Introduction :: Poland
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 :: Poland
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
Area – comparative
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: 12 nm
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 :: Poland
Population
38,282,325 (July 2020 est.)
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
Dependency ratios
total dependency ratio: 51.4
youth dependency ratio: 23
elderly dependency ratio: 28.4
potential support ratio: 3.5 (2020 est.)
Median age
total: 41.9 years
male: 40.3 years
female: 43.6 years (2020 est.)
Population growth rate
-0.19% (2020 est.)
Birth rate
8.9 births/1,000 population (2020 est.)
Death rate
10.6 deaths/1,000 population (2020 est.)
Net migration rate
-0.3 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2020 est.)
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 (2020)
rate of urbanization: -0.25% annual rate of change (2015-20 est.)
Major urban areas – population
1.783 million WARSAW (capital), 769,000 Krakow (2020)
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: 0.91 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.67 male(s)/female
total population: 0.94 male(s)/female (2020 est.)
Mother’s mean age at first birth
27.4 years (2014 est.)
Maternal mortality rate
2 deaths/100,000 live births (2017 est.)
Infant mortality rate
total: 4.3 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 4.6 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 3.9 deaths/1,000 live births (2020 est.)
Life expectancy at birth
total population: 78.3 years
male: 74.5 years
female: 82.3 years (2020 est.)
Total fertility rate
1.38 children born/woman (2020 est.)
Contraceptive prevalence rate
62.3% (2014)
Drinking water source
improved:** urban:** 100% of population
rural: 100% of population
total: 100% of population
unimproved:** urban:** 0% of population
rural: 0% of population
total: 0% of population (2017 est.)
Current Health Expenditure
6.5% (2017)
Physicians density
2.38 physicians/1,000 population (2017)
Hospital bed density
6.6 beds/1,000 population (2017)
Sanitation facility access
improved:** urban:** 99.7% of population
rural: 100% of population
total: 99.8% of population
unimproved:** urban:** 0.3% of population
rural: 0% of population
total: 0.2% of population (2017 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)
Education expenditures
4.6% of GDP (2016)
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: 11.7%
male: 11.5%
female: 12.1% (2018 est.)
Government :: Poland
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: 14 April 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
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 28 June 2020 with a second round on 12 July 2020 (next to be held in 2025); prime minister, deputy prime ministers, and Council of Ministers appointed by the president and confirmed by the Sejm
election results: Andrzej DUDA reelected president in runoff; percent of vote – Andrzej DUDA (independent) 51%, Rafal TRZASKOWSKI (KO) 49%
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: 1 499-1700
FAX: 1 328-6271
consulate(s) general: Chicago, Los Angeles, New York
Diplomatic representation from the US
chief of mission: Ambassador Georgette MOSBACHER (since 6 September 2018)
telephone: 48 504-2000
embassy: Aleje Ujazdowskie 29/31 00-540 Warsaw
mailing address: American Embassy Warsaw, US Department of State, Washington, DC 20521-5010 (pouch)
FAX: 48 504-2226
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
None
Economy :: Poland
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 governments 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 governments 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 EUs 3%-of-GDP limit on budget deficits, possibly impacting its access to future EU funds. Polands 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 Polands 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
GDP (official exchange rate)
$524.8 billion (2017 est.)
GDP – real growth rate
4.7% (2017 est.)
3% (2016 est.)
3.8% (2015 est.)
GDP – per capita (PPP)
$29,600 (2017 est.)
$28,300 (2016 est.)
$27,500 (2015 est.)
note: data are in 2017 dollars
Gross national saving
20% of GDP (2017 est.)
19.2% of GDP (2016 est.)
19.9% of GDP (2015 est.)
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.)
Labor force
17.6 million (2017 est.)
Labor force – by occupation
agriculture: 11.5%
industry: 30.4%
services: 57.6% (2015)
Unemployment rate
4.9% (2017 est.)
6.2% (2016 est.)
Population below poverty line
17.6% (2015 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share
lowest 10%: 3%
highest 10%: 23.9% (2015 est.)
Budget
revenues: 207.5 billion (2017 est.)
expenditures: 216.2 billion (2017 est.)
Taxes and other revenues
39.5% (of GDP) (2017 est.)
Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-)
-1.7% (of GDP) (2017 est.)
