2019 Edition

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.

Area

Land

304,255 sq km

Total

312,685 sq km

Water

8,430 sq km

Area Comparative

about twice the size of Georgia; slightly smaller than New Mexico

Climate

temperate with cold, cloudy, moderately severe winters with frequent precipitation; mild summers with frequent showers and thundershowers

Coastline

440 km

Elevation

Highest Point

Rysy 2,499 m

Lowest Point

near Raczki Elblaskie -2 m

Mean Elevation

173 m

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

Geographic Coordinates

52 00 N, 20 00 E

Geography Note

historically, an area of conflict because of flat terrain and the lack of natural barriers on the North European Plain

Irrigated Land

970 sq km (2012)

Land Boundaries

Border Countries

Belarus 418 km, Czech Republic 796 km, Germany 467 km, Lithuania 104 km, Russia (Kaliningrad Oblast) 210 km, Slovakia 541 km, Ukraine 535 km

Total

3,071 km

Land Use

Agricultural Land

48.2% (2011 est.)

Agricultural Land Arable Land

36.2% (2011 est.)

Agricultural Land Permanent Crops

1.3% (2011 est.)

Agricultural Land Permanent Pasture

10.7% (2011 est.)

Forest

30.6% (2011 est.)

Other

21.2% (2011 est.)

Location

Central Europe, east of Germany

Map References

Europe

Maritime Claims

Exclusive Economic Zone

defined by international treaties

Territorial Sea

12 nm

Natural Hazards

flooding

Natural Resources

coal, sulfur, copper, natural gas, silver, lead, salt, amber, arable land

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

Terrain

mostly flat plain; mountains along southern border

Age Structure

0 14 Years

14.8% (male 2,924,077 /female 2,762,634)

15 24 Years

10.34% (male 2,040,043 /female 1,932,009)

25 54 Years

43.44% (male 8,431,045 /female 8,260,124)

55 64 Years

13.95% (male 2,538,566 /female 2,819,544)

65 Years And Over

17.47% (male 2,663,364 /female 4,049,281) (2018 est.)

Birth Rate

9.3 births/1,000 population (2018 est.)

Contraceptive Prevalence Rate

62.3% (2014)

Current Health Expenditure

6.5% (2016)

Death Rate

10.5 deaths/1,000 population (2018 est.)

Dependency Ratios

Elderly Dependency Ratio

22.5 (2015 est.)

Potential Support Ratio

4.5 (2015 est.)

Total Dependency Ratio

43.9 (2015 est.)

Youth Dependency Ratio

21.4 (2015 est.)

Drinking Water Source

Improved Rural

96.9% of population

Improved Total

98.3% of population

Improved Urban

99.3% of population

Unimproved Rural

3.1% of population

Unimproved Total

1.7% of population (2015 est.)

Unimproved Urban

0.7% of population

Education Expenditures

4.6% of GDP (2016)

Ethnic Groups

Polish 96.9%, Silesian 1.1%, German 0.2%, Ukrainian 0.1%, other and unspecified 1.7% (2011 est.)

Hospital Bed Density

6.5 beds/1,000 population (2013)

Infant Mortality Rate

Female

3.9 deaths/1,000 live births

Male

4.7 deaths/1,000 live births

Total

4.4 deaths/1,000 live births (2018 est.)

Languages

Polish (official) 98.2%, Silesian 1.4%, other 1.1%, unspecified 1.3% (2011 est.)

Life Expectancy at Birth

Female

82 years

Male

74.1 years

Total Population

77.9 years (2018 est.)

Literacy

Definition

age 15 and over can read and write

Female

99.7% (2015)

Male

99.9%

Total Population

99.8%

Major Infectious Diseases

Degree Of Risk

intermediate (2016)

Vectorborne Diseases

tickborne encephalitis (2016)

Major Urban Areas Population

1.776 million WARSAW (capital), 768,000 Krakow (2019)

Maternal Mortality Rate

2 deaths/100,000 live births (2017 est.)

Median Age

Female

42.8 years

Male

39.4 years

Total

41.1 years (2018 est.)

