Quick answerPoland is a country in Eastern Europe, with a population of 37,314,000 (2026). Its capital is Warsaw, its official language is Polish, and its currency is the Polish złoty (PLN). It covers 312,696 square kilometres (120,733 square miles), and its time zone is Europe/Warsaw.
Poland is a country in Central Europe, home to about 37 million people. Its capital and largest city is Warsaw, and its official language is Polish.
Key facts
| Capital | Warsaw |
|---|---|
| Population | 37,314,000 (2026) · 37.3 million |
| Population density | 122.6 people per km² (land area) |
| Area | 312,696 km² (120,733 sq mi) total · 304,255 km² (117,473 sq mi) land |
| Official language | Polish (official) |
| Currency | Polish złoty (PLN, zł) |
| Time zone | Europe/Warsaw |
| Government | Unitary parliamentary republic |
| Coastline | 440 km |
| Highest point | Rysy, 2,499 m |
| Life expectancy | 78.4 years (2024) |
| Calling code | +48 |
| Driving side | Right |
| Internet domain | .pl |
Overview
Poland sits in Central Europe on the southern shore of the Baltic Sea, bordering Germany to the west, Czechia and Slovakia to the south, Ukraine and Belarus to the east, and Lithuania and Russia's Kaliningrad exclave to the north-east. It covers 312,696 square kilometres, with 440 kilometres of Baltic coastline, and its land rises from the northern lowlands to the Sudetes and Carpathian mountains in the south, where Rysy reaches 2,499 metres. The Vistula, Poland's longest river, runs the length of the country to the Baltic at Gdańsk.
About 37.3 million people lived in Poland in the January 2026 estimate, down from 38,036,118 in the 2022 census. Around 60 per cent live in towns and cities, above all in Warsaw, the capital, with about 1.87 million people, and Kraków, Łódź and Wrocław. Polish is the official language, and life expectancy at birth was 78.4 years in 2024. Poland is a fairly homogeneous country by language and ethnicity, and its median age of 42.9 years makes it one of the older populations in Europe.
Poland's history stretches back to the 10th century, when the Piast dynasty founded the first Polish state, and to the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, one of the largest states in early modern Europe. The country was partitioned by its neighbours in the late 18th century, reborn after the First World War, devastated in the Second World War - Warsaw was almost entirely destroyed - and ruled by a communist government until 1989, when the Solidarity movement helped bring democracy back to Eastern Europe.
Today Poland is a unitary parliamentary republic and a member of NATO and the European Union. Its economy is the largest in Central Europe, built on manufacturing, services and farming, and it kept its own currency, the złoty, after joining the EU. Its culture is known for the music of Chopin, the science of Copernicus and Marie Curie, and for historic cities such as Kraków, Gdańsk and Toruń.
Notable facts
- Poland had an estimated population of 37,314,000 in January 2026, down from 38,036,118 in the 2022 census.
- Rysy, at 2,499 metres in the Tatra Mountains on the border with Slovakia, is Poland's highest point.
- Kraków's Old Town and the Wieliczka Salt Mine were among the first sites inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List, in 1978.
- Poland joined NATO in 1999 and the European Union in 2004, and it is the fifth-most populous member state of the EU.
- Poland borders seven countries - Germany, Czechia, Slovakia, Ukraine, Belarus, Lithuania and Russia - and has 440 kilometres of Baltic Sea coastline.
How Poland compares
Comparison table — Poland next to 3 similar countries (neighbours first, then the same subregion).
| Country | Population | Area | Density | Capital |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Poland ★ | 37,314,000 (2026) | 312,696 km² | 122.6 people per km² | Warsaw |
| Germany | 83,467,117 (2025) | 357,114 km² | 238.9 people per km² | Berlin |
| Russia | 146,028,325 (2025) | 17,098,246 km² | 8.9 people per km² | Moscow |
| Ukraine | 32,423,000 (2026) | 603,628 km² | 56 people per km² | Kyiv |
Cities in Poland
- Warsaw Known for Old Town (UNESCO)
- Kraków Known for Main Market Square
- Wrocław Known for Market Square
- Łódź Known for Piotrkowska Street
Frequently asked questions
What is the capital of Poland?
The capital of Poland is Warsaw. It is the largest city in the country, with about 1.87 million people (1,866,729 at 31 December 2025), and it stands on the Vistula River in central Poland. Warsaw became the capital in 1596, was almost entirely destroyed in the Second World War and rebuilt afterwards, and its reconstructed Old Town is a UNESCO World Heritage site.
What is the population of Poland?
Poland had an estimated population of 37,314,000 in January 2026, according to Statistics Poland. That is down from 38,036,118 in the 2022 census, as the population has been falling slowly. About 60 per cent of Poles live in towns and cities, above all in Warsaw, Kraków, Łódź and Wrocław.
What language is spoken in Poland?
Polish is the official language of Poland, spoken by the overwhelming majority of the population. It is a Slavonic language, written in the Latin alphabet, and it is closely related to Czech and Slovak. Small numbers of people also speak Kashubian, German, Belarusian and Ukrainian.
What currency is used in Poland?
Poland uses the Polish złoty (PLN, symbol zł). One złoty is divided into 100 groszy. Poland kept the złoty after joining the European Union in 2004 and has not adopted the euro. Cash is still common, but cards and mobile payments are widely accepted in the cities.
Where is Poland?
Poland is in Central Europe, on the southern shore of the Baltic Sea. It borders Germany to the west, Czechia and Slovakia to the south, Ukraine and Belarus to the east, and Lithuania and Russia's Kaliningrad exclave to the north-east. The country stretches from the Baltic coast in the north to the Sudetes and Carpathian mountains in the south.
What time zone is Poland in?
Poland uses Central European Time (UTC+1) in winter and Central European Summer Time (UTC+2) in summer. The IANA time zone name is Europe/Warsaw. Clocks go forward one hour on the last Sunday in March and back on the last Sunday in October.
Quick quiz
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Keep exploring
- Warsaw — capital of Poland
- Kraków — city in Poland
- Wrocław — city in Poland
- Łódź — city in Poland
- Belarus — neighbouring country (page coming soon)
- Czechia — neighbouring country (page coming soon)
- Germany — neighbouring country
- Lithuania — neighbouring country (page coming soon)
- Russia — neighbouring country
- Slovakia — neighbouring country (page coming soon)
- Ukraine — neighbouring country
- All countries — the full list
Sources & last updated
- Wikipedia — Poland
- Statistics Poland (GUS), population estimate January 2026 (via Wikipedia — Poland)
- Wikipedia — List of countries and dependencies by length of coastline (CIA World Factbook figures)
- Wikipedia — List of countries by median age (CIA World Factbook 2024 estimates)
- World Bank, World Development Indicators (life expectancy SP.DYN.LE00.IN; urban population % SP.URB.TOTL.IN.ZS)
- mledoze/countries (skeleton: borders, capital, languages, tld, coordinates, subregion)
Last updated: . Figures are shown with their year; where sources disagree, the value is left out rather than estimated.