Poland’s economy grew 3.6 percent in 2025 – the fastest in the European Union – with Chinese investment in the country accelerating across batteries, infrastructure, and green energy.
The Central and Eastern European country joined the EU in 2004 but it still uses the Polish zloty instead of the euro.
The Polish economy is the sixth largest in the EU, or 21st in the world just after Switzerland, according to the International Monetary Fund, with nominal GDP having exceeded US$1 trillion (HK$7.8 trillion). Inflation was 3.3 percent in 2025.
Services contribute about 64 percent of value added and manufacturing contributes around 30 percent, with automotive, batteries, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, food processing, and machinery as key industries. Poland is now one of Europe’s main hubs for battery manufacturing, with strong growth in solar and offshore wind.
The Warsaw Stock Exchange delivered exceptional returns in 2025. The blue-chip WIG20 index rose nearly 45 percent, outpacing the S&P 500 and Germany’s DAX. A new ETF launched in March 2026 offers Hong Kong investors exposure to the 60 largest Polish companies.
The National Bank of Poland held 648 tonnes of gold as of August 2026, placing it among the world’s top 10 reserves, with a target of 700 tonnes.
Investors are drawn by Poland’s location at the crossroads of Europe, access to the EU’s 440 million consumers, competitive labor costs, a skilled workforce, and strong infrastructure.
Exports have nearly quadrupled over two decades to 63 percent of GDP. German companies rank Poland their most attractive CEE destination for 2026, with 56 percent planning to invest.
FDI is concentrated in manufacturing – especially electromobility, advanced technologies, and chemicals – plus a fast-growing business services sector. American firms have invested about US$30 billion (HK$234 billion), creating nearly 330,000 jobs.
China and Poland pledged deeper supply chain cooperation in new energy and logistics at the 20th Joint Economic Commission in August 2026. Chinese firms invested 4.2 billion euros (HK$37.44 billion) in Poland in 2024, with 3,710 Chinese-owned companies operating there by early 2026. BYD Energy Storage will supply Poland’s largest battery storage project, due by end-2027.
The Polish Investment and Trade Agency offers free location consulting and an online generator to browse industrial sites, having supported over 1,000 projects worth 30 billion euros. Last year, it supported 64 projects worth over 4 billion euros.
Poland also has Central and Eastern Europe’s largest startup ecosystem, with startups raising about 800 million euros in venture capital in 2025.
Poland plans up to 486 billion zloty (HK$991.2 billion) in energy transition investment by 2030, as coal’s share of power generation falls from 52.6 percent toward a 22 percent target.
For Hong Kong investors, Poland combines EU-leading growth, a diversifying industrial base, competitive costs, and a Chinese investment wave that points to supply chain and green energy opportunities.
