Adriana Sas
Research expert covering the Polish market
Transport industry in Poland - statistics & facts
Transport plays a key role in every country's economic development. It enables the movement of goods and services, promoting trade and entrepreneurship development. Although Poland's transport infrastructure is still developing, road transport currently has the greatest impact on the country's economy.
Looking ahead, one of the most pressing challenges for both passenger and freight transport in Poland is the imperative to transition towards climate neutrality. This will require a concerted effort to promote public transport and the adoption of electric and hydrogen vehicles. The urgency of this task is underscored by the need to reduce the sector's carbon footprint and contribute to Poland's broader sustainability goals.
Road transport is still the most popular mode of freight transport in Poland
One of the key features in developing transport in Poland is its geographical location. Poland lies in Central Europe on the border of the European Union. It has access to the sea and is a place where the most critical European transit routes intersect. Poland has invested enormous financial resources for many years to develop road, rail, and air infrastructure. Every year the number of kilometers of newly built express roads and motorways increases. Poland has also been modernizing its railway lines for a few years now and is focusing on investments related to high-speed rail construction. After years of decline in the number of railway lines, figures started to increase again in 2016. Since joining the European Union in 2004, Poland's role in road transport has changed considerably. Since then, the country has become one of the largest road haulers in the European Union. Poland's transportation of goods in international transport amounted to over 342 million metric tons in 2022. Almost 2.3 billion metric tons of cargo were transported, of which roads carried the most significant amount.Passenger transport is dominated by rail
Nearly 573 million passengers were transported by public transport in 2022. All modes of transport recorded an upward trend in the number of passengers compared to the previous year, except for maritime transport. The most significant growth was noted in air transport, where the volume of passengers grew by 84 percent year-on-year. However, passenger transfers in public transport — by bus and minibus — are systematically declining in Poland. Although their number slightly increased after the COVID-19 pandemic. This is caused, among other reasons, by the growing number of private passenger cars. Numerous private or local government companies provide regular passenger transport services across Poland. Carriers are operating on long-distance routes, domestic or foreign. On the other hand, trips involving short distances — suburban, municipal, county, and even provincial — are often not profitable and have to be subsidized by local governments.Looking ahead, one of the most pressing challenges for both passenger and freight transport in Poland is the imperative to transition towards climate neutrality. This will require a concerted effort to promote public transport and the adoption of electric and hydrogen vehicles. The urgency of this task is underscored by the need to reduce the sector's carbon footprint and contribute to Poland's broader sustainability goals.
