Poland


Poland Country Report: GDP data and GDP forecasts; economic, financial and trade information; the best banks in Poland; country and population overview

DATA ON GDP AND ECONOMIC INFORMATION
Central bankNational Bank of Poland
International ReservesUS$ 100.340 billion (Source: IMF; Data updated: November 2011)
Gross Domestic Product - GDPUS$ 497.976 billion (2010 estimate)
GDP (Purchasing Power Parity)757.171 billion of International dollars (2010 estimate)
Real GDP growth
20002001200220032004200520062007
4.3%1.2%1.4%3.9%5.3%3.6%6.2%6.8%
2008200920102011*
5%1.7%3.8%3.8%

*Estimate

GDP per capita - current pricesUS$ 13,079 (2010 estimate)
GDP per capita - PPP$19,887 International Dollars (2010 estimate)
GDP (PPP) - share of world total
19801990200020102015**
1.32%0.95%0.94%0.97%0.95%

**Forecast

GDP - composition by sector
  • agriculture: 4.6% 
  • industry: 28.1% 
  • services: 67.3% (2009 estimate)

    • (Data released on November 2010)

Gross domestic expenditure on R&D (% of GDP)0.61% (2008)

(Data released on November 2010)

Inflation
2008200920102011*
4.2%(2008)3.5%2.6%4.1%

*Estimate

Unemployment rate
2008200920102011*
7.1%8.2%9%(2009)9%

*Estimate

Household saving rates5% (Net saving; 2011 forecast)

(Data released on November 2010)

Public debt (General government gross debt as a % of GDP)
20072008200920102011*
45%47.1%50.9%55.7%56.6%

*Estimate

Public deficit (General government net lending/borrowing as a % of GDP)
2007200820092010*2011**
-1.9%-3.7%-7.1%-7.4%-6.7%

*Estimate    **Forecast

Government bond ratings

Standard & Poor's: A-/Stable/A-2

Moody's rating: A2

Moody's outlook: STA

(Foreign Currency Government Bond Ratings; Data last updated Nov 2010)

Market value of publicly traded shares
200720082009
US$207.322 billionUS$90.233 billionUS$135.277 billion
Largest companies in PolandPKO Bank Polski (Regional Banks), PGE Polska Grupa (Electric Utilities), PKN Orlen (Oil & Gas Operations), Grupa PZU (Property & Casualty Insurance), KGHM Polska Miedz (Diversified Metals & Mining)
(2011)
DATA ON TRADE AND COMPETITIVENESS
Current account balanceUS$ -19.5 billion (2010 estimate)(After 2008)
Current account balance by percentage of GDP-3.9% of GDP (2010 estimate)(2009)
Exports as percent of GDP

(Exports of goods and services)

34.7% (2009)

(Data released on December 2010)

Shares in world total merchandising export1.02%(2007)

(Data were released in Nov 2011 and refer to 2010)

Shares in world total commercial services export0.88%(2007)

(Data were released in Nov 2011 and refer to 2010)

Total exportsUS$160.8 billion f.o.b. (2010 estimate)
Export commoditiesmachinery and transport equipment 37.8%, intermediate manufactured goods 23.7%, miscellaneous manufactured goods 17.1%, food and live animals 7.6% (2003)
Total importsUS$213.9 billion f.o.b. (2008 estimate)
Import commoditiesmachinery and transport equipment 38%, intermediate manufactured goods 21%, chemicals 14.8%, minerals, fuels, lubricants, and related materials 9.1% (2003)
Exports - major partnersGermany 25.9%, Italy 6.6%, France 6.1%, UK 5.9%, Czech Republic 5.5%, Russia 4.6% (2007)
Imports - major partnersGermany 29%, Russia 8.7%, Italy 6.6%, Netherlands 5.7%, France 5.1%, China 4.2% (2007)
FDI inflows
200820092010
US$14,839 millionUS$13,698 million(2009)US$9,681 million(2009)
FDI outflows
200820092010
US$4,414 millionUS$5,219 millionUS$4,701 million
Value of cross-border M&A, by country of purchaser
2008200920102011
US$432 millionUS$117 million(2009)US$292 million(2009)US$310 million
Cross-border M&A deals worth over $3 billion completed in 2008

(Acquiring company, Acquired company, Country of the acquired company, Value of the deal)

N/A

(for a monthly update on M&A click here )

Cross-border M&A deals worth over $3 billion completed in 2010

(Acquiring company, Acquired company, Country of the acquired company, Value of the deal)

N/A(2008 estimate)

(for a monthly update on M&A click here )

Best countries for doing business

World Bank/IFC Doing Business Project

(Economies are ranked on their ease of doing business, from 1 – 183. A high ranking means the regulatory environment is more conducive to the starting and operation of a local firm.)

