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Europe · Central Europe

Poland Demographics

Poland combines population decline, low fertility, a large older-age population, female-heavy older cohorts, and different migration readings depending on whether the source counts permanent residence moves, temporary stays abroad, or model-based net migration.

Primary current-series values use Statistics Poland (GUS) and GUS Local Data Bank outputs. Long-run population history and projection values use UN DESA World Population Prospects 2024. Eurostat is used only for the same-source EU comparison table.

Last updated: July 2, 2026

Core Demographic Indicators

Population 37,332,510 2025 · Statistics Poland / GUS Local Data Bank
Population growth -0.42% 2025 vs 2024 · GUS Local Data Bank rendering
Median age 42.5 years 2025 · UN DESA WPP 2024 medium estimate
Fertility rate 1.10 2024 · Statistics Poland
Life expectancy 78.5 years 2024 · Statistics Poland; men 74.93, women 82.26
Urban population 59.4% June 2025 · Statistics Poland, about 22.213 million urban residents
Aged 65+ 21.1% 2025 · 7,867,982 people, GUS Local Data Bank rendering
Net migration +9,300 2024 · permanent-residence balance, Statistics Poland migration series

Detailed Demographic Indicators

IndicatorValueYearSource
Population37,332,5102025Statistics Poland / GUS Local Data Bank rendering
Population, previous annual value37,489,0872024Statistics Poland basic data
Annual population change-156,577 people2025Calculated from GUS 2024 and 2025 population values
Annual population growth rate-0.42%2025GUS Local Data Bank rendering
Population density118.9 people per km²2025GUS Local Data Bank rendering
Urban population shareAbout 59.4%June 2025Statistics Poland mid-year urban and total population release
Urban populationAbout 22,213,000June 2025Statistics Poland mid-year urban and total population release
Population aged 0-145,307,310 · 14.2%2025GUS Local Data Bank rendering
Population aged 15-6424,157,218 · 64.7%2025GUS Local Data Bank rendering
Population aged 65+7,867,982 · 21.1%2025GUS Local Data Bank rendering
Male population18,026,904 · 48.3%2025GUS Local Data Bank rendering
Female population19,305,606 · 51.7%2025GUS Local Data Bank rendering
Sex ratio93.38 males per 100 females2025Calculated from GUS Local Data Bank sex totals
Live births251,7822024Statistics Poland basic data
Deaths408,5042024Statistics Poland basic data
Natural change-156,7222024Calculated from Statistics Poland births and deaths
Total fertility rate1.10 births per woman2024Statistics Poland basic data
Life expectancy at birth, total78.5 years2024Statistics Poland life expectancy release
Life expectancy at birth, men74.93 years2024Statistics Poland life expectancy release
Life expectancy at birth, women82.26 years2024Statistics Poland life expectancy release
Permanent-residence net migration+9,3002024Statistics Poland international migration series
Polish permanent residents temporarily abroadAbout 1,499,000End 2024Statistics Poland migration note
Detailed 5-year age-by-sex tableData not available in the current verified dataset2025Current verified data supports age groups and national sex totals, not the full age-by-sex cross-tab
Table analysis
  • The official 2025 population value is 156,577 lower than the 2024 Statistics Poland population value used here.
  • The 2025 population aged 65+ is 7,867,982, larger than the 0-14 population of 5,307,310.
  • Deaths exceeded live births by 156,722 in 2024.
  • The female population exceeded the male population by 1,278,702 in 2025.
  • Migration values need definition checks: permanent-residence net migration, temporary stays abroad, migrant stock, and UN model-based net migration are different measures.

Population Trend

Poland Population Trend, 1960-2025

UN DESA WPP 2024 mid-year estimates are used for a same-definition long-run series.

Hover or click the chart to inspect values.

Source: UN DESA World Population Prospects 2024, medium estimate series. This chart does not use GUS resident-population counts.

Trend analysis
  • The UN series rises from 29.6 million in 1960 to about 38.1 million in 2025.
  • The post-1990 line is nearly flat compared with the 1960-1990 rise.
  • The 2025 UN mid-year estimate is higher than the 2025 GUS resident-population value; the two sources should not be merged into a single trend line.

