Poland's territory shrinks for first time in years

Poland has recorded a rare contraction in its land area, reversing a growth trend that had persisted since 2022, according to newly released data from the Central Statistical Office. 

As of January 1, 2025, the country’s area shrank by 68 hectares, Caliber.Az reports per Polish media.

The reduction affected 11 voivodeships (administrative regions), with the West Pomeranian Voivodeship seeing the biggest change, losing 35 hectares. These updates come from adjustments made in the national register of borders and territory divisions. In the West Pomeranian and Pomeranian Voivodeships, changes also involved aligning coastal boundaries with the official baseline of the Baltic Sea.

Despite the overall loss in total land area, changes within specific types of municipalities showed mixed results. Urban areas grew by 4,956 hectares, while rural areas shrank by 5,024 hectares. The biggest shift occurred in urban-rural municipalities, which gained 77,802 hectares of land. In contrast, rural municipalities lost nearly the same amount—77,697 hectares. Urban municipalities also saw a small decline of 173 hectares.

Meanwhile, Poland’s population continues to decline—a trend that has been ongoing since 2019. In 2024 alone, the country lost 147,421 people. Every voivodeship reported a population drop, with the decline being steeper than in the previous year.

At the county level, nearly 89% saw fewer residents. Among cities with county rights, over 92% experienced population losses. For municipalities overall, the number was slightly lower, with 78.8% reporting declines.

Some of the sharpest decreases were seen in cities like Łódź (which lost 6,322 people) and Bydgoszcz (down by 2,391). However, a few places saw growth—Kraków gained 2,967 people, Lesznowola added 1,434, and Gdańsk grew by 1,280. Warsaw also saw a population increase of 2,246 after losing residents the year before.

By Sabina Mammadli