years
country comparison to the world: 67

Total fertility rate

1.36 children born/woman (2018 est.)
country comparison to the world: 214

Contraceptive prevalence rate

62.3% (2014)

Drinking water source

improved: urban: 99.3% of population
rural: 96.9% of population
total: 98.3% of population
unimproved: urban: 0.7% of population
rural: 3.1% of population
total: 1.7% of population (2015 est.)

Current Health Expenditure

6.5% (2016)

Physicians density

2.4 physicians/1,000 population (2016)

Hospital bed density

6.5 beds/1,000 population (2013)

Sanitation facility access

improved: urban: 97.5% of population (2015 est.)
rural: 96.7% of population (2015 est.)
total: 97.2% of population (2015 est.)
unimproved: urban: 2.5% of population (2015 est.)
rural: 3.3% of population (2015 est.)
total: 2.8% of population (2015 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

NA

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

NA

HIV/AIDS - deaths

NA

Major infectious diseases

degree of risk: intermediate (2016)
vectorborne diseases: tickborne encephalitis (2016)

Obesity - adult prevalence rate

23.1% (2016)
country comparison to the world: 69

Education expenditures

4.6% of GDP (2016)
country comparison to the world: 84

Literacy

definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 99.8%
male: 99.9%
female: 99.7% (2015)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

total: 16 years
male: 16 years
female: 17 years (2016)

Unemployment, youth ages 15-24

total: 14.8%
male: 14.6%
female: 15.1% (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 94

Government

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: 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

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; 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

Administrative divisions

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)

Independence

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

National holiday

Constitution Day, 3 May (1791)

Constitution

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 (2019)

Legal system

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

International law organization participation

accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

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

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Executive branch

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 and Jaroslaw GOWIN (since 16 November 2015), Jacek SASIN (since 4 June 2019)
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 10 May 2015 with a second round on 24 May 2015 (next to be held in May 2020); prime minister, deputy prime ministers, and Council of Ministers appointed by the president and confirmed by the Sejm
election results: Andrzej DUDA elected president in runoff; percent of vote - Andrzej DUDA (independent) 51.5%, Bronislaw KOMOROWSKI (independent) 48.5%

Legislative branch

description: bicameral legislature 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; minorities 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 - men 87, women 13, percent of women 13%
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 334, women 126, percent of women 27.4%; note - total legislature percent of women 24.8%
note: the designation National Assembly or Zgromadzenie Narodowe is only used on those rare occasions when the 2 houses meet jointly

Judicial branch

highest courts: 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 9-year terms
subordinate courts: administrative courts; military courts; local, regional and appellate courts subdivided into military, civil, criminal, labor, and family courts

Political parties and leaders

Civic Coalition or KO [Grzegorz SCHETYNA]
Confederation Liberty and Independence or KWiN [Janusz KORWIN-MIKKE, Robert WINNICKI, Grzegorz BRAUN]
Democratic Left Alliance or SLD [Wlodzimierz CZARZASTY]
German Minority or MN [Ryszard GALLA]
Kukiz 15 or K15 [Pawel KUKIZ]
Law and Justice or PiS [Jaroslaw KACZYNSKI]
TERAZ! (NOW!) [Ryszard PETRU]
Nowoczesna (Modern) or N [Katarzyna LUBNAUER]
Polish People's Party or PSL [Wladyslaw KOSINIAK-KAMYSZ]
Razem (Together) [collective leadership]
Wiosna (Spring) [Robert BIEDRON]

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, UNIDO, UNMIL, UNMISS, UNOCI, UN Security Council (temporary), UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC

Diplomatic representation in the US

Ambassador Piotr Antoni WILCZEK (since 18 January 2017)
chancery: 2640 16th Street NW, Washington, DC 20009
telephone: [1] (202) 499-1700
FAX: [1] (202) 328-6271
consulate(s) general: Chicago, Los Angeles, New York