Mother's Mean Age at First Birth

27.4 years (2014 est.)

Nationality

Adjective

Polish

Noun

Pole(s)

Net Migration Rate

-0.4 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2018 est.)

Obesity Adult Prevalence Rate

23.1% (2016)

Physicians Density

2.4 physicians/1,000 population (2016)

Population

38,420,687 (July 2018 est.)

Population Growth Rate

-0.16% (2018 est.)

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.)

Sanitation Facility Access

Improved Rural

96.7% of population (2015 est.)

Improved Total

97.2% of population (2015 est.)

Improved Urban

97.5% of population (2015 est.)

Unimproved Rural

3.3% of population (2015 est.)

Unimproved Total

2.8% of population (2015 est.)

Unimproved Urban

2.5% of population (2015 est.)

School Life Expectancy Primary To Tertiary Education

Female

17 years (2016)

Male

16 years

Total

16 years

Sex Ratio

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

0.9 male(s)/female

65 Years And Over

0.66 male(s)/female

At Birth

1.06 male(s)/female

Total Population

0.94 male(s)/female (2018 est.)

Total Fertility Rate

1.36 children born/woman (2018 est.)

Unemployment Youth Ages 15 24

Female

15.1% (2017 est.)

Male

14.6%

Total

14.8%

Urbanization

Rate Of Urbanization

-0.25% annual rate of change (2015-20 est.)

Urban Population

60% of total population (2019)

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)

Capital

Daylight Saving Time

+1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October

Geographic Coordinates

52 15 N, 21 00 E

Name

Warsaw

Time Difference

UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

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

Constitution

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 (2019)

History

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

Country Name

Conventional Long Form

Republic of Poland

Conventional Short Form

Poland

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

Former

Polish People's Republic

Local Long Form

Rzeczpospolita Polska

Local Short Form

Polska

Diplomatic Representation From The Us

Chief Of Mission

Ambassador Georgette MOSBACHER (since 6 September 2018)

Consulate's General

Krakow

Embassy

Aleje Ujazdowskie 29/31 00-540 Warsaw

Fax

[48] (22) 504-2226

Mailing Address

American Embassy Warsaw, US Department of State, Washington, DC 20521-5010 (pouch)

Telephone

[48] (22) 504-2000

Diplomatic Representation In The Us

Chancery

2640 16th Street NW, Washington, DC 20009

Chief Of Mission

Ambassador Piotr Antoni WILCZEK (since 18 January 2017)

Consulate's General

Chicago, Los Angeles, New York

Fax

[1] (202) 328-6271

Telephone

[1] (202) 499-1700

Executive Branch

Cabinet

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

Chief Of State

President Andrzej DUDA (since 6 August 2015)

Election Results

Andrzej DUDA elected president in runoff; percent of vote - Andrzej DUDA (independent) 51.5%, Bronislaw KOMOROWSKI (independent) 48.5%

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 10 May 2015 with a second round on 24 May 2015 (next to be held in May 2020); prime minister, deputy prime ministers, and Council of Ministers appointed by the president and confirmed by the Sejm

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)

Flag Description

two equal horizontal bands of white (top) and red; colors derive from the Polish emblem - a white eagle on a red field

Government Type

parliamentary republic

Independence

11 November 1918 (republic proclaimed); notable earlier dates: 966 (adoption of Christianity, traditional founding date), 1 July 1569 (Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth created)

International Law Organization Participation

accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

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

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

Legal System

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

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)

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%

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)

National Anthem

Lyrics Music

Jozef WYBICKI/traditional

Name

"Mazurek Dabrowskiego" (Dabrowski's Mazurka)

National Holiday

Constitution Day, 3 May (1791)

National Symbol S

white crowned eagle; national colors: white, red

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]

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Agriculture Products

potatoes, fruits, vegetables, wheat; poultry, eggs, pork, dairy

Budget

Expenditures

216.2 billion (2017 est.)

Revenues

207.5 billion (2017 est.)

