New Rules of the Game

Over the past decade, Poland has grown into a mature economy, becoming increasingly aware of its potential. However, not everyone is able to adapt to this new situation, either within the country or among its neighbours.

When Poland joined the European Union in 2004, its GDP per capita was one sixth of Germany’s. Today, that ratio is more like 1 to 2.5. Just a decade ago, the average gross salary in Poland was around a quarter of the average wage in Germany. It is currently at around 40 per cent. In 2014, the nominal value of German exports was ten times greater than that of Polish exports. Today, it is only four times. And so on and so forth.

We could add new categories of indicators here, or compare Poland with other developed Western economies. But the trend will be pretty much the same everywhere: Poland on a sharp rise, the West slightly down or at a similar level as a decade ago. All of this despite the international events that have marked the previous decade, including the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, war at the gates of the EU, an energy crisis and a strong surge in inflation.