Detailed Population History Table

YearPopulationYearly % changeYearly changeNet migrationMedian ageFertility rateDensityUrban pop %Urban populationShare of world populationWorld populationGlobal rankSource
196029,575,9661.79%502,465-6,30625.63.009747.9%14,181,4480.98%3,015,470,89419UN DESA WPP 2024 rendered table
196531,288,3361.13%342,474-21,65826.52.5410250.2%15,718,4340.94%3,334,533,70321UN DESA WPP 2024 rendered table
197032,542,6330.79%250,859-66,85927.32.2510652.3%17,011,2820.88%3,694,683,79423UN DESA WPP 2024 rendered table
197533,964,3990.86%284,353-31,34627.42.2811155.3%18,776,5690.83%4,070,735,27724UN DESA WPP 2024 rendered table
198035,576,5190.93%322,424-42,42028.52.2811658.0%20,640,9940.80%4,447,606,23625UN DESA WPP 2024 rendered table
198537,200,8530.90%324,867-27,27729.82.3212159.8%22,255,5650.76%4,868,943,46526UN DESA WPP 2024 rendered table
199038,055,4550.46%170,920-50,33931.42.0712461.1%23,254,7810.71%5,327,803,11028UN DESA WPP 2024 rendered table
199538,364,6670.16%61,842-52,98932.91.6312561.6%23,645,8100.67%5,758,878,98229UN DESA WPP 2024 rendered table
200038,258,071-0.06%-21,319-15,92134.31.3712562.2%23,791,9000.62%6,171,702,99330UN DESA WPP 2024 rendered table
200538,124,379-0.07%-26,738-41,94235.61.2412461.8%23,574,7900.58%6,586,970,13232UN DESA WPP 2024 rendered table
201038,095,351-0.02%-5,806119,62336.91.4112461.3%23,335,9270.54%7,021,732,14833UN DESA WPP 2024 rendered table
201538,266,3140.09%34,1933,88738.31.3212560.3%23,065,3770.51%7,470,491,87235UN DESA WPP 2024 rendered table
202038,171,012-0.14%-54,8733,92040.11.3812559.7%22,781,6390.48%7,887,001,29239UN DESA WPP 2024 rendered table
202238,385,7390.91%345,437967,74440.91.2612559.1%22,695,1370.48%8,021,407,19239UN DESA WPP 2024 rendered table
202338,762,8440.98%377,105-7,82441.31.3012758.5%22,658,1180.48%8,091,734,93039UN DESA WPP 2024 rendered table
202438,539,201-0.58%-223,643-238,06241.81.3012658.7%22,625,7630.47%8,161,972,57239UN DESA WPP 2024 rendered table
202538,140,910-1.03%-398,291-330,82042.51.3112559.2%22,598,3350.46%8,231,613,07042UN DESA WPP 2024 rendered table
Table analysis
  • The UN series places Poland above 38 million from 1990 through 2025, but the recent line turns downward.
  • UN median age rises from 25.6 years in 1960 to 42.5 years in 2025.
  • The UN fertility series is below 2.1 after 1990 in the table.
  • Urban population in the UN series peaks near 23.79 million in 2000 and is lower by 2025.
  • The UN migration column is model-based and should not be read as the same measure as Statistics Poland permanent-residence migration.

Age Structure and Sex Balance

Age-sex data note: The verified current dataset used here provides broad age groups, detailed age totals, and national male/female totals. It does not provide a full 5-year age-by-sex cross-tab in this page build, so no population pyramid is produced.

Broad Age Structure

Population by broad age group, 2025.

Hover or click the chart to inspect values.

Source: GUS Local Data Bank rendering, 2025. Counts are broad age groups, not age-by-sex groups.

Chart analysis
  • The 65+ population is 2,560,672 larger than the 0-14 population.
  • The working-age group remains the largest segment at 24,157,218 people.
  • This chart is a broad age chart, not a full population pyramid.

Broad Age Structure Table

Age groupPopulationShareYearSource
0-145,307,31014.2%2025GUS Local Data Bank rendering
15-6424,157,21864.7%2025GUS Local Data Bank rendering
65+7,867,98221.1%2025GUS Local Data Bank rendering

Detailed Age Distribution

Total population by age group, 2025.

Hover or click the chart to inspect values.

Source: GUS Local Data Bank rendering, 2025. These are age totals, not sex-specific age groups.

Age-sex analysis
  • The largest age group in this table is 40-44, with 3,191,762 people.
  • The combined 75+ population is 3,215,327, or about 8.6% of the 2025 population used here.
  • The 0-4 group is 1,397,906, smaller than each 5-year group from 5-9 through 75-79.
  • Because sex-by-age data is not displayed, this module should not be used to infer male/female balance within each age band.

