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In February, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk posted a social media video celebrating new figures from the International Monetary Fund suggesting that the average person in Poland now has slightly more spending power than the average person in Spain, the European Union’s fourth largest economy.
It’s a symbolic milestone for a country that emerged from communism just over three decades ago and once struggled with hyperinflation and economic upheaval. In 2025, Poland’s economy also passed the trillion-dollar mark, putting it in an elite group of just 20 countries globally.
Investment from across the EU has helped drive growth. But can Poland keep its edge as labour shortages grow and the war in neighbouring Ukraine continues to shape the region?
This week on The Inquiry, Tanya Beckett asks: Why is Poland’s economy booming?
Contributors:
Dr Pawel Bukowski, lecturer in economics at University College London and Polish Academy of Sciences, UK
Iga Magda, associate professor at the Warsaw School of Economics, Poland
Katarzyna Rzentarzewska, chief CEE macro economist at Erste Group Bank AG, Austria
Rafal Benecki, chief economist at ING, Poland
Presenter: Tanya Beckett
Producer: Matt Toulson
Researcher: Evie Yabsley
Editor: Tom Bigwood
Technical Producer: Cameron Ward
Production Management: Phoebe Lomas and Liam Morrey
(Photo: A high street in Warsaw. Credit: NurPhoto/Getty Images)
Programme Website