Largest cities in Poland

Largest cities in Poland by population

As of January 1, 2023, there were 979 cities in Poland. 302 of them are city communes, and 66 are cities with poviat rights. The population of the cities ranges from 1.8 million to 317 people. Only one city in Poland has more than 1 million inhabitants. 4 cities in Poland have populations ranging from 0.5 million to 1 million inhabitants. There are 32 Polish cities ranging from 100 thousand to 500 thousand inhabitants. 70 cities have populations ranging from 40 to 100 thousand. 104 cities have populations ranging from 20 to 40 thousand. 177 cities have from 10 to 20 thousand inhabitants. There are 591 cities with a population of less than 10 thousand in Poland.

As of January 1, 2023, there were 979 cities in Poland. 302 of them are city communes, and 66 are cities with poviat rights. The population of the cities ranges from 1.8 million to 317 people. Only one city in Poland has more than 1 million inhabitants. 4 cities in Poland have populations ranging from 0.5 million to 1 million inhabitants. There are 32 Polish cities ranging from 100 thousand to 500 thousand inhabitants. 70 cities have populations ranging from 40 to 100 thousand. 104 cities have populations ranging from 20 to 40 thousand. 177 cities have from 10 to 20 thousand inhabitants. There are 591 cities with a population of less than 10 thousand in Poland.

The leader in population in Poland is the capital - Warszawa. Its population is 1.86 million people. In second place, far behind Warszawą, is Kraków. 803 thousand people live in it. Third place is occupied by the capital of the Lower Silesian Voivodeship, Wrocław, which has a population of 675 thousand inhabitants.

The General Office of Statistics of Poland (GUS) estimates the country's population at 38.04 million people. This figure includes all Poles registered in the country, including those who left it but did not deregister.

The largest cities in Poland by population according to GUS data, people (2023):

1. Warszawa – 1,861,975

2. Kraków – 803 283

3. Wrocław – 675 079

4. Łódź – 658 444

5. Poznań – 541 316

6. Gdańsk – 486 345

7. Szczecin – 391 566

8. Lublin – 331 243

9. Bydgoszcz – 330 038

10. Białystok – 292 600

11. Katowice - 280 190

12. Gdynia - 242 874

13. Częstochowa - 208 282

14. Radom - 197 848

15. Rzeszów - 197 181

16. Toruń - 195 690

17. Sosnowiec - 189 178

18. Kielce - 183 885

19. Gliwice - 171 023

20. Olsztyn -168 212

According to the international definition, the population of countries is determined by the number of residents, that is, permanent residents of the country who do not remain outside their place of residence for at least 12 months. The last population census in Poland in 2021 was carried out according to this rule.

This change in definition caused Poland's population in 2021 to decline from 38.04 million by the national definition to 37.02 million by the international definition. Thus, the difference at the country level is more than 1 million people.

Let's now see what the largest cities in Poland look like in terms of the number of residents.

The largest cities in Poland by population according to the census, people (2021):

1. Warszawa – 1,864,679

2. Krakow – 790 279

3. Wrocław – 669 564

4. Łódź – 665 259

5. Poznań – 541 782

6. Gdańsk – 477 276

7. Szczecin – 391 404

8. Bydgoszcz – 330 375

9. Lublin – 324 568

10. Białystok – 282 306

This counting system has its drawbacks, as it does not take into account migrants and students.

Largest cities in Poland by area

The vast majority of cities in Poland - 881 cities - have an area of no more than 50 km2. There are 53 cities in Poland covering an area of 50 to 100 km2. The area of the 30 largest cities in Poland exceeds 100 km2.

The largest city in Poland by territory is Warszawa. The first place on this list should not be surprising, since it is also by far the most populous Polish city. The area of the Polish capital is 517.2 km2. Therefore, the answer to the question of what is the largest city in Poland, both in terms of population and area, is the same - Warszawa.

What are the next big cities in Poland? Second place went to Kraków (326.9 km2). The third position may surprise you, as it contains Szczecin (300.6 km2). The top ten are presented below.

Largest cities in Poland by area:

1. Warszawa – 517.2 km2

2. Kraków – 326.9 km2

3. Szczecin – 300.6 km2

4. Łódź – 293.3 km2

5. Wrocław – 292.8 km2

6. Zielona Gora 278.3 km2

7. Gdańsk – 265.9 km2

8. Poznań – 261.9 km2

9. Świnoujście – 202.1 km2

10. Dąbrowa Gornicza – 188.7 km2

However, it is worth remembering that these data are based on administrative divisions. Very often, suburbs are not part of large cities, despite the fact that de facto they represent one settlement. After all, the largest cities in Poland are definitely Warszawa, Kraków, Łódź, Gdańsk, Poznań, Wrocław.

Source: website observatorgospodarczy.pl