Age Distribution Table

Age groupPopulationShare of totalYearSource
0-41,397,9063.7%2025GUS Local Data Bank rendering
5-91,935,0915.2%2025GUS Local Data Bank rendering
10-141,974,3135.3%2025GUS Local Data Bank rendering
15-192,055,5265.5%2025GUS Local Data Bank rendering
20-241,756,3504.7%2025GUS Local Data Bank rendering
25-291,936,6145.2%2025GUS Local Data Bank rendering
30-342,378,3426.4%2025GUS Local Data Bank rendering
35-392,789,4587.5%2025GUS Local Data Bank rendering
40-443,191,7628.6%2025GUS Local Data Bank rendering
45-493,034,9508.1%2025GUS Local Data Bank rendering
50-542,632,6117.1%2025GUS Local Data Bank rendering
55-592,194,8325.9%2025GUS Local Data Bank rendering
60-642,186,7735.9%2025GUS Local Data Bank rendering
65-692,446,7416.6%2025GUS Local Data Bank rendering
70-742,205,9145.9%2025GUS Local Data Bank rendering
75-791,598,5214.3%2025GUS Local Data Bank rendering
80-84764,7202.0%2025GUS Local Data Bank rendering
85+852,0862.3%2025GUS Local Data Bank rendering

Male and Female Population

National sex totals, 2025.

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Source: GUS Local Data Bank rendering, 2025.

Age-sex analysis
  • Women account for 51.7% of the 2025 population used here.
  • The national sex ratio is 93.38 males per 100 females.
  • The verified data does not show sex ratio by each age group in this page build.

Male and Female Population Table

GroupPopulationShareSex ratio noteYearSource
Men18,026,90448.3%93.38 males per 100 females2025GUS Local Data Bank rendering
Women19,305,60651.7%107.09 females per 100 males2025GUS Local Data Bank rendering
Total37,332,510100.0%Data not applicable2025GUS Local Data Bank rendering

Fertility, Mortality, Migration and Urban Profile

Fertility Compared With Replacement Level

Poland’s 2024 total fertility rate compared with a broad 2.1 replacement-level benchmark.

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Source: Statistics Poland, 2024. The 2.1 benchmark is a general reference point and is not a country-specific replacement estimate.

Chart analysis
  • The 2024 fertility rate is 1.10 births per woman.
  • The gap against the 2.1 benchmark is 1.00 birth per woman.
  • This chart compares a national annual value with a reference benchmark, not with a policy target.

Life Expectancy by Sex

Life expectancy at birth, 2024.

Hover or click the chart to inspect values.

Source: Statistics Poland life expectancy release, 2024.

Chart analysis
  • Women have a life expectancy of 82.26 years in 2024.
  • Men have a life expectancy of 74.93 years in 2024.
  • The female-male gap is 7.33 years.

Vital Statistics Table

YearLive birthsDeathsNatural changeFertility rateSource
2024251,782408,504-156,7221.10Statistics Poland basic data; natural change calculated from births and deaths
Table analysis
  • Deaths were 62.2% higher than live births in the 2024 values used here.
  • The natural-change value is negative because 408,504 deaths exceeded 251,782 live births.

Life Expectancy Table

YearTotalMenWomenFemale-male gapSource
202478.5 years74.93 years82.26 years7.33 yearsStatistics Poland life expectancy release

Migration Measures Table

MeasureValueYearDefinitionSource
Permanent-residence net migration+9,3002024Balance of immigration and emigration for permanent residenceStatistics Poland international migration series
Permanent residents temporarily abroadAbout 1,499,000End 2024Permanent residents of Poland temporarily staying outside the countryStatistics Poland migration note
International migrant stock1,739,9012024Foreign-born or international migrant stock estimate; not a one-year migration flowUN DESA migrant stock estimate as reported in migration country profile
UN WPP net migration-238,0622024Model-based net migration used in UN population accountingUN DESA WPP 2024 rendered table
Method note
  • The permanent-residence balance is positive in 2024 at +9,300.
  • The UN WPP net migration value for 2024 is negative because it is a model-based demographic-accounting input, not the same administrative measure.
  • The temporary-abroad figure is a stock of residents outside Poland, not a net migration flow.

