Poland

Central Europe, east of Germany

52 00 N, 20 00 E

Europe

312,685 sq km

304,255 sq km

8,430 sq km

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

2,865 km

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

12 nm

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

Rysy 2,499 m

Near Raczki Elblaskie -2 m

173 m

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

47.6% (2023 est.)

Arable land: 36.6% (2023 est.)

Permanent crops: 1.1% (2023 est.)

Permanent pasture: 9.8% (2023 est.)

31% (2023 est.)

21% (2023 est.)

1,327 sq km (2016)

Zalew Szczecinski/Stettiner Haff (shared with Germany) - 900 sq km

Wisla (Vistula) river source and mouth (shared with Belarus and Ukraine) - 1,213 km note: longest river in Poland

(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

38,746,310 (2024 est.)

18,441,415

20,304,895

Pole(s)

Polish

Polish 96.9%, Silesian 1.1%, German 0.2%, Ukrainian 0.1%, other and unspecified 1.7% (2011 est.)

Polish (official) 98.2%, Silesian 1.4%, other 1.1%, unspecified 1.2% (2011 est.)

Księga Faktów Świata, niezbędne źródło podstawowych informacji. (Polish) The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information.

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.)

14.2% (male 2,830,048/female 2,676,300)

65.9% (male 12,513,402/female 13,036,977)

19.8% (2024 est.) (male 3,097,965/female 4,591,618)

51.6 (2024 est.)

21.6 (2024 est.)

30.1 (2024 est.)

3.3 (2024 est.)

43.4 years (2025 est.)

41.5 years

44.3 years

-0.98% (2025 est.)

8.03 births/1,000 population (2025 est.)

11.56 deaths/1,000 population (2025 est.)

-6.26 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2025 est.)

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

60.2% of total population (2023)

-0.16% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

1.798 million WARSAW (capital), 769,000 Krakow (2023)

1.06 male(s)/female

1.06 male(s)/female

0.96 male(s)/female

0.67 male(s)/female

0.91 male(s)/female (2024 est.)

27.9 years (2020 est.)

2 deaths/100,000 live births (2023 est.)

4.6 deaths/1,000 live births (2025 est.)

5.3 deaths/1,000 live births

4.4 deaths/1,000 live births

76.7 years (2024 est.)

72.8 years

80.9 years

1.33 children born/woman (2025 est.)

0.65 (2025 est.)

Urban: 95.8% of population (2022 est.)

Rural: 82.2% of population (2022 est.)

Total: 90.4% of population (2022 est.)

Urban: 4.2% of population (2022 est.)

Rural: 17.8% of population (2022 est.)

Total: 9.6% of population (2022 est.)

6.7% of GDP (2022)

10.7% of national budget (2022 est.)

4.03 physicians/1,000 population (2023)

6.1 beds/1,000 population (2020 est.)

Urban: 100% of population (2022 est.)

Rural: 100% of population (2022 est.)

Total: 100% of population (2022 est.)

Urban: 0% of population (2022 est.)

Rural: 0% of population (2022 est.)

Total: 0% of population (2022 est.)

23.1% (2016)

10.96 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

5.72 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

0.88 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

4.36 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

0 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

21.6% (2025 est.)

25.6% (2025 est.)

17.8% (2025 est.)

0.7% (2019 est.)

58.6% (2021 est.)

4.3% of GDP (2022 est.)

10% national budget (2022 est.)

17 years (2023 est.)

16 years (2023 est.)

18 years (2023 est.)

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

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

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

47.6% (2023 est.)

Arable land: 36.6% (2023 est.)

Permanent crops: 1.1% (2023 est.)

Permanent pasture: 9.8% (2023 est.)

31% (2023 est.)

21% (2023 est.)

60.2% of total population (2023)

-0.16% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

264.031 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)

132.101 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)

95.095 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)

36.835 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)

18.8 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)

954.2 kt (2022-2024 est.)

595.9 kt (2019-2021 est.)

292 kt (2019-2021 est.)

36.3 kt (2019-2021 est.)

12.758 million tons (2024 est.)

38.3% (2022 est.)

