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Poland
Poland
Population
36.6M
Rank #42Source: World Bank
Capital
Warsaw
Source: REST Countries
Region
Europe
Europe & Central Asia
Source: REST Countries
GDP (Nominal)
$917.77B
Rank #21Source: World Bank
Land Area
312.7K km²
Rank #71Source: REST Countries
Life Expectancy
78.507 yrs
Source: World Bank
Historical Trends
Population Trend (5-Year)
Source: World Bank
GDP Trend (5-Year, Nominal USD)
Source: World Bank
Geography
Area: 312,679 km²
Landlocked: No
Independent: Yes
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 Hazards: flooding
Environmental 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...
Land Use: agricultural land: 48.2% (2011 est.) forest: 30.6% (2011 est.) other: 21.2% (2011 est.)
Geography Note: historically, an area of conflict because of flat terrain and the lack of natural barriers on the North European Plain
Natural Resources
coalsulfurcoppernatural gassilverleadsaltamberarable land
People & Society
Fertility Rate
1.16
Population
36.6M
Ethnic Groups
Polish (96.9%)Silesian (1.1%)German (0.2%)Ukrainian (0.1%)other and unspecified (1.7%)
Religions
Catholic 85.9% (includes Roman Catholic (85.6%)and Byzantine-Slavic Catholic (0.3%)Orthodox (1.3%)Protestant (0.4%)other (0.4%)unspecified (12.1%)
Economy
GDP per Capita
$25,103.566
GDP per Capita PPP
51,262.511
(2024)
(2024)
GNI per Capita
21,590
(2024)
(2024)
Gini Index
28.5
(2023)
(2023)
Unemployment
2.807%
(2024)
(2024)
Inflation
3.784%
(2024)
(2024)
Public Debt
Not Available
Energy
Electricity Access
100%
(2023)
(2023)
Renewable Energy
15.2%
(2021)
(2021)
CO₂ Emissions
276.062 Mt
(2024)
(2024)
Energy Intensity
3.13 MJ/$
(2022)
(2022)
Renewable Electricity
17.46%
(2021)
(2021)
Environment
Forest Coverage
31.08% of land
(2023)
(2023)
Communications
Internet Users
88.585%
(2024)
(2024)
Mobile Penetration
135.146%
(2023)
(2023)
Broadband Subscribers
26.114%
(2023)
(2023)
Transportation
Air Transport Freight
343.932 M ton-km
(2023)
(2023)
Container Port Traffic
3,061,848 TEU
(2022)
(2022)
Airports
102,938
Rail Lines
18,620 km
Roads Total
N/A
Military
Military 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);...
Personnel Strength
the Polish Armed Forces have approximately 105,000 total active duty personnel (60,000 Army; 7,000 Navy; 17,000 Air Force; 3,500 Special Forces; 3,000 Territorial Defense Forces; 14,000 other);...
Military Expenditure (USD)
$38.00B
Military Expenditure (% of GDP)
4.15%
Military Expenditure History
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)
Deployments
360 Afghanistan (NATO); 230 Kosovo (NATO); up to 200 Latvia (NATO); 220 Lebanon (UNIFIL); contributes about 3,500 troops to the Lithuania, Poland, and Ukraine joint military brigade (LITPOLUKRBRIG),...
Equipment & Inventories
the inventory of the Polish Armed Forces consists of a mix of Soviet-era and more modern Western weapons systems; since 2010, the leading suppliers of armaments to Poland are Finland, Germany, Italy,...
Service Age & 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...
