Poland

Economy & industry overview

Poland is the largest economy in Central and Eastern Europe and the sixth-largest in the European Union by nominal GDP, with output reaching approximately $915 billion in 2024. The economy is diversified across manufacturing, financial services, energy, retail, and business process outsourcing, with a significant automotive and electronics export base. Poland is a member of the EU single market and NATO, maintaining its own currency, the złoty, which is managed by the National Bank of Poland. The country has sustained one of the longest uninterrupted growth records in Europe since its democratic transition in 1989, supported by strong domestic consumption, EU structural fund inflows, and a dynamic private sector. Key industries include oil refining, copper mining, insurance, banking, e-commerce, and defence manufacturing.

Key sectors

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Macro

GDP nominal, USD	$914.70B
GDP growth real, annual	2.9%
Inflation annual	3.6%
Population people	36.8M
GDP per capita USD	$25,104
Market cap total listed, USD	$701.56B
Market cap / GDP	76.7%
Unemployment	2.8%
Listed companies	399
Exchange	Warsaw Stock Exchange (Giełda Papierów Wartościowych w Warszawie) (GPW)

Data year: 2024. Sources: World Bank — GDP (current US$) Poland 2024, Trading Economics — Poland GDP, Unemployment, Inflation, Polish Economic Institute (PIE) — Economic Review 2024, Warsaw Stock Exchange (GPW) / Wikipedia — Market Cap & Listings (Feb 2026), Macrotrends — Poland Unemployment Rate Historical, TheGlobalEconomy.com — Poland GDP & Unemployment 2024, CEIC Data — WSE Market Capitalisation, Wikipedia — Warsaw Stock Exchange, PKO Bank Polski, Orlen, List of largest Polish companies, Forbes Global 2000 (2025 edition), FetchSeries / World Bank — Poland GDP per Capita 2024.

Local exchange & access

Exchange	Warsaw Stock Exchange (Giełda Papierów Wartościowych w Warszawie)
Code	GPW
Website	www.gpw.pl
Currency	PLN

Local broker access

Foreign investors may access the Warsaw Stock Exchange (GPW) through international brokers offering access to Polish equities (e.g., Interactive Brokers, Saxo Bank, XTB, a Polish-headquartered broker listed on GPW itself). Domestic Polish brokers include mBank's Dom Maklerski, Biuro Maklerskie PKO BP, and Santander Biuro Maklerskie. Settlement is in PLN via the Central Securities Depository of Poland (KDPW). The WIG20 index underlies liquid futures and options. Many large-cap Polish stocks are also accessible as OTC ADRs or via ETFs in the US and Europe.

Global brokers with foreign-market access

• Interactive Brokers — Direct access to 90+ markets worldwide, including many emerging exchanges.
• Saxo Bank — Multi-market access across Asia, Europe and the Middle East.
• Charles Schwab (Global) — Foreign ordinary shares on select markets; US-listed ADRs and ETFs.
• Fidelity International Trading — International stock trading on a number of developed and emerging markets.

Listed for convenience only. Not a recommendation. Available markets, fees and onboarding rules differ by broker and by your country of residence.

Relocation & residency

Foreign-investor access

Poland is an EU member state; EU/EEA citizens may reside and work freely. Non-EU nationals require a national visa or residence permit (e.g., temporary residence for business activity under the Foreigners Act). There is no investment-threshold fast-track; standard naturalisation requires 3–10 years of continuous legal residence depending on circumstances. Poland does not levy wealth tax; personal income tax is 12%/32% progressive (flat 19% for business activity); corporate tax is 19% (9% for small taxpayers). Cost of living is well below Western European averages, particularly in cities such as Warsaw, Kraków, and Wrocław.