2.113 billion cubic meters (2022)

6.44 billion cubic meters (2022)

1.28 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)

60.5 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)

3 (2024)

Land of Extinct Volcanoes; Muskauer Faltenbogen / Łuk Mużakowa (includes Germany); Holy Cross Mountains (2024)

Republic of Poland

Poland

Rzeczpospolita Polska

Polska

Polish People's Republic

The name probably comes from the Slavic word pole (field or plain), indicating the flat nature of the country

Parliamentary republic

Warsaw

52 15 N, 21 00 E

UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

+1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October

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

16 provinces or voivodships (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)

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

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

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

Accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

No

Both parents must be citizens of Poland

No

5 years

18 years of age; universal

President Karol NAWROCKI (since 6 August 2025)

Prime Minister Donald TUSK (since 11 December 2023)

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

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

18 May 2025, with the second round on 1 June 2025

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%

July 2030

Bicameral

Sejm

460 (all directly elected)

Proportional representation

Full renewal

4 years

10/15/2023

Law and Justice (PiS) (194); Civic Coalition (KO) (157); The Third Way (65); The New Left (Nowa Lewica) (26); Other (18)

31.3%

October 2027

Senate (Senat)

100 (all directly elected)

Plurality/majority

Full renewal

4 years

10/15/2023

Civic Coalition (KO) (41); Law and Justice (PiS) (34); The Third Way (11); The New Left (Nowa Lewica) (9); Independents (5)

19%

October 2027

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)

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

Administrative courts; military courts; local, regional and appellate courts subdivided into military, civil, criminal, labor, and family courts

Civic Coalition Confederation Free Republicans Polish Coalition or PSL The Left United Right or PiS

Ambassador (vacant); Chargé d'Affaires Bogdan Adam KLICH (since 21 November 2024)

2640 16th Street NW, Washington, DC 20009

[1] (202) 499-1700

[1] (202) 328-2152

Washington.amb.sekretariat@msz.gov.pl https://www.gov.pl/web/usa-en/embassy-washington

Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, New York

Ambassador Thomas ROSE (since 6 November 2025)

Aleje Ujazdowskie 29/31, 00-540 Warsaw

5010 Warsaw Place, Washington, DC 20521-5010

[48] (22) 504-2000

[48] (22) 504-2088

Acswarsaw@state.gov https://pl.usembassy.gov/

Krakow

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

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)

Description: two equal horizontal bands of white (top) and red meaning: colors derive from the Polish emblem, a white eagle on a red field

White crowned eagle

White, red

Poland’s coat of arms was designed in 1927 by noted Polish graphic artist and educator Zygmunt Kaminski. The white crowned eagle is the national symbol, and white and red are the national colors, with white representing purity and truth and red symbolizing courage and the blood shed for freedom.

"Mazurek Dabrowskiego" (Dabrowski's Mazurka)

Jozef WYBICKI/traditional

Adopted 1927;

17 (15 cultural, 2 natural)

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)

High-income, diversified, EU-member economy; significant growth in GDP, trade, and investment since joining EU in 2004; private consumption and EU-funded public investments driving GDP growth; increased social spending, flooding recovery costs, and defense spending have added to public debt

$1.649 trillion (2024 est.)

$1.602 trillion (2023 est.)

$1.598 trillion (2022 est.)

2.9% (2024 est.)

0.2% (2023 est.)

5.3% (2022 est.)

$45,100 (2024 est.)

$43,700 (2023 est.)

$43,400 (2022 est.)

$914.696 billion (2024 est.)

3.8% (2024 est.)

11.5% (2023 est.)

14.4% (2022 est.)

2.6% (2024 est.)

26.4% (2024 est.)

59.9% (2024 est.)

57.6% (2024 est.)

20.8% (2024 est.)

16.9% (2024 est.)

0.8% (2024 est.)

52.3% (2024 est.)

-48.3% (2024 est.)

Sugar beets, milk, wheat, maize, potatoes, triticale, apples, rapeseed, barley, rye (2023)

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

-0.6% (2023 est.)

18.245 million (2024 est.)

2.5% (2024 est.)

2.8% (2023 est.)

2.9% (2022 est.)

9.9% (2024 est.)

10.1% (2024 est.)

9.6% (2024 est.)

12.2% (2023 est.)

28.9 (2022 est.)

18.6% of household expenditures (2023 est.)

6.2% of household expenditures (2023 est.)

3.3% (2022 est.)

23.1% (2022 est.)

0.9% of GDP (2024 est.)

1.1% of GDP (2023 est.)

1.1% of GDP (2022 est.)

$291.603 billion (2023 est.)

$328.497 billion (2023 est.)

50.6% of GDP (2017 est.)

18% (of GDP) (2023 est.)

$1.789 billion (2024 est.)

$14.535 billion (2023 est.)