Overall ranking: 70 out of 183 countries(2009) (2010)

Subcategories:

Starting a business: 113 out of 183 countries(2009)

Registering property: 86 out of 183 countries

Paying Taxes: 121 out of 183 countries

Getting credit: 15 out of 183 countries

Protecting investors: 44 out of 183 countries

Trading across border: 49 out of 183 countries

Enforcing Contracts: 77 out of 183 countries

(2010)

Global competitiveness ranking
(ranking by country on a basis of 142, the first is the best)		41

(2011/2012)

Index of Economic Freedom

WSJ and Heritage Foundation

Ranking: 68 Score: 64.1 (Moderately Free) (2009)

(100=totally free 0=totally repressed )

COUNTRY AND POPULATION OVERVIEW
Time zoneUTC+1
Total area 312,685 km2 (2006)
CapitalWarsaw (2009)
Currencyzlotych (PLN) (2009)
Government typerepublic (2009)
LanguagesPolish 97.8%, other and unspecified 2.2% (2002 census)
ReligionsRoman Catholic 89.8% (about 75% practicing), Eastern Orthodox 1.3%, Protestant 0.3%, other 0.3%, unspecified 8.3% (2002)
Total population
1980199020002010*2015**
35.58 million38.2 million38.45 million38.09 million38.07 million

*Estimate    **Forecast

Urban population as % of total population
1960198020002009
47.9%58.1%61.7%61.3%
Population median age37.0 years (2006)
Population growth rate0.1% (2009)
Life expectancy76 years (2007)
Adult literacy99% (2000/2007)
% of population living on less than $2 a day<2% (2011)
Inequality of wealth distribution (Gini index)

34.2 (2008)

(0=perfect equality, 100=absolute inequality)

Freedom House rating

Political Rights:1
Civil Liberties:1 (2010)

(1 represents the most free, 7 the least free)

Total telephone subscribers as % of population

144.87% (2010)

(sum of fixed telephone lines and mobile cellular subscribers)

Internet users as % of total population62.32% (Data were released in 2011 and refer to 2010)
Cost of living index

(ranking by city on a basis of 214; the 1st is the most expensive and the 214th is the least expensive)

Warsaw: 102nd (2011)

CO2 emissions
(Metric tons of CO2 per capita)

8.2948 (2008)

GLOBAL FINANCE RANKINGS AND AWARDS

WORLD'S BEST FOREIGN EXCHANGE BANKS

2010:
  • COUNTRY WINNERS Bank Pekao (National, 2010)
2009:
  • COUNTRY WINNERS Bank Pekao (National, 2009)

WORLD'S BEST TRADE FINANCE BANKS & PROVIDERS

2011:
  • COUNTRY WINNERS Bank Pekao (National, 2011)
2010:
  • COUNTRY WINNERS Bank Pekao (National, 2010)
2009:
  • COUNTRY WINNERS Bank Pekao (National, 2009)

