Adriana Sas
Research expert covering the Polish market
Freight transportation in Poland - statistics & facts
Poland is one of the largest logistics markets in Europe, and it plays a massive role in the Polish economy. The country's geographic location and intersecting transportation routes make Poland a transit country. Access to the Baltic Sea raises this importance, especially for the landlocked countries of Central Europe.
The transport system includes road, rail, sea, inland waterways, air, and pipeline transport. However, road transport dominates in Poland, accounting for six percent of the gross domestic product (GDP). In 2022, nearly 2.3 million metric tons of cargo were transported by all means of transport, and revenues of transport companies rose to a record 270 billion zloty.
Most cargo was transported by motor vehicles, reaching 1,976.3 million metric tons. The share of road transport gradually increased and amounted to nearly 87 percent of all cargo in 2022. This level has been uninterrupted for three years. International car transport carried 342 million metric tons of cargo, achieving a positive trade balance in which exports exceeded imports by 15.4 million metric tons.
In 2022, 29.7 million metric tons were transported by sea to/from terminals, which accounted for the highest percentage of total cargo handled at sea and land terminals. Truck transport shipped 25.9 million metric tons, and rail transport shipped 28.6 million metric tons. The seaports of Gdansk and Gdynia handled the most significant volume of TEUs. Mixed commodities were most often transported, including metals (excluding machinery and equipment), chemical products, food, beverages, and tobacco products, which accounted for a significant share of intermodal transport.
Polish road transport is the leader in the European Union
Polish trucking companies carried out a quarter of all road transport inside the European Union (EU). They have also increased their fleets by 2.7 percent in 2022, reaching a record 4.2 million units. Poland is the leader in international transport in the EU, and Polish companies are among the leading carriers on most of the EU's major routes. For example, Polish haulers carry one-third of the tonne-kilometer between France and Germany.Most cargo was transported by motor vehicles, reaching 1,976.3 million metric tons. The share of road transport gradually increased and amounted to nearly 87 percent of all cargo in 2022. This level has been uninterrupted for three years. International car transport carried 342 million metric tons of cargo, achieving a positive trade balance in which exports exceeded imports by 15.4 million metric tons.
Baltic Hub is the largest container terminal in the Baltic Sea
As of 2022, 42 intermodal terminals were active, with a total storage area of 240,562 TEUs and a declared annual throughput of more than 9.6 million TEUs. The largest terminals in Poland were the Baltic Hub Container Terminal in Gdansk and BCT in Gdynia, whose throughput accounted for more than 41 percent of all terminals in the country. Polish terminals handled more than 84 million metric tons of containerized cargo in 2022. Despite importing energy commodities and taking some traffic for Ukraine, slight declines were observed at all Polish seaports in 2022. The port of Gdansk recorded the smallest decline, at just over two percent.In 2022, 29.7 million metric tons were transported by sea to/from terminals, which accounted for the highest percentage of total cargo handled at sea and land terminals. Truck transport shipped 25.9 million metric tons, and rail transport shipped 28.6 million metric tons. The seaports of Gdansk and Gdynia handled the most significant volume of TEUs. Mixed commodities were most often transported, including metals (excluding machinery and equipment), chemical products, food, beverages, and tobacco products, which accounted for a significant share of intermodal transport.