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission: Ambassador Georgette MOSBACHER (since 6 September 2018)
telephone: [48] (22) 504-2000
embassy: Aleje Ujazdowskie 29/31 00-540 Warsaw
mailing address: American Embassy Warsaw, US Department of State, Washington, DC 20521-5010 (pouch)
FAX: [48] (22) 504-2226
consulate(s) general: Krakow

Flag description

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

National symbol(s)

white crowned eagle; national colors: white, red

National anthem

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

Economy

Economy - overview

Poland has the sixth-largest economy in the EU and has long had a reputation as a business-friendly country with largely sound macroeconomic policies. Since 1990, Poland has pursued a policy of economic liberalization. During the 2008-09 economic slowdown Poland was the only EU country to avoid a recession, in part because of the government’s loose fiscal policy combined with a commitment to rein in spending in the medium-term Poland is the largest recipient of EU development funds and their cyclical allocation can significantly impact the rate of economic growth.The Polish economy performed well during the 2014-17 period, with the real GDP growth rate generally exceeding 3%, in part because of increases in government social spending that have helped to accelerate consumer-driven growth. However, since 2015, Poland has implemented new business restrictions and taxes on foreign-dominated economic sectors, including banking and insurance, energy, and healthcare, that have dampened investor sentiment and has increased the government’s ownership of some firms. The government reduced the retirement age in 2016 and has had mixed success in introducing new taxes and boosting tax compliance to offset the increased costs of social spending programs and relieve upward pressure on the budget deficit. Some credit ratings agencies estimate that Poland during the next few years is at risk of exceeding the EU’s 3%-of-GDP limit on budget deficits, possibly impacting its access to future EU funds. Poland’s economy is projected to perform well in the next few years in part because of an anticipated cyclical increase in the use of its EU development funds and continued, robust household spending.Poland faces several systemic challenges, which include addressing some of the remaining deficiencies in its road and rail infrastructure, business environment, rigid labor code, commercial court system, government red tape, and burdensome tax system, especially for entrepreneurs. Additional long-term challenges include diversifying Poland’s energy mix, strengthening investments in innovation, research, and development, as well as stemming the outflow of educated young Poles to other EU member states, especially in light of a coming demographic contraction due to emigration, persistently low fertility rates, and the aging of the Solidarity-era baby boom generation.

GDP (purchasing power parity)

$1.126 trillion (2017 est.)
$1.076 trillion (2016 est.)
$1.045 trillion (2015 est.)
note: data are in 2017 dollars
country comparison to the world: 23

GDP (official exchange rate)

$524.8 billion (2017 est.)

GDP - real growth rate

4.7% (2017 est.)
3% (2016 est.)
3.8% (2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 60

GDP - per capita (PPP)

$29,600 (2017 est.)
$28,300 (2016 est.)
$27,500 (2015 est.)
note: data are in 2017 dollars
country comparison to the world: 69

Gross national saving

20% of GDP (2017 est.)
19.2% of GDP (2016 est.)
19.9% of GDP (2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 97

GDP - composition, by end use

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.)

GDP - composition, by sector of origin

agriculture: 2.4% (2017 est.)
industry: 40.2% (2017 est.)
services: 57.4% (2017 est.)

Agriculture - products

potatoes, fruits, vegetables, wheat; poultry, eggs, pork, dairy

Industries

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

Industrial production growth rate

7.5% (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 28

Labor force

17.6 million (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 35

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture: 11.5%
industry: 30.4%
services: 57.6% (2015)

Unemployment rate

4.9% (2017 est.)
6.2% (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 70

Population below poverty line

17.6% (2015 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

lowest 10%: 3%
highest 10%: 23.9% (2015 est.)

Distribution of family income - Gini index

30.8 (2015)
33.7 (2008)
country comparison to the world: 128

Budget

revenues: 207.5 billion (2017 est.)
expenditures: 216.2 billion (2017 est.)

