Just a generation ago, sugar and flour were rationed and citizens earned a tenth of what West Germans had in income.
Since then, the former communist state has come a long way and is described as something of an economic miracle. Today, Poland's economy has overtaken Switzerland and, with a nominal gross domestic product of over $1 trillion, ranks 20th in the world.
Engineer Joanna Kowalska from the large city of Poznan in western Poland is a shining example of the positive development. When she got a job at Microsoft in the US, it was “a dream come true,” she says. But she soon realized that the grass wasn’t actually greener on the other side of the Atlantic, and she doesn’t regret moving back home for a moment.
“Ahead of the US”
"I am often asked if I am not losing anything by coming back to Poland, but honestly I feel that it is exactly the opposite. We are ahead of the US in so many areas," says Joanna Kowalska.
In the US she felt that something was missing; she wanted greater meaning in what she did - a higher purpose.
And when developments in artificial intelligence advanced so quickly in Poland, it felt very tempting to go back, she says.
So what is the secret behind Poland's economic success?
One explanation is the rapid adaptation. Since joining the EU in 2004, Poland has been the best in class in adopting regulations, customs and practices.
More reasons
The Poles understood exactly where they were going. Poland downloaded the institutions and the rules of the game, and even cultural norms that it had taken the West 500 years to develop, says Marcin Piatkowski of Kozminski University in Warsaw.
Piatkowski, who has written a book on the subject, highlights more reasons for the Polish economy's giant leap.
One of the most important factors is Poland's commitment to building a strong financial framework, independent, autonomous courts (although the previous Law and Justice government's attempts to increase political control over the judiciary were heavily criticized) and, not least, a solid regulatory framework for the country's banking system. In this way, the Poles escaped the hijacking of the economy by corruption and oligarchs.
Despite totalitarian rule, the communist system contributed to a wider group gaining access to higher education. This development continued and after the fall of communism in Poland there was an education boom that resulted in a large proportion of highly educated young people.
Only earns half
Young Poles are better educated than young Germans, says Marcin Piatkowski.
But Poland's young people earn only half of what their German counterparts do - making the Poles an “unbeatable combination” for attracting investors, as Piatkowski puts it.
Size also matters. Poland is a large country by European standards, with a significant domestic market. This helped the country better withstand the 2008 financial crisis and the COVID pandemic.
In just 35 years, Poland's purchasing power-adjusted GDP per capita, which takes into account the cost situation in the country, has grown to $55,340 in 2025. In 1990, that figure was $6,730.
Since joining the EU in 2004, Poland's economy has grown by an average of 3.8 percent per year, compared to the EU average of 1.8 percent. Poland's entry into the EU also coincided with the Union's willingness to invest heavily in its new member states.
Source: AP
