Share of population living in the capital city in Poland

Poland: Share of population living in the capital city was 4.9% in 2020. ▲ Rising

Latest (2020)
4.9%
World rank
149th
of 170 countries
All-time high
4.9%
in 2020
All-time low
3.3%
in 1950
Years of data
15
1950–2020

Share of population living in the capital city in Poland, 1950–2020

0123451950198520201950: 3.3 %1955: 3.6 %1960: 3.8 %1965: 3.9 %1970: 4 %1975: 4.1 %1980: 4.4 %1985: 4.3 %1990: 4.2 %1995: 4.3 %2000: 4.5 %2005: 4.5 %2010: 4.6 %2015: 4.7 %2020: 4.9 %

Source: European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC) (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.

Analysis

In 2020, share of population living in the capital city in Poland stood at 4.9%. That is the highest value across all 15 years on record.

That represents a change of up 7.0% over ten years.

Over the whole period, share of population living in the capital city in Poland peaked at 4.9% in 2020 and was at its lowest, 3.3%, in 1950.

That places Poland 149th out of 170 countries with data for 2020, putting it in the bottom quarter.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 15 years of available data.

Share of population living in the capital city in Poland, year by year

Annual values for Share of population living in the capital city in Poland, 1950 to 2020.
Year % Change
1950 3.3%
1955 3.6% +9.1%
1960 3.8% +5.6%
1965 3.9% +2.9%
1970 4.0% +1.4%
1975 4.1% +4.3%
1980 4.4% +5.6%
1985 4.3% -2.4%
1990 4.2% -0.0%
1995 4.3% +0.5%
2000 4.5% +4.4%
2005 4.5% +0.5%
2010 4.6% +1.8%
2015 4.7% +2.9%
2020 4.9% +4.0%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1950s 3.4% 3.3% 3.6% 2
1960s 3.8% 3.8% 3.9% 2
1970s 4.0% 4.0% 4.1% 2
1980s 4.3% 4.3% 4.4% 2
1990s 4.3% 4.2% 4.3% 2
2000s 4.5% 4.5% 4.5% 2
2010s 4.6% 4.6% 4.7% 2
2020s 4.9% 4.9% 4.9% 1

Countries ranked near Poland

  1. 146 Slovakia 5.2% compare
  2. 147 Viet Nam 5.2% compare
  3. 148 Ethiopia 5.0% compare
  4. 150 Netherlands 4.7% compare
  5. 151 Malawi 4.3% compare
  6. 152 Germany 4.2% compare

See the full ranking of 170 places →

More population data for Poland

All data for Poland →

Frequently asked questions

What is share of population living in the capital city in Poland?
Share of population living in the capital city in Poland was 4.9% in 2020, according to European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC) (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
What is the highest share of population living in the capital city recorded in Poland?
The highest recorded value was 4.9% in 2020.
What is the lowest share of population living in the capital city recorded in Poland?
The lowest recorded value was 3.3% in 1950.
How does Poland rank for share of population living in the capital city?
Poland ranks 149th out of 170 countries with data for 2020.
Is share of population living in the capital city rising or falling in Poland?
Over the last ten years it is up 7.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Poland data come from?
The figures come from European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC) (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Share of population living in the capital city. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Share of population living in the capital city in Poland. Statizoid, drawing on European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC) (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Retrieved 03 September 2026, from https://population.statizoid.com/stat/share-of-population-living-in-the-capital-city/poland/

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About this data

Indicator
Share of population living in the capital city
Unit
%
Source
European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC) (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
170 places, 2,330 data points, 1950–2020
Last refreshed

Percentage of the total population living in the country's capital city. City boundaries are defined using a consistent global approach based on satellite imagery and population data.