Taxes and other revenues

39.5% (of GDP) (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 45

Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-)

-1.7% (of GDP) (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 96

Public debt

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: 100

Fiscal year

calendar year

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

2% (2017 est.)
-0.6% (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 106

Central bank discount rate

1.5% (31 December 2017)
1.5% (31 December 2016)
country comparison to the world: 127

Commercial bank prime lending rate

4.8% (31 December 2017 est.)
4.74% (31 December 2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 153

Stock of narrow money

$260.4 billion (31 December 2017 est.)
$195.1 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 20

Stock of broad money

$260.4 billion (31 December 2017 est.)
$195.1 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 20

Stock of domestic credit

$419.7 billion (31 December 2017 est.)
$336.6 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 30

Market value of publicly traded shares

$397 billion (31 December 2017 est.)
$265.4 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
$277.4 billion (31 December 2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 26

Current account balance

$1.584 billion (2017 est.)
-$1.369 billion (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 46

Exports

$224.6 billion (2017 est.)
$195.7 billion (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 23

Exports - partners

Germany 27.4%, Czech Republic 6.4%, UK 6.4%, France 5.6%, Italy 4.9%, Netherlands 4.4% (2017)

Exports - commodities

machinery and transport equipment 37.8%, intermediate manufactured goods 23.7%, miscellaneous manufactured goods 17.1%, food and live animals 7.6% (2012 est.)

Imports

$223.8 billion (2017 est.)
$193.2 billion (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 23

Imports - commodities

machinery and transport equipment 38%, intermediate manufactured goods 21%, chemicals 15%, minerals, fuels, lubricants, and related materials 9% (2011 est.)

Imports - partners

Germany 27.9%, China 8%, Russia 6.4%, Netherlands 6%, Italy 5.3%, France 4.2%, Czech Republic 4% (2017)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

$113.3 billion (31 December 2017 est.)
$114.4 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 22

Debt - external

$241 billion (31 December 2017 est.)
$347.8 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 31

Stock of direct foreign investment - at home

$282.6 billion (31 December 2017 est.)
$224.5 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 23

Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad

$72.87 billion (31 December 2017 est.)
$64.52 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 38

Exchange rates

zlotych (PLN) per US dollar -
3.748 (2017 est.)
3.9459 (2016 est.)
3.9459 (2015 est.)
3.7721 (2014 est.)
3.1538 (2013 est.)

Energy

Electricity access

electrification - total population: 100% (2016)

Electricity - production

156.9 billion kWh (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 25

Electricity - consumption

149.4 billion kWh (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 24

Electricity - exports

12.02 billion kWh (2016)
country comparison to the world: 17

Electricity - imports

14.02 billion kWh (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 17

Electricity - installed generating capacity

38.11 million kW (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 28

Electricity - from fossil fuels

79% of total installed capacity (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 87

Electricity - from nuclear fuels

0% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 166

Electricity - from hydroelectric plants

2% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 141

Electricity - from other renewable sources

19% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 44

Crude oil - production

21,000 bbl/day (2018 est.)
country comparison to the world: 65

Crude oil - exports

4,451 bbl/day (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 66

Crude oil - imports

493,100 bbl/day (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 19

Crude oil - proved reserves

126 million bbl (1 January 2018)
country comparison to the world: 66

Refined petroleum products - production

554,200 bbl/day (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 30

Refined petroleum products - consumption

649,600 bbl/day (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 30

Refined petroleum products - exports

104,800 bbl/day (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 43

Refined petroleum products - imports

222,300 bbl/day (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 32

Natural gas - production

5.748 billion cu m (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 49

Natural gas - consumption

20.1 billion cu m (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 38

Natural gas - exports

1.246 billion cu m (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 39

Natural gas - imports

15.72 billion cu m (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 20

Natural gas - proved reserves

79.79 billion cu m (1 January 2018 est.)
country comparison to the world: 56

Carbon dioxide emissions from consumption of energy

359 million Mt (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 18

Communications

Telephones - fixed lines

total subscriptions: 8,143,145
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 24 (July 2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 21

