Poland

noun:

Pole(s)

adjective:

Polish

• 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.)

total:

43.4 years (2025 est.)

male:

41.5 years

female:

44.3 years

at birth:

1.06 male(s)/female

0-14 years:

1.06 male(s)/female

15-64 years:

0.96 male(s)/female

65 years and over:

0.67 male(s)/female

total population:

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

total:

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

male:

5.3 deaths/1,000 live births

female:

4.4 deaths/1,000 live births

total population:

76.7 years (2024 est.)

male:

72.8 years

female:

80.9 years

total:

10.96 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

beer:

5.72 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

wine:

0.88 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

spirits:

4.36 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

other alcohols:

0 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

total:

21.6% (2025 est.)

male:

25.6% (2025 est.)

female:

17.8% (2025 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

urban population:

60.2% of total population (2023)

rate of urbanization:

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

energy:

954.2 kt (2022-2024 est.)

agriculture:

595.9 kt (2019-2021 est.)

waste:

292 kt (2019-2021 est.)

other:

36.3 kt (2019-2021 est.)

municipal solid waste generated annually:

12.758 million tons (2024 est.)

percent of municipal solid waste recycled:

38.3% (2022 est.)

municipal:

2.113 billion cubic meters (2022)

industrial:

6.44 billion cubic meters (2022)

agricultural:

1.28 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)

total global geoparks and regional networks:

3 (2024)

global geoparks and regional networks:

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

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:

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

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; Warszawa was the name of a fishing village, and several legends link the city's founding to a man named Wars or Warsz

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

history:

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

amendment process:

• 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

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

chief of state:

President Karol NAWROCKI (since 6 August 2025)

head of government:

Prime Minister Donald TUSK (since 11 December 2023)

cabinet:

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

election/appointment process:

• 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

most recent election date:

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

election results:

• 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%

expected date of next election:

July 2030

chamber name:

Sejm

number of seats:

460 (all directly elected)

electoral system:

proportional representation

scope of elections:

full renewal

term in office:

4 years

most recent election date:

10/15/2023

parties elected and seats per party:

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

percentage of women in chamber:

31.3%

expected date of next election:

October 2027

chamber name:

Senate (Senat)

number of seats:

100 (all directly elected)

electoral system:

plurality/majority

scope of elections:

full renewal

term in office:

4 years

most recent election date:

10/15/2023

parties elected and seats per party:

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

percentage of women in chamber:

19%

expected date of next election:

October 2027

highest court(s):

• 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 single 9-year terms

subordinate courts:

• 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

chief of mission:

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

chancery:

2640 16th Street NW, Washington, DC 20009

telephone:

[1] (202) 499-1700

FAX:

[1] (202) 328-2152

email address and website:

[email protected]; https://www.gov.pl/web/usa-en/embassy-washington

consulate(s) general:

Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, New York

chief of mission:

Ambassador Thomas ROSE (since 6 November 2025)

embassy:

Aleje Ujazdowskie 29/31, 00-540 Warsaw

mailing address:

5010 Warsaw Place, Washington, DC 20521-5010

telephone:

[48] (22) 504-2000

FAX:

[48] (22) 504-2088

email address and website:

[email protected]; https://pl.usembassy.gov/

consulate(s) general:

Krakow

description:

two equal horizontal bands of white (top) and red

meaning:

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

title:

"Mazurek Dabrowskiego" (Dabrowski's Mazurka)

lyrics/music:

Jozef WYBICKI/traditional

history:

adopted 1927;

total World Heritage Sites:

17 (15 cultural, 2 natural)

selected World Heritage Site locales:

• 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

agriculture:

2.6% (2024 est.)

industry:

26.4% (2024 est.)

services:

59.9% (2024 est.)

note: figures may not total 100% due to non-allocated consumption not captured in sector-reported data

total:

9.9% (2024 est.)

male:

10.1% (2024 est.)

female:

9.6% (2024 est.)

note: % of labor force ages 15-24 seeking employment

on food:

18.6% of household expenditures (2023 est.)

on alcohol and tobacco:

6.2% of household expenditures (2023 est.)

lowest 10%:

3.3% (2022 est.)

highest 10%:

23.1% (2022 est.)

note: % share of income accruing to lowest and highest 10% of population

production:

96.72 million metric tons (2023 est.)

consumption:

99.932 million metric tons (2023 est.)

exports:

10.805 million metric tons (2023 est.)

imports:

10.041 million metric tons (2023 est.)

proven reserves:

27.758 billion metric tons (2023 est.)

total petroleum production:

24,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)

refined petroleum consumption:

743,000 bbl/day (2024 est.)

crude oil estimated reserves:

113 million barrels (2021 est.)

production:

5.345 billion cubic meters (2023 est.)

consumption:

20.602 billion cubic meters (2023 est.)

exports:

747.124 million cubic meters (2023 est.)

imports:

15.111 billion cubic meters (2023 est.)

proven reserves:

91.492 billion cubic meters (2021 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)

total ports:

10 (2024)

large:

2

medium:

2

small:

4

very small:

2

ports with oil terminals:

5

key ports:

Gdansk, Gdynia, Port Polnochny, Szczecin

• 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)

• 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