In recent years, the Polish economy has grown faster than almost any other European country, despite the pandemic, war, and soaring inflation. Successive crises have not only failed to slow growth but, in some cases, have acted as a development catalyst.
In January, the average gross wage in the enterprise sector came in at PLN 9,002.47 (about EUR 2,100), according to the latest release from Statistics Poland (GUS). This marks a pronounced slowdown in nominal wage growth to 6.1% year on year, down from 8.6% in December 2025. It is the weakest pace of pay growth in almost five years – since early 2021.
Inflation in January came in at a preliminary 2.2% year on year, Poland’s statistical office, GUS, reported today. In December 2025 it stood at 2.4%. On a month-on-month basis, prices rose by 0.6%.
After three decades of rapid catch-up with the West, Poland is approaching 95% of the EU’s average GDP. The question is whether this marks merely a stop on the way to full convergence, or the point at which growth will begin to slow noticeably – under the weight of demographic pressures, technological constraints, and the exhausted reserves of its transformation.
Poland has climbed the economic ladder quickly — but without developing many large, privately owned domestic firms. In strategic sectors, the absence of Polish champions increasingly constrains innovation and long-term competitiveness.
Just as globalization once reshaped labor markets and business models, artificial intelligence is now challenging IT services. Poland’s highly exposed economy faces potential short-term disruption, but a skilled workforce may ensure resilience in the long run.
Has Poland simply been lucky, or has it built genuine resilience to crises? Historical data show that after the dramatic downturn at the turn of the 1970s and 1980s, the Polish economy recovered faster than its regional peers. Since 1995, it has experienced some of the rarest and shallowest declines in GDP per capita worldwide. Where does this stability come from, and what are its limits?
Poland ranks among the global leaders in lowest fertility. In 2024, the total fertility rate fell to a historic low of 1.1. Yet this is not a uniquely Polish problem. Nearly all major economies – from China and Germany to the United States – are recording rates below the level needed for generational replacement. How is the fertility crisis unfolding, what is driving it, and is there anything that can be done to reverse it?
The weakening of the dollar has emerged in recent days as one of the most important developments on financial markets. From the zloty’s perspective, this is a continuation of a trend that has been visible – with interruptions – since the second half of 2022. On balance, this is a positive development for the Polish economy, although it also comes with certain risks.
Michał Kulbacki 
Marek Skawiński 
