Poland vs United Kingdom
Side-by-side economic and demographic comparison · 2026 data · Source: IMF & World Bank
Poland and the United Kingdom have a unique economic relationship shaped by migration — an estimated 900,000 Poles live in the UK, making them the largest non-British national group. Brexit has altered this dynamic, with new immigration restrictions affecting labor flows. The UK's economy is roughly four times Poland's, but Poland has been growing faster and closing the gap. Poland's manufacturing sector has boomed as a nearshoring destination within the EU, while the UK's economy is more services-focused. Both countries maintain relatively low unemployment by European standards.
Poland has a GDP of $1.13T compared to United Kingdom's $4.26T, making it 3.8x smaller. Poland's population is 36.4M vs United Kingdom's 69.5M. Across 12 key indicators, United Kingdom leads in 8 categories. All data sourced from the IMF World Economic Outlook and World Bank World Development Indicators.
| Indicator |  Poland |  United Kingdom |
|---|---|---|
| GDP (USD) | $1.13T | $4.26T✓ |
| GDP per Capita | $31,336 | $61,056✓ |
| GDP Growth (%) | 3.3%✓ | 0.8% |
| GDP per Capita (PPP) | $59,792 | $67,585✓ |
| Population | 36.4M | 69.5M✓ |
| Life Expectancy | 78.4 years | 81.4 years✓ |
| Inflation (%) | 3.3% | 3.2%✓ |
| Unemployment (%) | 3.4%✓ | 5.6% |
| Govt Debt (% GDP) | 65.7%✓ | 103.6% |
| Fertility Rate | 1.1 | 1.6✓ |
| Gini Index | 28.5✓ | 32.4 |
| CO₂ per Capita (t) | 7.6 | 4.2✓ |
Summary
Poland has a GDP of $1.13T compared to United Kingdom's $4.26T, making the latter economy 3.8x larger. In terms of population, Poland has 36.4M people while United Kingdom has 69.5M. Across the 12 indicators compared, Poland leads in 4 and United Kingdom leads in 8.
Why sources report different numbers
The IMF, World Bank and United Nations each publish these series on their own release schedule. Where their figures differ, the reason is usually visible in the reference year rather than in the methodology.
| Source | Poland | United Kingdom |
|---|---|---|
| IMF | $1.13T2026 | $4.26T2026 |
| World Bank | $1.04T2025 | $4.00T2025 |
| United Nations | $914.70B2024 | $3.69T2024 |
These are not the same reference year. IMF publishes 2026 and United Nations publishes 2024 — each is the latest that publisher has released, on its own schedule. A figure for a year still in progress is a projection rather than an outturn. Poland spans about 24% across 2 years; United Kingdom spans about 16% across 2 years.
| Source | Poland | United Kingdom |
|---|---|---|
| IMF | $31,3362026 | $61,0562026 |
| World Bank | $28,4202025 | $57,6022025 |
| United Nations | $23,7342024 | $53,3122024 |
These are not the same reference year. IMF publishes 2026 and United Nations publishes 2024 — each is the latest that publisher has released, on its own schedule. A figure for a year still in progress is a projection rather than an outturn. Poland spans about 32% across 2 years, wide enough that a rebasing or currency revaluation is likely involved as well; United Kingdom spans about 15% across 2 years.
Figures are reproduced as published by each source, converted to a common unit, with each publisher's own reference year shown. Differences are described, not adjudicated — no source is presented as more correct than another.
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