Urban and Rural Population Table

Area typePopulationShareYearSource
UrbanAbout 22,213,000About 59.4%June 2025Statistics Poland mid-year release
RuralAbout 15,189,000About 40.6%June 2025Derived from Statistics Poland mid-year total and urban population values

Largest City Populations

RankCityPopulationYearSource
1Warszawa1,866,7292025GUS Local Data Bank rendering
2Kraków816,6142025GUS Local Data Bank rendering
3Wrocław672,6012025GUS Local Data Bank rendering
4Łódź639,8902025GUS Local Data Bank rendering
5Poznań534,2392025GUS Local Data Bank rendering
6Gdańsk489,3282025GUS Local Data Bank rendering
7Szczecin383,7862025GUS Local Data Bank rendering
8Lublin326,6852025GUS Local Data Bank rendering
9Bydgoszcz321,1002025GUS Local Data Bank rendering
10Białystok289,2172025GUS Local Data Bank rendering
Table analysis
  • Warszawa is the only city in this table above 1.8 million.
  • Kraków and Wrocław are the next two largest cities in this dataset.
  • The table uses city administrative populations, not metropolitan-area populations.

Population Projection

UN Medium-Variant Population Path

Baseline estimate for 2025 and projected values for 2030-2040.

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Source: UN DESA World Population Prospects 2024, medium variant. Projection values are scenario-based estimates, not guaranteed predictions.

Projection analysis
  • The UN medium-variant path declines from 38.14 million in 2025 to 35.18 million in 2040.
  • The 2030-2040 projection drop in the table is about 2.02 million.
  • The projection table is kept separate from the official GUS current-population table because source definitions differ.

Forecast Population Table

YearProjected populationYearly % changeYearly changeNet migration assumptionMedian ageFertility rateDensityUrban pop %Urban populationScenarioSource
203037,198,543-0.50%-188,473-5,96345.01.3312160.6%22,532,769Medium variantUN DESA WPP 2024 rendered projection table
203536,243,787-0.52%-190,951-4,05547.41.3511862.3%22,568,109Medium variantUN DESA WPP 2024 rendered projection table
204035,179,554-0.59%-212,847-5,28249.31.3711564.5%22,692,384Medium variantUN DESA WPP 2024 rendered projection table
Projection analysis
  • The projected population is below 36 million by 2040 in this UN medium-variant table.
  • The median age rises from 45.0 in 2030 to 49.3 in 2040.
  • The projected urban share rises even while the projected total population falls.
  • Projection rows should not be read as observed population counts.

EU Comparison Metrics

The comparison uses neighboring and Central-European EU countries commonly discussed with Poland because of population size, ageing, fertility, migration, or regional context. Values use the same Eurostat table as rendered by Destatis, so the comparison avoids mixing national sources country by country.

CountryPopulation 2025Projection 2060Fertility rate 2024Life expectancy, women 2024Life expectancy, men 2024Source note
Poland36.5 million31.2 million1.1482.274.8Eurostat values rendered by Destatis; EU comparison definition differs from GUS resident-population card
Germany83.6 million78.5 million1.3683.578.9Eurostat values rendered by Destatis
Czechia10.9 million10.4 million1.3683.077.1Eurostat values rendered by Destatis
Hungary9.5 million8.2 million1.4179.973.7Eurostat values rendered by Destatis
Romania19.0 million16.3 million1.3980.372.8Eurostat values rendered by Destatis
Lithuania2.9 million2.3 million1.1181.673.0Eurostat values rendered by Destatis
Comparison analysis
  • In this Eurostat comparison extract, Poland has the lowest fertility value among Poland, Germany, Czechia, Hungary, and Romania.
  • Poland’s 2060 comparison projection is lower than its 2025 comparison population by 5.3 million.
  • Poland’s female-male life expectancy gap is 7.4 years in the Eurostat comparison extract.
  • Comparison population values should not replace the GUS resident-population value used in the core cards.

Demographic Overview

Population direction

The official 2025 population value used here is lower than the 2024 GUS population value, while the UN long-run series also points downward after the early 2020s.

Age structure

The 65+ population is larger than the child population, with 21.1% aged 65+ and 14.2% aged 0-14 in the 2025 GUS-based table.

Age-sex balance

Women make up 51.7% of the 2025 population, but the verified current dataset used here does not support a full age-by-sex pyramid.

Fertility pattern

The 2024 fertility rate is 1.10 births per woman, below the broad 2.1 replacement-level benchmark used in the comparison chart.

Migration balance

Permanent-residence migration is positive in the 2024 Statistics Poland series, while UN WPP net migration is a separate model-based population-accounting input.

Projection path

The UN medium-variant table shows a lower population by 2040 and a higher median age, with projection rows separated from observed and official current values.

