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Poland
Forest Information and Data
According to the U.N. FAO,
30.5% or about 9,337,000 ha of Poland is forested, according to FAO. Of this 0.6% ( 54,000 ) is classified as primary forest, the most biodiverse and carbon-dense form of forest. Poland had 8,889,000 ha of planted forest.
Change in Forest Cover: Between 1990 and 2010, Poland lost an average of 22,800 ha or 0.26% per year. In total, between 1990 and 2010, Poland gained 5.1% of its forest cover, or around 456,000 ha.
Poland's forests contain 968 million metric tons of carbon in living forest biomass.
Biodiversity and Protected Areas: Poland has some 563 known species of amphibians, birds, mammals and reptiles according to figures from the World Conservation Monitoring Centre. Of these, 0.4% are endemic, meaning they exist in no other country, and 4.3% are threatened. Poland is home to at least 2450 species of vascular plants, of which 0.1% are endemic. 11.0% of Poland is protected under IUCN categories I-V.
The following contains data relating to forest cover in Poland
Previous version of this profile (2009)
SECTIONS:
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Poland: Forest Cover, 2010
| Total Land Area (1000 ha) | 30633 |
| Total Forest Area (1000 ha) | 9337 |
| Percent Forest Cover | 30 |
| Primary Forest Cover (1000 ha) | 54 |
| Primary Forest, % total forest | 1 |
| Other wooded land (1000 ha) | 0 |
| Percent other wooded land | 0 |
Poland: Breakdown of forest types, 2010
| Primary forest (1000 ha | % of forest area) | 54 | 1 |
| Other naturally regenerated forest (1000 ha | % of forest area) | 394 | 4 |
| Planted Forest (1000 ha | % of forest area) | 8889 | 95 |
Poland: Trends in Total (Net) Forest Cover, 1990-2010
| TOTAL FOREST COVER (1000 ha) |
| 1990 | 2000 | 2005 | 2010 |
| 8881 | 9059 | 9200 | 9337 | |
ANNUAL CHANGE RATE (1000 ha)
Negative number represents deforestation |
| 1990-2000 | 2000-2005 | 2005-2010 |
| 18 | 28 | 27 | |
ANNUAL CHANGE RATE (percent)
Negative number represents deforestation |
| 1990-2000 | 2000-2005 | 2005-2010 |
| 0.20 | 0.31 | 0.30 | |
Poland: Trends in Natural Forest Cover (Deforestation), 1990-2010
| FOREST COVER (excluding planted forests) (1000 ha) |
| 1990 | 2000 | 2005 | 2010 |
| 370 | 414 | 433 | 448 | |
ANNUAL CHANGE RATE (1000 ha)
Negative number represents deforestation |
| 1990-2000 | 2000-2005 | 2005-2010 |
| 4 | 4 | 3 | |
ANNUAL CHANGE RATE (percent)
Negative number represents deforestation |
| 1990-2000 | 2000-2005 | 2005-2010 |
| 1.2 | 1.19 | 0.82
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Poland: Trends in Primary or Old Growth Forest Cover, 1990-2010
| PRIMARY FOREST COVER (1000 ha) |
| 1990 | 2000 | 2005 | 2010 |
| 30 | 51 | 54 | 54 | |
ANNUAL CHANGE RATE (1000 ha)
Negative number represents deforestation |
| 1990-2000 | 2000-2005 | 2005-2010 |
| 2 | 1 | 0 | |
ANNUAL CHANGE RATE (percent)
Negative number represents deforestation |
| 1990-2000 | 2000-2005 | 2005-2010 |
| 5.45 | 1.15 | 0 | |
Poland: Trends in Planted Forest Cover, 1990-2010
| PLANTED FOREST COVER (1000 ha) |
| 1990 | 2000 | 2005 | 2010 |
| 8511 | 8645 | 8767 | 8889 | |
ANNUAL CHANGE RATE (1000 ha)
Negative number represents deforestation |
| 1990-2000 | 2000-2005 | 2005-2010 |
| 13 | 24 | 24 | |
ANNUAL CHANGE RATE (percent)
Negative number represents deforestation |
| 1990-2000 | 2000-2005 | 2005-2010 |
| 0.16 | 0.28 | 0.28 | |
Poland: Primary designated function (percent)
| Production | Protection of soil and water | Conservation of biodiversity | Social services | Multiple use | Other | None or unknown |
| 40 | 20 | 5 | 11 | 1 | 5 | 18 |
Poland: Forest ownership and management rights 2005 (percent)
| OWNERSHIP PATTERN |
| Public ownership | Private ownership | Other |
| 83 | 17 | 0 |
| PRIVATE OWNERSHIP |
| Individuals | Business entities and institutions | Local, indigenous and tribal communities |
| 94 | 2 | 4 |
| HOLDER OF MANAGEMENT RIGHTS OF PUBLIC FORESTS |