-$15.822 billion (2022 est.)

$478.579 billion (2024 est.)

$471.571 billion (2023 est.)

$436.388 billion (2022 est.)

Germany 25%, UK 6%, Czechia 6%, France 6%, Italy 5% (2023)

Vehicle parts/accessories, electric batteries, plastic products, cars, seats (2023)

$441.945 billion (2024 est.)

$423.797 billion (2023 est.)

$421.765 billion (2022 est.)

Germany 22%, China 12%, Italy 5%, Netherlands 4%, USA 4% (2023)

Crude petroleum, cars, garments, vehicle parts/accessories, plastic products (2023)

$223.115 billion (2024 est.)

$193.783 billion (2023 est.)

$166.664 billion (2022 est.)

Zlotych (PLN) per US dollar -

3.981 (2024 est.)

4.204 (2023 est.)

4.458 (2022 est.)

3.862 (2021 est.)

3.9 (2020 est.)

100% (2022 est.)

64.806 million kW (2023 est.)

159.639 billion kWh (2023 est.)

11.403 billion kWh (2023 est.)

15.14 billion kWh (2023 est.)

8.549 billion kWh (2023 est.)

72.7% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

6.9% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

14.4% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

1.1% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

4.9% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

96.72 million metric tons (2023 est.)

99.932 million metric tons (2023 est.)

10.805 million metric tons (2023 est.)

10.041 million metric tons (2023 est.)

27.758 billion metric tons (2023 est.)

24,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)

743,000 bbl/day (2024 est.)

113 million barrels (2021 est.)

5.345 billion cubic meters (2023 est.)

20.602 billion cubic meters (2023 est.)

747.124 million cubic meters (2023 est.)

15.111 billion cubic meters (2023 est.)

91.492 billion cubic meters (2021 est.)

103.651 million Btu/person (2023 est.)

4.987 million (2023 est.)

13 (2023 est.)

52.4 million (2023 est.)

132 (2022 est.)

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

.pl

86% (2023 est.)

10.1 million (2023 est.)

26 (2023 est.)

SP

318 (2025)

16 (2025)

19,461 km (2020) 11,946 km electrified

152 (2023)

General cargo 6, oil tanker 6, other 140

10 (2024)

2

2

4

2

5

Gdansk, Gdynia, Port Polnochny, Szczecin

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)

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.)

Approximately 235,000 active military personnel (2025)

The military's inventory consists of a mix of some Soviet-era and a growing amount of more modern, NATO-compatible weapons systems; in recent years, significant suppliers of armaments have included Finland, South Korea, and the US; Poland has a domestic defense sector that produces or provides upgrades to various weapons systems, particularly ground systems such as tanks and other armored vehicles; it also cooperates with the European and US defense sectors (2025)

18 years of age for voluntary military service for men and women; no conscription; 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 (2025)

250 Kosovo (NATO/KFOR); up to 300 Latvia (NATO); 190 Lebanon (UNIFIL) (2025)

The Polish Armed Forces are responsible for defense of the country's sovereignty and territory, deterring potential threats, and fulfilling Poland's commitments to NATO, EU, and European security; Poland’s geographic location on NATO’s eastern flank and its history of foreign invasion underpin the Polish military’s focus on territorial and border defense; in peacetime, the Armed Forces provide support to the Border Guard; other security concerns include hybrid threats from Russia and Belarus, such as cyberattacks, sabotage, and weaponized migration; since the 2010s, Poland has taken steps to enhance the security of its borders with Russia and Belarus since 2014, Poland has hosted several NATO military formations designed to enhance the defense of Poland and NATO’s eastern flank, including a US-led multinational NATO ground force battlegroup as part of the Alliance’s Enhanced Forward Presence initiative, NATO fighter detachments at Malbork Air Base, a NATO-led divisional headquarters (Multinational Division Northeast), which coordinates training and preparation activities of its respective subordinate battlegroups in Poland and Lithuania, and a corps-level NATO field headquarters (Multinational Corps Northeast); Poland also has increased the the US military presence in the country; Poland participates in a variety of EU and NATO military deployments in Africa, the Baltic States, Southern Europe, and the Middle East; Poland also provided support to the NATO mission in Afghanistan (2025)

Polish Space Agency (POLSA; established 2014; operational in 2015) (2025)

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 (2025)

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

Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham (ISIS)

1,019,863 (2024 est.)

1,486 (2024 est.)

Major precursor-chemical producer (2025)