WORLD'S BEST INTERNET BANKS

2011:
  • COUNTRY WINNERS / Best Consumer Internet Banks BRE Bank (National, 2011)
  • COUNTRY WINNERS / Best Corporate / Institutional Internet Banks BRE Bank (National, 2011)
  • REGIONAL SUB-CATEGORY WINNERS / Best Consumer Internet Banks / Best Online Deposit, Credit and Investment Product Offerings Bank Millennium (Central and Eastern Europe, 2011)
  • REGIONAL SUB-CATEGORY WINNERS / Best Consumer Internet Banks / Best in Mobile Banking Bank Millennium (Central and Eastern Europe, 2011)
  • REGIONAL SUB-CATEGORY WINNERS / Best Consumer Internet Banks / Best in Social Media BRE Bank (Central and Eastern Europe, 2011)
  • REGIONAL SUB-CATEGORY WINNERS / Best Corporate / Institutional Internet Banks / Best Integrated Corporate Bank Site Bank Pekao (Central and Eastern Europe, 2011)
  • REGIONAL WINNERS / Best Corporate / Institutional Internet Banks BRE Bank (Central and Eastern Europe, 2011)
  • REGIONAL WINNERS / Best Consumer Internet Banks BRE Bank (Central and Eastern Europe, 2011)
  • GLOBAL SUB-CATEGORY WINNERS / Best Corporate / Institutional Internet Banks / Best Integrated Corporate Bank Site Bank Pekao (Global, 2011)
2010:
  • REGIONAL WINNERS / Best Corporate/Institutional Internet Banks BRE Bank (Central & Eastern Europe, 2010)
  • REGIONAL SUB-CATEGORY WINNERS / Best consumer Internet Banks/Best Integrated Consumer Bank Site BRE Bank (Central and Eastern Europe, 2010)
  • REGIONAL SUB-CATEGORY WINNERS / Best consumer Internet Banks/Best Online Deposits Acquisition Best Investment Management Services (Central and Eastern Europe, 2010)
  • REGIONAL SUB-CATEGORY WINNERS / Best Corporate/Institutional Internet Banks/Best Integrated Corporate Bank Site BRE Bank (Central and Eastern Europe, 2010)
  • REGIONAL SUB-CATEGORY WINNERS / Best consumer Internet Banks/Best Information Security Initiatives Bank Pekao (Central and Eastern Europe, 2010)
  • COUNTRY WINNERS / Best Consumer Internet Banks Bank Millennium (National, 2010)
  • COUNTRY WINNERS / Best Corporate/Institutional Internet Banks BRE Bank (National, 2010)
2009:
  • REGIONAL SUB-CATEGORY WINNERS / Best Corporate/Institutional Internet Banks/Best Integrated Corporate Bank Site BRE Bank (Central & Eastern Europe, 2009)
  • COUNTRY WINNERS / Best Consumer Internet Banks Bank Millennium (National, 2009)
  • COUNTRY WINNERS / Best Corporate/Institutional Internet Banks Bank Pekao (National, 2009)

WORLD'S SAFEST BANKS

2011:
  • REGIONAL WINNERS Bank Pekao (Central & Eastern Europe, 2011)
  • REGIONAL WINNERS Bank Zachodni WBK (Central & Eastern Europe, 2011)
  • REGIONAL WINNERS BRE Bank (Central & Eastern Europe, 2011)
  • REGIONAL WINNERS PKO Bank Polski (Central & Eastern Europe, 2011)
  • REGIONAL WINNERS ING Bank Slaski (Central & Eastern Europe, 2011)
  • REGIONAL WINNERS Bank Handlowy w Warszawie (Central & Eastern Europe, 2011)
  • REGIONAL WINNERS Kredyt Bank (Central & Eastern Europe, 2011)
  • OVERALL SAFEST PKO Bank Polski (Global, 2011)
  • OVERALL SAFEST ING Bank Slaski (Global, 2011)
  • OVERALL SAFEST Bank Pekao (Global, 2011)
2010:
  • REGIONAL WINNERS Bank Polska Kasa Opieki (Central & Eastern Europe, 2010)

WORLD'S BEST EMERGING MARKET BANKS

2011:
  • COUNTRY WINNERS BRE Bank (National, 2011)
2010:
  • COUNTRY WINNERS Bank Pekao SA (National, 2010)
2009:
  • COUNTRY WINNERS Bank Pekao (National, 2009)

WORLD'S BEST SUB CUSTODIANS

2011:
  • COUNTRY WINNERS ING Bank (National, 2011)
2010:
  • COUNTRY WINNERS ING (National, 2010)
2009:
  • COUNTRY WINNERS Raiffeisen Bank Polska (National, 2009)

CENTRAL BANKER REPORT CARD

2011:
2010:
2009:

WORLD'S BIGGEST BANKS

2010:
  • BIGGEST BANKS IN CENTRAL/EASTERN EUROPE PKO Bank Polski (Central and Eastern Europe, 2010)

TOP 200 EMERGING MARKETS BANKS

2010:
  • OVERALL BIGGEST PKO Bank Polski (Global, 2010)
  • OVERALL BIGGEST Bank Polska Kasa Opieki (Global, 2010)
  • OVERALL BIGGEST BRE Bank (Global, 2010)
  • OVERALL BIGGEST ING Bank Slaski (Global, 2010)
  • OVERALL BIGGEST Bank Zachodni (Global, 2010)

WORLD'S BEST FOREIGN EXCHANGE PROVIDERS

2011:
  • COUNTRY WINNERS Bank Pekao (National, 2011)
ARTICLES AND COUNTRIES REPORTS FROM GLOBAL FINANCE ARCHIVE