| Public administration | Individuals | Business
entities and Institutions | Communities | Other |
| 100 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Poland: Growing stock in forest
| GROWING STOCK IN FOREST |
Total
(million m3) | Per hectare
(m3) | Coniferous
(million m3) | Broadleaved
(million m3) | % commercial species |
| 2049 | 219 | 1599 | 450 | 100 |
| GROWING STOCK IN FOREST |
| Total (million m3) | Per hectare (m3) | Coniferous (million m3) | Broadleaved (million m3) | % commercial species |
| 0 | - | | | |
Poland: Trends in carbon stock in living forest biomass 1990-2010
CARBON STOCK IN LIVING FOREST BIOMASS
(million metric tons) |
| 1990 | 2000 | 2005 | 2010 |
| 691 | 807 | 887 | 968 |
CARBON STOCK IN LIVING FOREST BIOMASS
(per hectare in tons) |
| | | 2000 |
| | | 104 |
ANNUAL CHANGE
(1 000 t/yr) |
| 1990 | 2000 | 2005 | 2010 |
| 12 | 16 | 16 |
ANNUAL CHANGE PER HECTARE
(t/ha/yr) |
| 1990 | 2000 | 2005 | 2010 |
| 1.1 | 1.5 | 1.5 |
Poland: Area of forest affected by fire and other disturbances 2005
| FOREST FIRE |
| 1000 ha | % wild fire (not managed burn) |
| 8 | 100 |
| EXCLUDING FOREST FIRE |
| Insects | Diseases | Other biotic agents | Abiotic factors | Total (excluding fire) | % of 2005 forest area |
| 118 | 49 | 61 | 248 | - | - |
Poland: Trends in removals of wood products 1990-2005
INDUSTRIAL ROUNDWOOD
Total volume (1 000 m3 over bark) |
| 1990 | 2000 | 2005 | percent of which from forest 2005 |
| 22783 | 29598 | 35572 | 99 |
WOODFUEL
Total volume (1 000 m3 over bark) |
| 1990 | 2000 | 2005 | percent of which from forest 2005 |
| 4338 | 3382 | 4635 | 91 |
Poland: Value of wood and NWFP removals 2005
Value of removals
(million US$) | Value per ha forest
(US$) |
| Industrial roundwood | Woodfuel | NWFP | Total | |
| 1264 | 66 | - | - | - |
Poland: Employment in forestry 1990-2005
TOTAL
(1000 full-time employees) |
| 1990 | 2000 | 2005 |
| 132 | - | - |
IN PRIMARY PRODUCTION OF GOODS-FORESTRY
(1000 full-time employees) |
| 1990 | 2000 | 2005 |
| 131 | 60 | 48 |
IN MANAGEMENT OF PROTECTED AREAS-CONSERVATION
(1000 full-time employees) |
| 1990 | 2000 | 2005 |
| 1 | - | - |
Poland: Forest policy and legal framework 2008
National forest policy (year): Yes (1997)
Sub-national forest policy: No
National forest program (year) - status: Yes (2000) In formulation
National forest law (year): Specific forest law (1991)
Sub-national forest law: No
Poland: Human resources within public forest institutions 2000-2008
| 2000 | 2005 | 2008 |
| # | % female | # | % female | # | % female |
| - | - | - | - | - | - |
Poland: Forest revenue and public expenditure on forestry 2005
| Forest revenue | Public expenditure (1000 US$) |
| Domestic funding | External funding | Total |
| (1000 US$) | Operational expenditure | Transfer payments | Operational expenditure | Transfer payments | Operational expenditure | Transfer payments |
| 42295 | 44336 | 18368 | 0 | 9411 | 44336 | 27778
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Poland: Status of ratification of international conventions and agreements as of 1 January 2010
CbD:
UNFCCC:
Kyoto Protocol:
UNCCD:
ITTA:
CITeS:
Ramsar:
World Heritage Convention:
NlbI:
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Poland: Environment
| Environment - current issues | situation has improved since 1989 due to decline in heavy industry and increased environmental concern by post-Communist governments; air pollution nonetheless remains serious because of sulfur dioxide emissions from coal-fired power plants, and the resulting acid rain has caused forest damage; water pollution from industrial and municipal sources is also a problem, as is disposal of hazardous wastes; pollution levels should continue to decrease as industrial establishments bring their facilities up to European Union code, but at substantial cost to business and the government | | Environment - international agreements | party to: Air Pollution, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Seals, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Kyoto Protocol, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Sulfur 94 | | Natural hazards | flooding |
