Patryk Press

Key charts

What we watch

Patrick's take

“Poland’s continued growth and success rest on three key factors: energy independence, maintaining the złoty, and a low debt-to-GDP ratio.”

Every chart uses official data (Eurostat, the European Commission or Poland's Ministry of Finance), linked under each chart.

Energy independence

Share of Poland's energy that is imported

45.7%imported in 2024, vs 57.3% for the EU

0%20%40%60%20102017202445.7%57.3%
Energy import dependency: net imports divided by gross available energy, all products, %. Source: Eurostat (nrg_ind_id), updated 16 July 2026.

Energy independence

How Poland makes its electricity

54%from coal in 2024, down from 79% in 2015

0%25%50%75%100%2015’162017’182019’202021’2220232024
Gross electricity production by fuel, share of total (%). Other renewables = hydro, biofuels and other renewables; other = oil, waste and other non-renewables. Source: Eurostat (nrg_bal_peh), updated 2 June 2026.

Energy independence

Share of Poland's imports coming from Russia

0%of oil, gas and coal imports from Russia in 2024

0%25%50%75%100%2015202220240%0%0%
Imports from Russia divided by total imports, by volume: natural gas (million m³), crude oil and hard coal (thousand tonnes), %. Source: Eurostat (nrg_ti_gas, nrg_ti_oil, nrg_ti_sff), updated 9 October 2026.

Energy independence

Renewables' share of energy use

18.7%in 2025, vs 26.2% for the EU

0%10%20%30%201020172024202518.7%26.2%
Share of renewable energy in gross final energy consumption, %. 2025 provisional. Source: Eurostat (nrg_ind_ren), updated 15 September 2026.

The złoty

Złoty per euro, annual average

4.24PLN per euro in 2025, from a 4.69 peak in 2022

3.644.44.820102017202420254.24
Annual average euro reference rate, PLN per 1 EUR. Source: Eurostat (ert_bil_eur_a), updated 8 July 2026.

Public debt

Poland's public debt, % of GDP

59.7%in 2025, up from 51.1% in 2014

Forecast0204060EU 60% reference51.1201445.2202059.7202568.32027
General government consolidated gross debt (EU / Maastricht definition). Sources: Eurostat (gov_10dd_edpt1), updated 22 April 2026; European Commission Spring 2026 forecast, published 21 May 2026.

Who holds Poland's domestic Treasury debt

1,689PLN BN TOTAL
  • Banks52.0%
  • Foreign investors12.5%
  • Households11.8%
  • Government and local bodies7.9%
  • Investment funds7.4%
  • Insurers4.6%
  • Pension funds2.4%
  • Companies and other1.5%

Domestic-market Treasury bonds and bills, nominal value, by holder (Ministry of Finance categories; omnibus accounts counted as foreign), as of 30 September 2026. Source: Ministry of Finance.

What Poland's public debt is made of

2,598PLN BN TOTAL
  • Debt securities (bonds and bills)73.9%
  • Loans25.6%
  • Currency and deposits0.5%

General government consolidated gross debt by instrument, end of Q2 2026 (provisional), PLN million. Source: Eurostat (gov_10q_ggdebt), updated 21 October 2026.

Which currencies Poland borrows in

73.2%IN ZŁOTY
  • Złoty (PLN)73.2%
  • Euro (EUR)23.5%
  • US dollar (USD)2.6%
  • Other0.8%

General government (EU definition) debt by currency, end of Q2 2026, preliminary. Source: Ministry of Finance, Public debt Q2 2026, published 10 September 2026.

Public finances

VAT collected, % of GDP

8.4%of GDP in 2025, from 7.0% in 2015

0%2%4%6%8%10%2015202220258.4%
Value added type taxes (D211) received by general government, % of GDP. 2025: PLN 329.8 billion. Source: Eurostat (gov_10a_taxag), updated 5 November 2026.

Jobs

Unemployment rate

3.1%in 2025, vs 6.0% for the EU

0%4%8%12%20102017202420253.1%6.0%
Unemployed as % of the labour force, ages 15–74, annual. Latest monthly (seasonally adjusted): Poland 3.4% in September 2026, EU 6.1% in August 2026. Source: Eurostat (une_rt_a), updated 10 September 2026.

Jobs

Share of adults in work

78.8%in 2025, vs 76.1% for the EU

50%60%70%80%201020172024202578.8%76.1%
Employment rate, ages 20–64, % of population. Source: Eurostat (lfsi_emp_a), updated 10 September 2026.

Jobs

Average full-time salary, PLN a year

91.5kPLN a year in 2024, from 46.3k in 2015

025507510020152022202491.5
Average full-time adjusted salary per employee, national currency (PLN), annual. Source: Eurostat (nama_10_fte), updated 12 November 2025.

Households

Household debt, % of GDP

22.0%of GDP in 2025, vs 49.2% for the EU

0%20%40%60%201020172024202522.0%49.2%
Household and non-profit debt (loans and debt securities), consolidated, % of GDP. EU 2025 is provisional. Source: Eurostat (tipspd22), updated 30 October 2026.

Households

House prices, 2015 = 100

217in 2025, vs 162 for the EU

80120160200240201520222025217162
House price index, all dwellings, annual average, 2015 = 100. Source: Eurostat (prc_hpi_a), updated 2 July 2026.