Telephones - mobile cellular

total subscriptions: 49,828,596
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 130 (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 30

Telephone system

general assessment: modernization of the telecommunications network has accelerated with market-based competition; fixed-line service, dominated by the former state-owned company, is dwarfed by the growth in mobile-cellular services; regulatory is framed by EU principles of competition; mobile penetration is above European average; 5G trials begin; LTE-B and VoWi-Fi technologies; launch of 1Gb/s cable services (2018)
domestic: several nation-wide networks provide mobile-cellular service; coverage is generally good; fixed-line 24 per 100 service lags in rural areas, mobile-cellular 130 per 100 persons (2018)
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)

Broadcast media

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)

Internet country code

.pl

Internet users

total: 28,237,820
percent of population: 73.3% (July 2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 27

Broadband - fixed subscriptions

total: 7,053,333
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 18 (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 23

Military and Security

Military expenditures

2% of GDP (2019 est.)
2.02% of GDP (2018)
1.89% of GDP (2017)
1.99% of GDP (2016)
2.22% of GDP (2015)
country comparison to the world: 52

Military and security forces

Polish Armed Forces: Land Forces (Wojska Ladowe), Navy (Marynarka Wojenna), Air Force (Sily Powietrzne), Special Forces (Wojska Specjalne), Territorial Defense Force (Wojska Obrony Terytorialnej) (2019)
note: Territorial Defense Force only began recruitment in winter 2016

Military service age and obligation

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 (2019)

Military - note

Coast guard duties fall under the Border Guard, which is controlled by the Ministry of the Interior (2019)

Transportation

National air transport system

number of registered air carriers: 6 (2015)
inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 92 (2015)
annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers: 4,841,128 (2015)
annual freight traffic on registered air carriers: 120,016,466mt-km (2015)

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

SP (2016)

Airports

126 (2013)
country comparison to the world: 47

Airports - with paved runways

total: 87 (2017)
over 3,047 m: 5 (2017)
2,438 to 3,047 m: 30 (2017)
1,524 to 2,437 m: 36 (2017)
914 to 1,523 m: 10 (2017)
under 914 m: 6 (2017)

Airports - with unpaved runways

total: 39 (2013)
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2013)
914 to 1,523 m: 17 (2013)
under 914 m: 21 (2013)

Heliports

6 (2013)

Pipelines

14198 km gas, 1374 km oil, 2483 km refined products (2016)

Railways

total: 19,231 km (2016)
standard gauge: 18,836 km1.435-m gauge (11,874 km electrified) (2016)
broad gauge: 395 km1.524-m gauge (2016)
country comparison to the world: 16

Roadways

total: 420,000 km (2016)
paved: 291,000 km(includes 1,492 km of expressways, 1,559 of motorways) (2016)
unpaved: 129,000 km (2016)
country comparison to the world: 17

Waterways

3,997 km(navigable rivers and canals) (2009)
country comparison to the world: 27

Merchant marine

total: 148
by type: bulk carrier 1, container ship 1, general cargo 13, oil tanker 7, other 126 (2018)
country comparison to the world: 72

Ports and terminals

major seaport(s): Gdansk, Gdynia, Swinoujscie
container port(s) (TEUs): Gdansk (1,593,761) (2017)
LNG terminal(s) (import): Swinoujscie
river port(s): Szczecin (River Oder)

Transnational Issues

Disputes - international

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 and internally displaced persons

refugees (country of origin): 9,893 (Russia) (2018)
stateless persons: 10,825 (2018)

Illicit drugs

despite diligent counternarcotics measures and international information sharing on cross-border crimes, a major illicit producer of synthetic drugs for the international market; minor transshipment point for Southwest Asian heroin and Latin American cocaine to Western Europe

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