Poland: Land use / Resources
| Land use (%) | arable land: 45.91%
permanent crops: 1.12%
other: 52.97% (2001) | | Natural resources | coal, sulfur, copper, natural gas, silver, lead, salt, amber, arable land |
Poland: Economy
| Economy - overview: | Poland has steadfastly pursued a policy of economic liberalization throughout the 1990s and today stands out as a success story among transition economies. Even so, much remains to be done, especially in bringing down the unemployment rate-currently the highest in the EU. The privatization of small and medium-sized state-owned companies and a liberal law on establishing new firms has encouraged the development of the private business sector, but legal and bureaucratic obstacles alongside persistent corruption are hampering its further development. Poland's agricultural sector remains handicapped by surplus labor, inefficient small farms, and lack of investment. Restructuring and privatization of "sensitive sectors" (e.g., coal, steel, railroads, and energy), while recently initiated, have stalled. Reforms in health care, education, the pension system, and state administration have resulted in larger-than-expected fiscal pressures. Further progress in public finance depends mainly on reducing losses in Polish state enterprises, restraining entitlements, and overhauling the tax code to incorporate the growing gray economy and farmers, most of whom pay no tax. The previous Socialist-led government introduced a package of social and administrative spending cuts to reduce public spending by about $17 billion through 2007, but full implementation of the plan was trumped by election-year politics in 2005. The right-wing Law and Justice party won parliamentary elections in September, and Lech KACZYNSKI won the presidential election in October, running on a state-interventionist fiscal and monetary platform. Poland joined the EU in May 2004, and surging exports to the EU contributed to Poland's strong growth in 2004, though its competitiveness could be threatened by the zloty's appreciation. GDP per capita roughly equals that of the three Baltic states. Poland stands to benefit from nearly $23.2 billion in EU funds, available through 2006. Farmers have already begun to reap the rewards of membership via booming exports, higher food prices, and EU agricultural subsidies. | | GDP - per capita | $12,700 (2005 est.) | | GDP - real growth rate (%) | 3.3% (2005 est.) | | Agriculture - products | potatoes, fruits, vegetables, wheat; poultry, eggs, pork, dairy | | GDP - composition by sector (%) | agriculture: 2.8%, industry: 31.7%, services: 65.5% (2005 est.) | | Industries | machine building, iron and steel, coal mining, chemicals, shipbuilding, food processing, glass, beverages, textiles | | Economic aid - recipient | $13.9 billion in available EU structural adjustment and cohesion funds (2004-06) | | Debt - external | $123.4 billion (30 June 2005 est.) | | Population below poverty line (%) | 17% (2003 est.) | | Labor force - by occupation (%) | agriculture 16.1%, industry 29%, services 54.9% (2002) |
Poland: Population / Demographics
| Population (July 2005) | 38,635,144 | | Population growth rate (%) (2005) | 0.03% | | Population density (people/sq km) (2005) | 126.9 | | Percent rural (2003) | 38.1% | | Median age (years) | total: 36.43 years | | Total fertility rate (children born/woman) | 1.39 (2005 est.) | | Ethnic groups (%) | Polish 96.7%, German 0.4%, Belarusian 0.1%, Ukrainian 0.1%, other and unspecified 2.7% (2002 census) |
Largest Cities in Poland
Cities and urban areas in Poland with population over 100,000
[For more population information including updated figures and a wider selection of cities please visit The World Gazetteer]
--> All figures are estimates for 2002.