Cost of living

How expensive is everyday life? Price levels, EU = 100

70.2Poland in 2024: 4th cheapest in the EU

  1. 1Luxembourg150.7
  2. 2United States149.2
  3. 3Denmark142.8
  4. 4Ireland141.2
  5. 5Finland127.2
  6. 6Sweden123.0
  7. 7Netherlands121.0
  8. 8Austria119.7
  9. 9Belgium118.7
  10. 10Germany109.1
  11. 11France107.9
  12. 12Italy98.1
  13. 13Estonia96.5
  14. 14Cyprus95.1
  15. 15Malta93.1
  16. 16Slovenia91.0
  17. 17Spain90.7
  18. 18Portugal85.0
  19. 19Greece83.0
  20. 20Slovakia81.1
  21. 21Czechia80.2
  22. 22Lithuania78.2
  23. 23Latvia77.2
  24. 24Croatia73.3
  25. 25Poland70.2
  26. 26Hungary68.3
  27. 27Romania57.4
  28. 28Bulgaria56.9

Dashed line: EU average = 100

Price level index for actual individual consumption (household goods and services), EU27 = 100, 2024. Lower = cheaper. United States shown for comparison. Source: Eurostat (prc_ppp_ind), updated 10 July 2025.

Infrastructure

Public investment, % of GDP

5.2%of GDP in 2025, vs 3.9% for the EU

0%2%4%6%20102017202420255.2%3.9%
General government gross fixed capital formation (P51G), % of GDP. Source: Eurostat (gov_10a_main), updated 21 October 2026.

Infrastructure

Motorways built, km

1,888 kmin 2024, from 857 km in 2010

05001,0001,5002,0002010201720241,888
Length of motorways in Poland, kilometres. Source: Eurostat (road_if_motorwa), updated 6 October 2026.

Transport

Air passengers, millions a year

64.2mpassengers in 2025, from 28.9m in 2015

020406020152022202564.2
Passengers carried at Polish airports, all flights, millions. Source: Eurostat (avia_paoc), updated 6 November 2026.

Transport

Cargo through Polish seaports, million tonnes

128.2m tin 2025, from 69.5m t in 2015

050100150201520222025128.2
Gross weight of goods handled in all Polish ports, million tonnes. Source: Eurostat (mar_go_aa), updated 4 November 2026.

Transport

Rail freight, million tonnes

216.5m tin 2025, from 224.3m t in 2015

150200250201520222025216.5
Goods transported by rail in Poland, million tonnes. Source: Eurostat (rail_go_total), updated 4 November 2026.

Environment

Greenhouse gas emissions, 2010 = 100

84.2in 2024, vs 72.4 for the EU

6070809010011020102017202484.272.4
Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF, indexed to 2010 = 100 (computed from million tonnes CO₂-equivalent). Poland 2024: 341 Mt. Source: Eurostat (env_air_gge), updated 2 June 2026.

Sources

Every dataset behind this page, with a link to the official table.

ChartDatasetUpdated
Air passengers, millions a yearEurostat, avia_paoc2026-11-06
Average full-time salary, PLN a yearEurostat, nama_10_fte2025-11-12
Cargo through Polish seaports, million tonnesEurostat, mar_go_aa2026-11-04
Greenhouse gas emissions, 2010 = 100Eurostat, env_air_gge2026-06-02
House prices, 2015 = 100Eurostat, prc_hpi_a2026-07-02
Household debt, % of GDPEurostat, tipspd222026-10-30
How expensive is everyday life? Price levels, EU = 100Eurostat, prc_ppp_ind (PLI_EU27_2020, A01)2025-07-10
How Poland makes its electricityEurostat, nrg_bal_peh (nrg_bal GEP, unit GWH)2026-06-02
Motorways built, kmEurostat, road_if_motorwa2026-10-06
Poland's public debt, % of GDPEurostat, gov_10dd_edpt1 (na_item GD, sector S13, unit PC_GDP)2026-04-22
Poland's public debt, % of GDP (forecast)European Commission, European Economic Forecast, Spring 2026
Public investment, % of GDPEurostat, gov_10a_main2026-10-21
Rail freight, million tonnesEurostat, rail_go_total2026-11-04
Renewables' share of energy useEurostat, nrg_ind_ren2026-09-15
Share of adults in workEurostat, lfsi_emp_a2026-09-10
Share of Poland's energy that is importedEurostat, nrg_ind_id (siec TOTAL, unit PC)2026-07-16
Share of Poland's imports coming from RussiaEurostat, nrg_ti_gas, nrg_ti_oil, nrg_ti_sff2026-10-09
Unemployment rateEurostat, une_rt_a2026-09-10
VAT collected, % of GDPEurostat, gov_10a_taxag2026-11-05
What Poland's public debt is made ofEurostat, gov_10q_ggdebt (sector S13, unit MIO_NAC)2026-10-21
Which currencies Poland borrows inMinistry of Finance, Dług publiczny II kw. 2026 (10 September 2026), chart 92026-09-10
Who holds Poland's domestic Treasury debtMinistry of Finance, Struktura inwestorów
Złoty per euro, annual averageEurostat, ert_bil_eur_a (currency PLN, statinfo AVG)2026-07-08