Data Sources and Methodology

Poland’s demographic values differ by source because official resident counts, UN mid-year estimates, Eurostat comparison values, administrative migration measures, and scenario projections do not measure the same population concept. The page keeps those series separated and labels each source-year pair.

Data Sources Used

SourceYear or releaseUsed for
Statistics Poland (GUS) basic data2024 values displayed in GUS basic data portal2024 population, live births, deaths, fertility rate, natural-change calculation
Statistics Poland / GUS Local Data Bank rendering20252025 population, density, broad age groups, detailed age totals, sex totals, city populations
Statistics Poland mid-year population releaseJune 2025Urban population, urban share, derived rural population and rural share
Statistics Poland life expectancy release2024 release published in 2025Life expectancy at birth for total population, men, women, and female-male gap
Statistics Poland international migration series1966-2024 table and 2024 migration notesPermanent-residence net migration and temporary-abroad stock note
UN DESA World Population Prospects 20242024 revisionLong-run population history table, UN median age, UN fertility series, UN net migration column, projection table and chart
Eurostat values rendered by DestatisExtract status May 7, 2026Same-source EU comparison table only
UN DESA migrant stock estimate as reported in migration country profile2024International migrant stock row in the migration measures table

Indicator Definitions

IndicatorDefinitionUnitSource note
PopulationA source-specific count or estimate of people in Poland; resident counts and UN mid-year estimates are not identical.PersonsCore card uses GUS; long-run chart uses UN WPP.
Annual changeDifference between two population values in the same source series.Persons or percentDo not compare GUS annual change with UN annual change unless the source is stated.
Fertility rateAverage number of live births per woman under the source’s period fertility method.Births per womanGUS current fertility and UN WPP fertility values can differ because methods and reference timing differ.
Replacement-level benchmarkA broad reference level commonly shown as 2.1 births per woman.Births per womanUsed only as a chart benchmark, not as a Poland-specific threshold.
Life expectancy at birthExpected years of life for a newborn under the mortality conditions of the reference period.YearsCurrent values use Statistics Poland 2024 life tables.
Sex ratioMale population divided by female population, multiplied by 100.Males per 100 femalesCalculated from 2025 GUS Local Data Bank sex totals.
Net migrationMigration balance under a stated definition; permanent-residence administrative balance differs from UN model-based net migration.PersonsMigration table labels each definition separately.
Urban population shareShare of the population classified as urban under the source’s settlement definition.PercentCurrent value uses Statistics Poland mid-year urban and total population values.
ProjectionScenario-based estimate of a future population path.PersonsUN medium-variant values are separated from observed and official current values.
Method note
  • Values are rounded in visible text when the source itself uses rounded presentation or when a percentage is calculated for readability.
  • Derived values are limited to transparent arithmetic such as shares, differences, natural change, sex ratio, and rural population from stated total and urban counts.
  • Missing detailed age-by-sex data is not filled from broad age totals.

Methodological Safety Note

Methodological Safety Note: Poland’s demographic values should be read with the source and definition attached. GUS resident-population counts, Eurostat comparison values, UN mid-year estimates, census-style counts, administrative migration flows, temporary-residence stocks, migrant-stock estimates, and projections are separate measures. Projection values are scenario-based estimates, not observed data. Population shares and sex ratios in this page use rounded display values. Urban population depends on the source’s urban definition. The fertility benchmark of 2.1 births per woman is a broad reference point. A full population pyramid is not shown because the current verified dataset used here does not provide a detailed 5-year age-by-sex table for this page build.

Poland Demographics FAQ

What is Poland’s population in the current official table?

The official 2025 population value used in the core cards is 37,332,510 from the GUS Local Data Bank rendering. The UN WPP 2025 value is different because it is a mid-year model estimate.

Is Poland’s population ageing?

Yes. In the 2025 GUS-based age table, 21.1% of the population is aged 65+, while 14.2% is aged 0-14.

Why are migration values different across sources?

Statistics Poland’s permanent-residence migration balance, temporary stays abroad, international migrant stock, and UN model-based net migration measure different things. This page keeps them in separate rows.

Why is there no population pyramid?

A population pyramid needs population by age group and sex. The verified current dataset used here provides age totals and national sex totals, but not the full 5-year age-by-sex cross-tab for this page build.

Is Poland’s fertility rate below replacement level?

Yes. Statistics Poland reports a 2024 fertility rate of 1.10 births per woman, below the broad replacement-level benchmark of 2.1.