0:09 6 April 2026
PIE: Poland gained 42% GDP per capita with EU membership by 2024
Poland gained about 42% in GDP per capita by 2024 thanks to EU membership, according to the Polish Economic Institute. Without joining the EU, real GDP would be around 30% lower, roughly at 2015 levels.
The benefits mainly stem from access to the EU single market, which boosted trade, foreign investment, and institutional quality. The estimate is based on a “synthetic control” model comparing Poland’s actual growth with a hypothetical non-EU scenario built from 22 similar countries. Across 396 model variations, gains ranged from 22% to 61%, confirming a consistent positive effect.
Most comparable countries did not achieve similar results, and despite a dip during the 2023 energy crisis, benefits remained strong at about 42% in 2024.
(PAP)
