Poland population reaches nearly 39 million under new measurement method

New data from Statistics Poland (GUS) using the ‘life traces’ method indicates that the actual population of Poland is approximately 38.86 million. This figure is more than 1.5 million people higher than traditional demographic statistics, which recorded roughly 37.33 million residents.

The ‘life traces’ method estimates residency by analyzing administrative data from sources such as social security (ZUS), healthcare (NFZ), the Ministry of Finance, the education system, and the Office for Foreigners. A resident is defined as an individual staying in the country for at least 12 months, regardless of citizenship.

Foreign nationals account for approximately 6% of the population, totaling about 2.3 million people. These residents are primarily concentrated in large cities. Warsaw leads in absolute numbers with 301,000 foreign residents, while Wrocław shows a higher percentage of foreign inhabitants relative to its total population.