Budget Surplus Or Deficit

-1.7% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

Central Bank Discount Rate

31 December 2016

1.5%

31 December 2017

1.5%

Commercial Bank Prime Lending Rate

31 December 2016

4.74%

31 December 2017

4.8%

Current Account Balance

2016

-$1.369 billion

2017

$1.584 billion

Debt External

31 December 2016

$347.8 billion

31 December 2017

$241 billion

Distribution Of Family Income Gini Index

2008

33.7

2015

30.8

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 government’s 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 government’s 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 EU’s 3%-of-GDP limit on budget deficits, possibly impacting its access to future EU funds. Poland’s 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 Poland’s 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.

Exchange Rates

2013

3.1538

2014

3.7721

2015

3.9459

2016

3.9459

2017

3.748

Currency

zlotych (PLN) per US dollar -

Exports

2016

$195.7 billion

2017

$224.6 billion

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.)

Exports Partners

Germany 27.4%, Czech Republic 6.4%, UK 6.4%, France 5.6%, Italy 4.9%, Netherlands 4.4% (2017)

Fiscal Year

calendar year

GDP Composition By End Use

Exports Of Goods And Services

54% (2017 est.)

Government Consumption

17.7% (2017 est.)

Household Consumption

58.6% (2017 est.)

Imports Of Goods And Services

-49.9% (2017 est.)

Investment In Fixed Capital

17.7% (2017 est.)

Investment In Inventories

2% (2017 est.)

GDP Composition By Sector Of Origin

Agriculture

2.4% (2017 est.)

Industry

40.2% (2017 est.)

Services

57.4% (2017 est.)

GDP Official Exchange Rate

$524.8 billion (2017 est.)

GDP Per Capita Ppp

2015

$27,500

2016

$28,300

2017

$29,600

GDP Purchasing Power Parity

2015

$1.045 trillion

2016

$1.076 trillion

2017

$1.126 trillion

GDP Real Growth Rate

2015

3.8%

2016

3%

2017

4.7%

Gross National Saving

2015

19.9% of GDP

2016

19.2% of GDP

2017

20% of GDP

Household Income Or Consumption By Percentage Share

Highest 10

23.9% (2015 est.)

Lowest 10

3%

Imports

2016

$193.2 billion

2017

$223.8 billion

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)

Industrial Production Growth Rate

7.5% (2017 est.)

Industries

machine building, iron and steel, coal mining, chemicals, shipbuilding, food processing, glass, beverages, textiles

Inflation Rate Consumer Prices

2016

-0.6%

2017

2%

Labor Force

17.6 million (2017 est.)

Labor Force By Occupation

Agriculture

11.5%

Industry

30.4%

Services

57.6% (2015)

Market Value Of Publicly Traded Shares

31 December 2015

$277.4 billion

31 December 2016

$265.4 billion

31 December 2017

$397 billion

Population Below Poverty Line

17.6% (2015 est.)

Public Debt

2016

54.2% of GDP

2017

50.6% of GDP

Reserves Of Foreign Exchange And Gold

31 December 2016

$114.4 billion

31 December 2017

$113.3 billion

Stock Of Broad Money

31 December 2016

$195.1 billion

31 December 2017

$260.4 billion

Stock Of Direct Foreign Investment Abroad

31 December 2016

$64.52 billion

31 December 2017

$72.87 billion

Stock Of Direct Foreign Investment at Home

31 December 2016

$224.5 billion

31 December 2017

$282.6 billion

Stock Of Domestic Credit

31 December 2016

$336.6 billion

31 December 2017

$419.7 billion

Stock Of Narrow Money

31 December 2016

$195.1 billion

31 December 2017

$260.4 billion

Taxes And Other Revenues

39.5% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

Unemployment Rate

2016

6.2%

2017

4.9%

Carbon Dioxide Emissions From Consumption Of Energy

359 million Mt (2017 est.)

Crude Oil Exports

4,451 bbl/day (2017 est.)

Crude Oil Imports

493,100 bbl/day (2017 est.)

Crude Oil Production

21,000 bbl/day (2018 est.)

Crude Oil Proved Reserves

126 million bbl (1 January 2018)

Electricity Access

100% (2016)

Electricity Consumption

149.4 billion kWh (2016 est.)