| City | Country | City Population | Urban Area Population |
| Warszawa | Poland | 1609800 | 2202000 |
| Lodz | Poland | 783700 | 1013300 |
| Krakow | Poland | 734400 | 783100 |
| Wroclaw | Poland | 633400 | 633400 |
| Poznan | Poland | 580700 | 635900 |
| Gdansk | Poland | 457100 | 866800 |
| Szczecin | Poland | 416000 | 505300 |
| Bydgoszcz | Poland | 385100 | 385100 |
| Lublin | Poland | 354700 | 354700 |
| Katowice | Poland | 336400 | 2657100 |
| Bialystok | Poland | 286900 | 286900 |
| Gdynia | Poland | 258700 | 258700 |
| Czestochowa | Poland | 252900 | 252900 |
| Sosnowiec | Poland | 237800 | 237800 |
| Radom | Poland | 230200 | 230200 |
| Kielce | Poland | 209800 | 209800 |
| Gliwice | Poland | 207400 | 207400 |
| Torun | Poland | 205900 | 205900 |
| Bielsko-Biala | Poland | 177600 | 177600 |
| Olsztyn | Poland | 176100 | 176100 |
| Rzeszow | Poland | 163100 | 163100 |
| Rybnik | Poland | 143000 | 143000 |
| Walbrzych | Poland | 133200 | 133200 |
| Plock | Poland | 130700 | 130700 |
| Elblag | Poland | 130600 | 130600 |
| Opole | Poland | 129100 | 129100 |
| Gorzow Wielkopolski | Poland | 127300 | 127300 |
| Wloclawek | Poland | 123600 | 123600 |
| Tarnow | Poland | 121500 | 121500 |
| Zielona Gora | Poland | 120100 | 120100 |
| Koszalin | Poland | 113300 | 113300 |
| Legnica | Poland | 108800 | 108800 |
| Kalisz | Poland | 106500 | 106500 |
| Grudziadz | Poland | 102600 | 102600 |
| Slupsk | Poland | 102100 | 102100 |
| Jastrzebie-Zdroj | Poland | 100600 | 100600 |
Poland: Infrastructure
| Telephones - main lines in use | 12.3 million (2003) | | Telephones - mobile cellular | 17.401 million (2003) | | Roadways (km) | total: 364,697 km
paved: 249,088 km (including 399 km of expressways)
unpaved: 115,609 km (2001) |
Poland: Health
| Life expectancy at birth (years) | total population: 74.74 years
male: 70.71 years
female: 79.03 years (2005 est.) | | Infant mortality rate | 8.51 deaths/1,000 live births | | HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate (%) | 0.1% ; note - no country specific models provided (2001 est.) |
Poland
: References & Data Sources
 Environment, Land use / Resources, Economy, Population / Demographics, Infrastructure, Health -- CIA World Factbook, 2005
Forest Cover, Forest types, Breakdown of forest types, Change in Forest Cover, Primary forests, Forest designation, Disturbances affecting forest land, Value of forests, Production, trade and consumption of forest products -- The FOOD AND AGRICULTURE ORGANIZATION OF THE UNITED NATIONS's Global Forest Resources Assessment (2005 & 2010) and the State of the World's Forests (2009, 2007, 2005, 2003, 2001)
Protected Areas, Plant and animal biodiversity -- United Nations Environment Programme - World Conservation Monitoring Centre (UNEP-WCMC). 2004. World Database on Protected Areas.
Biosphere reservers -- United Nations Education, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) - Man and Biosphere Program. 2004. UNESCO - MAB Biosphere Reserves Directory.
RAMSAR sites -- The Bureau of the Convention on Wetlands . 2005. The Ramsar List of Wetlands of International Importance.
World Resources Institute's EarthTrends web site
The 2004 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
Population Data -- United Nations Population Fund
With additional analysis by Rhett Butler of mongabay.com
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