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
Fiscal year
calendar year
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
2% (2017 est.)
-0.6% (2016 est.)
Current account balance
$1.584 billion (2017 est.)
-$1.369 billion (2016 est.)
Exports
$224.6 billion (2017 est.)
$195.7 billion (2016 est.)
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.)
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.)
Debt – external
$241 billion (31 December 2017 est.)
$347.8 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
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 :: Poland
Electricity access
electrification – total population: 100% (2016)
Electricity – production
156.9 billion kWh (2016 est.)
Electricity – consumption
149.4 billion kWh (2016 est.)
Electricity – exports
12.02 billion kWh (2016)
Electricity – imports
14.02 billion kWh (2016 est.)
Electricity – installed generating capacity
38.11 million kW (2016 est.)
Electricity – from fossil fuels
79% of total installed capacity (2016 est.)
Electricity – from nuclear fuels
0% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)
Electricity – from hydroelectric plants
2% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)
Electricity – from other renewable sources
19% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)
Crude oil – production
21,000 bbl/day (2018 est.)
Crude oil – exports
4,451 bbl/day (2017 est.)
Crude oil – imports
493,100 bbl/day (2017 est.)
Crude oil – proved reserves
126 million bbl (1 January 2018)
Refined petroleum products – production
554,200 bbl/day (2017 est.)
Refined petroleum products – consumption
649,600 bbl/day (2017 est.)
Refined petroleum products – exports
104,800 bbl/day (2017 est.)
Refined petroleum products – imports
222,300 bbl/day (2017 est.)
Natural gas – production
5.748 billion cu m (2017 est.)
Natural gas – consumption
20.1 billion cu m (2017 est.)
Natural gas – exports
1.246 billion cu m (2017 est.)
Natural gas – imports
15.72 billion cu m (2017 est.)
Natural gas – proved reserves
79.79 billion cu m (1 January 2018 est.)
Carbon dioxide emissions from consumption of energy
359 million Mt (2017 est.)
Communications :: Poland
Telephones – fixed lines
total subscriptions: 6,575,246
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 17 (2018 est.)
Telephones – mobile cellular
total subscriptions: 51,098,747
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 133 (2018 est.)
Telecommunication systems
general assessment: fixed-line service is dominated by the former state-owned company, yet it is dwarfed by the growth in mobile-cellular services; regulatory is framed by EU principles of competition; regulator measures have improved wholesale market access; rapid extension of LTE networks and development of mobile data service; mobile penetration is above European average; regulator to auction 700MHz spectrum of 5G services; good market competition (2020)
domestic: several nation-wide networks provide mobile-cellular service; coverage is generally good; fixed-line 17 per 100 service lags in rural areas, mobile-cellular 133 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)
note: the COVID-19 outbreak is negatively impacting telecommunications production and supply chains globally; consumer spending on telecom devices and services has also slowed due to the pandemic’s effect on economies worldwide; overall progress towards improvements in all facets of the telecom industry – mobile, fixed-line, broadband, submarine cable and satellite – has moderated
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: 29,791,401
percent of population: 77.54% (July 2018 est.)
Broadband – fixed subscriptions
total: 6,114,926
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 16 (2018 est.)
Military and Security :: Poland
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); Ministry of the Interior: Border Guard (includes coast guard duties) (2019)
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)
Military and security service personnel strengths
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); approximately 20,000 total Territorial Defense Forces including reservists (2019 est.)
note – in June 2019, the Polish Government approved a plan to increase the size of the military by 50,000 troops over the coming decade
Military equipment inventories and acquisitions
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, and the US (2019 est.)
Military 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), which was established in 2014; the brigade is headquartered in Warsaw and is comprised of an international staff, three battalions, and specialized units (April 2020)
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)
Transportation :: Poland
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: 120,016,466 mt-km (2015)
Civil aircraft registration country code prefix
SP (2016)
Airports
126 (2013)
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 km 1.435-m gauge (11,874 km electrified) (2016)
broad gauge: 395 km 1.524-m gauge (2016)
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)
Waterways
3,997 km (navigable rivers and canals) (2009)
Merchant marine
total: 144
by type: general cargo 12, oil tanker 7, other 125 (2019)
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 :: Poland
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
Source: https://www.cia.gov