Electricity Exports

12.02 billion kWh (2016)

Electricity From Fossil Fuels

79% of total installed capacity (2016 est.)

Electricity From Hydroelectric Plants

2% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)

Electricity From Nuclear Fuels

0% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)

Electricity From Other Renewable Sources

19% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)

Electricity Imports

14.02 billion kWh (2016 est.)

Electricity Installed Generating Capacity

38.11 million kW (2016 est.)

Electricity Production

156.9 billion kWh (2016 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 Production

5.748 billion cu m (2017 est.)

Natural Gas Proved Reserves

79.79 billion cu m (1 January 2018 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.)

Refined Petroleum Products Production

554,200 bbl/day (2017 est.)

Broadband Fixed Subscriptions

Subscriptions Per 100 Inhabitants

18 (2017 est.)

Total

7,053,333

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

Percent Of Population

73.3% (July 2016 est.)

Total

28,237,820

Telephone System

Domestic

several nation-wide networks provide mobile-cellular service; coverage is generally good; fixed-line 24 per 100 service lags in rural areas, mobile-cellular 130 per 100 persons (2018)

General Assessment

modernization of the telecommunications network has accelerated with market-based competition; fixed-line service, dominated by the former state-owned company, is dwarfed by the growth in mobile-cellular services; regulatory is framed by EU principles of competition; mobile penetration is above European average; 5G trials begin; LTE-B and VoWi-Fi technologies; launch of 1Gb/s cable services (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)

Telephones Fixed Lines

Subscriptions Per 100 Inhabitants

24 (July 2016 est.)

Total Subscriptions

8,143,145

Telephones Mobile Cellular

Subscriptions Per 100 Inhabitants

130 (2017 est.)

Total Subscriptions

49,828,596

Airports

126 (2013)

Airports With Paved Runways

1 524 To 2 437 M

36 (2017)

2 438 To 3 047 M

30 (2017)

914 To 1 523 M

10 (2017)

Over 3 047 M

5 (2017)

Total

87 (2017)

Under 914 M

6 (2017)

Airports With Unpaved Runways

1 524 To 2 437 M

1 (2013)

914 To 1 523 M

17 (2013)

Total

39 (2013)

Under 914 M

21 (2013)

Civil Aircraft Registration Country Code Prefix

SP (2016)

Heliports

6 (2013)

Merchant Marine

By Type

bulk carrier 1, container ship 1, general cargo 13, oil tanker 7, other 126 (2018)

Total

148

National Air Transport System

Annual Freight Traffic On Registered Air Carriers

120,016,466 mt-km (2015)

Annual Passenger Traffic On Registered Air Carriers

4,841,128 (2015)

Inventory Of Registered Aircraft Operated By Air Carriers

92 (2015)

Number Of Registered Air Carriers

6 (2015)

Pipelines

14198 km gas, 1374 km oil, 2483 km refined products (2016)

Ports And Terminals

Container Port's Teus

Gdansk (1,593,761) (2017)

Lng Terminal's Import

Swinoujscie

Major Seaport S

Gdansk, Gdynia, Swinoujscie

River Port S

Szczecin (River Oder)

Railways

Broad Gauge

395 km 1.524-m gauge (2016)

Standard Gauge

18,836 km 1.435-m gauge (11,874 km electrified) (2016)

Total

19,231 km (2016)

Roadways

Paved

291,000 km (includes 1,492 km of expressways, 1,559 of motorways) (2016)

Total

420,000 km (2016)

Unpaved

129,000 km (2016)

Waterways

3,997 km (navigable rivers and canals) (2009)

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) (2019)

Military Expenditures

2015

2.22% of GDP

2016

1.99% of GDP

2017

1.89% of GDP

2018

2.02% of GDP

2019

2% of GDP

Military Note

Coast guard duties fall under the Border Guard, which is controlled by the Ministry of the Interior (2019)

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)

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

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

Refugees And Internally Displaced Persons

Refugees Country Of Origin

9,893 (Russia) (2018)

Stateless Persons

10,825 (2018)