Poland is a country in Central Europe. Its capital is Warsaw.
Europe and its surrounding regions. The dot marks Warsaw; the mapped territory is highlighted in gold.
Natural Earth · locator mapPoland is largely lowland in the north and centre, with hills and mountains along the south. Glaciers left lakes and rolling terrain in northern regions. The Vistula and Oder connect broad inland areas with the Baltic coast.
The Tatra Mountains rise sharply on the southern border. Biebrza’s marshes provide a contrasting lowland wetland landscape. Forest, farmland, river valleys and coastal dunes add further variety between these regions.
Poland has a temperate climate with cold winters and warmer summers. Atlantic and continental influences vary, and the southern mountains are colder than the plains.
Snowmelt and rainfall affect river levels and wetlands through the year. Mountain conditions differ strongly from those on the plains. Remaining natural forests and floodplains preserve habitats within a widely cultivated landscape.
Two equal horizontal bands of white (top) and red
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Winter snow covers the high terrain along Poland’s southern edge.
Photo: Radek Kucharski from Warsaw, Poland · CC BY 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
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Wetland vegetation shows a contrasting lowland habitat in northeastern Poland.
Photo: Jerzy Strzelecki · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Polish is the official language. Kashubian has recognized regional-language status.
German, Belarusian, Ukrainian, Lithuanian, Romani, Lemko and other minority languages are also spoken. Silesian has a substantial regional speech community. Legal recognition and the way speakers identify their language are not always the same issue.
Poland disappeared as an independent state through the eighteenth-century partitions and regained independence in 1918. Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union invaded in 1939. Communist rule after the war ended through political negotiations and elections in 1989.
Manufacturing, services, construction and agriculture support a diversified economy. Vehicles, machinery, furniture and food products are important outputs. Trade and investment links with other EU members are extensive.
machine building, iron and steel, coal mining, chemicals, shipbuilding, food processing, glass, beverages, textiles
Dated World Bank observations. Population uses selected years; real GDP uses all available annual observations.
Population estimates may be revised. Selected years are shown.
Sources: World Bank · Population
| Year | People | Millions of people |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 32,664,300 | 32.664 |
| 1980 | 35,574,150 | 35.574 |
| 1990 | 38,110,782 | 38.111 |
| 2000 | 38,258,629 | 38.259 |
| 2010 | 38,042,794 | 38.043 |
| 2020 | 37,515,748 | 37.516 |
| 2025 | 36,435,861 | 36.436 |
Constant prices adjust for inflation. This is total economic output, not current-dollar GDP or income per person. Missing years are left as gaps.
Sources: World Bank · Real GDP
| Year | Constant 2015 US$ | Billions of constant 2015 US dollars |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 194,797,367,585 | 194.797 |
| 1991 | 181,131,204,775 | 181.131 |
| 1992 | 185,686,615,838 | 185.687 |
| 1993 | 192,628,157,713 | 192.628 |
| 1994 | 202,823,584,826 | 202.824 |
| 1995 | 218,906,804,616 | 218.907 |
| 1996 | 232,246,717,071 | 232.247 |
| 1997 | 247,015,068,311 | 247.015 |
| 1998 | 258,431,144,714 | 258.431 |
| 1999 | 270,575,301,764 | 270.575 |
| 2000 | 283,174,187,558 | 283.174 |
| 2001 | 286,667,833,930 | 286.668 |
| 2002 | 292,117,946,677 | 292.118 |
| 2003 | 302,410,346,200 | 302.410 |
| 2004 | 317,805,438,387 | 317.805 |
| 2005 | 328,168,510,413 | 328.169 |
| 2006 | 348,521,872,927 | 348.522 |
| 2007 | 372,083,512,402 | 372.084 |
| 2008 | 388,394,800,371 | 388.395 |
| 2009 | 398,551,823,849 | 398.552 |
| 2010 | 411,181,642,128 | 411.182 |
| 2011 | 432,791,139,408 | 432.791 |
| 2012 | 439,333,996,551 | 439.334 |
| 2013 | 442,340,098,156 | 442.340 |
| 2014 | 459,682,079,851 | 459.682 |
| 2015 | 480,054,118,583 | 480.054 |
| 2016 | 494,605,411,858 | 494.605 |
| 2017 | 520,089,746,651 | 520.090 |
| 2018 | 552,573,816,156 | 552.574 |
| 2019 | 577,884,228,678 | 577.884 |
| 2020 | 566,120,997,480 | 566.121 |
| 2021 | 605,337,233,055 | 605.337 |
| 2022 | 637,150,470,885 | 637.150 |
| 2023 | 638,740,867,489 | 638.741 |
| 2024 | 658,084,600,080 | 658.085 |
| 2025 | 681,596,153,336 | 681.596 |
The Human Development Index combines health, education and income. Scores range from 0 to 1.
The latest values refer to 2023. All historical scores use the same report edition. HDI does not describe every aspect of inequality or quality of life.
Sources: UNDP · Human Development Report 2025
Parliamentary republic. Parliament has two chambers (a bicameral legislature).
Three questions about Poland.
Sources: CIA World Factbook · archived profile
Prepared 24 September 2026. World Bank series: SP.POP.TOTL (persons) and NY.GDP.MKTP.KD (constant 2015 US dollars); downloaded 24 September 2026, provider update 13 July 2026. UNDP values use the 2025 report and 2023 observation year. These are dated statistical snapshots, not live population or economic counters.
Maps use Natural Earth geographic data. Background geography, flag descriptions and selected historical facts use archived public-domain CIA World Factbook profiles, supplemented by the sources linked above. The Factbook is no longer updated; dated statistics here come from the separately named providers.