Education
Pre-Primary Enrollment
93.866%
(2020)
(2020)
Primary Enrollment
105.397%
(2023)
(2023)
Secondary Enrollment
108.386%
(2023)
(2023)
Tertiary Enrollment
76.879%
(2023)
(2023)
Education Spending
4.314% of GDP
(2022)
(2022)
Pupil-Teacher Ratio
10.181:1
(2017)
(2017)
Health
Physicians per 1,000
4.031
(2023)
(2023)
Safe Water Access
90.124%
(2024)
(2024)
Safe Drinking Water
88.676%
(2024)
(2024)
Under-5 Mortality
4.4 per 1,000
(2023)
(2023)
Maternal Mortality (World Bank)
19.764 per 100,000
(2021)
(2021)
Hospital Beds per 1,000
71.553
(2021)
(2021)
UHC Coverage Index
82
(2023)
(2023)
Measles Immunization
94%
(2024)
(2024)
Social Indicators
Extreme Poverty Rate
0.2%
(2023)
(2023)
Food Insecurity
2.5%
(2023)
(2023)
Youth NEET Rate
10.656%
(2024)
(2024)
Governance
Women in Government
29.565%
(2024)
(2024)
Voice & Accountability
0.63
(Above Average)
(2023)
(Above Average)
(2023)
Political Stability
0.56
(Above Average)
(2023)
(Above Average)
(2023)
Government Effectiveness
0.42
(Above Average)
(2023)
(Above Average)
(2023)
Regulatory Quality
0.78
(Above Average)
(2023)
(Above Average)
(2023)
Rule of Law
0.46
(Above Average)
(2023)
(Above Average)
(2023)
Control of Corruption
0.56
(Above Average)
(2023)
(Above Average)
(2023)
Government
Government Type
parliamentary republic
Legal System
civil law system; judicial review of legislative, administrative, and other governmental acts; constitutional law rulings of the Constitutional Tribunal are final
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...
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;...
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...
National Symbols
Flag Description
two equal horizontal bands of white (top) and red; colors derive from the Polish emblem - a white eagle on a red fieldnote: similar to the flags of Indonesia and Monaco which are red (top) and white
National Symbols
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...
Safety
Homicide Rate
0.802 per 100,000
(2023)
(2023)
Travel Information
Language(s): Polish
Currency: PLN (zł)
Timezone(s): UTC+01:00
Landlocked: No
Independent: Yes
Driving Side: Right
Calling Code: +48
Car Sign: PL
Week Starts: Monday
Photos
The barbican in Warsaw's Old Town.
The barbican in Warsaw's Old Town. • CIA World Factbook • 2020
Castle Square, with Zygmunt's Column, in Warsaw.
Castle Square, with Zygmunt's Column, in Warsaw. • CIA World Factbook • 2020
The Palace of Culture and Science in Warsaw is the tallest building in Poland; it was built between 1952 and 1955 as a gift to Poland by the Soviet Union. For decades the building was hated by the Poles, who considered it a symbol of Soviet domination. Since the fall of the Soviet Bloc, however, the structure's negative symbolism has diminished. The building currently serves as an exhibition center and office complex
The Palace of Culture and Science in Warsaw is the tallest building in Poland; it was built between 1952 and 1955 as a gift to Poland by the Soviet Union. For decades the building was hated by the Poles, who considered it a symbol of Soviet domination. Since the fall of the Soviet Bloc, however, the structure's negative symbolism has diminished. The building currently serves as an exhibition center and office complex • CIA World Factbook • 2020
The Green Gate in Gdansk, built between 1568 and 1571 at the end of the city's Long Market, served as the residence of visiting Polish monarchs.
The Green Gate in Gdansk, built between 1568 and 1571 at the end of the city's Long Market, served as the residence of visiting Polish monarchs. • CIA World Factbook • 2020
Entrance to the Auschwitz I concentration camp. The slogan over the gate translates as "Work makes you free." At the conclusion of World War II, the Polish Government established a memorial museum to honor the more than 1 million victims who died at this and surrounding camps.
Entrance to the Auschwitz I concentration camp. The slogan over the gate translates as "Work makes you free." At the conclusion of World War II, the Polish Government established a memorial museum to honor the more than 1 million victims who died at this and surrounding camps. • CIA World Factbook • 2020
Saint Mary's Church in Gdansk as seen from Mariacka (Saint Mary's Gate). Saint Mary's, built between 1343 and 1502, is the largest brick church in the world, and can hold 25,000 people.
Saint Mary's Church in Gdansk as seen from Mariacka (Saint Mary's Gate). Saint Mary's, built between 1343 and 1502, is the largest brick church in the world, and can hold 25,000 people. • CIA World Factbook • 2020
36 photos available
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