MigrantoPolish Diaspora
4.6M Poles live abroad — 13% of the population of Poland
Polish diaspora by country
The top 3 countries are home to 70% of the diaspora
| Country | Emigrants |
|---|---|
| Germany | 1883559 |
| United Kingdom | 902193 |
| USA | 396647 |
| Netherlands | 210981 |
| Canada | 123819 |
| Norway | 111728 |
| Sweden | 102889 |
| Ireland | 102708 |
| Italy | 92115 |
| France | 84406 |
| Belgium | 79624 |
| Austria | 79557 |
| Israel | 62789 |
| Switzerland | 53044 |
| Spain | 51651 |
| Denmark | 49767 |
| Australia | 45945 |
| Iceland | 31868 |
| Czech Republic | 18652 |
| Greece | 16970 |
| Russia | 9615 |
| Slovakia | 8008 |
| Finland | 5907 |
| Luxembourg | 5835 |
| Hungary | 3991 |
| Ukraine | 3170 |
| Kyrgyzstan | 3060 |
| Bulgaria | 2676 |
| New Zealand | 2511 |
| Lithuania | 2002 |
| Egypt | 1970 |
| Argentina | 1870 |
| South Africa | 1849 |
| Uruguay | 1792 |
| Japan | 1756 |
| Malta | 1302 |
| Portugal | 1255 |
| Paraguay | 1006 |
| Mexico | 910 |
| Venezuela | 819 |
| China | 798 |
| Serbia | 783 |
| Libya | 764 |
| Estonia | 758 |
| Cyprus | 744 |
| Latvia | 706 |
| Croatia | 658 |
| Kazakhstan | 631 |
| Chile | 599 |
| Belarus | 465 |
| Slovenia | 452 |
| Peru | 437 |
| Costa Rica | 436 |
| Panama | 359 |
| Bolivia | 271 |
| Colombia | 217 |
| Namibia | 186 |
| Georgia | 185 |
| Faroe Islands | 153 |
| Romania | 102 |
| North Macedonia | 99 |
| Moldova | 96 |
| Montenegro | 96 |
| Liechtenstein | 81 |
| Ghana | 58 |
| Dominican Republic | 49 |
| Bermuda | 40 |
| Tajikistan | 35 |
| San Marino | 34 |
| Greenland | 29 |
| Brazil | 28 |
| Bahamas | 21 |
| Mongolia | 13 |
| Cuba | 8 |
| Puerto Rico | 6 |
| Guinea | 0 |
By region
86% of the diaspora lives in Europe
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Key facts
The Polish diaspora in numbers
The community in Iceland is growing fastest
The number of Poles living in Iceland has grown 191% since 2015, from 11K to 31.9K.
Most Poles abroad live in Germany
41% of the diaspora lives in Germany, while the next country accounts for just 20%.
The share of the diaspora living in Europe has grown since 1990
63.4% of the diaspora lived in Europe in 1990, compared with 85.7% today.
The map of the diaspora has changed since 1990
4 countries have entered the top 20 since 1990: Norway, Ireland, Spain. Norway climbed from outside the top 20 to #6.
1 in 8 people born in Poland lives abroad
4.6M people born in Poland now live in other countries — 12.5% of a population of 36.6M.
Polish diaspora population over time
People living abroad, by year
| Year | Emigrants |
|---|---|
| 1990 | 2317607 |
| 1995 | 2546193 |
| 2000 | 2502866 |
| 2005 | 2798776 |
| 2010 | 3673715 |
| 2015 | 4154666 |
| 2020 | 4365879 |
| 2024 | 4572613 |
Largest communities over time
Poles living in the 5 largest countries, by year
| Year | Germany | United Kingdom | USA | Netherlands | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 989687 | 74813 | 410180 | 10219 | 184063 |
| 1995 | 1100461 | 67979 | 555299 | 13221 | 192650 |
| 2000 | 1201741 | 61534 | 459971 | 16763 | 182439 |
| 2005 | 1299499 | 165337 | 456004 | 27403 | 171592 |
| 2010 | 1513519 | 558210 | 470032 | 62077 | 156702 |
| 2015 | 1718230 | 728332 | 440335 | 113415 | 150280 |
| 2020 | 1797038 | 826408 | 421348 | 159749 | 137366 |
| 2024 | 1883559 | 902193 | 396647 | 210981 | 123819 |
Fastest-changing communities
How the number of Poles in each country has changed since the selected year
Poles among immigrants in other countries
Where Poles make up the largest share of a country's immigrants
Data source: International Migrant Stock 2024 (UN DESA, Population Division)
Frequently asked questions
How many Poles live outside Poland?
Around 4.6M Poles live abroad, the world's #15 largest diaspora.
Where do most Poles abroad live?
Most Poles live in Germany, United Kingdom and USA — these three countries account for about 70% of all Poles living abroad.
Which country has the largest Polish population outside Poland?
Germany is home to the largest Polish community abroad — 1.9M people, about 41% of all Poles living abroad.
What share of the population of Poland lives abroad?
About 13% of the population of Poland lives abroad — that's 4.6M out of a total population of 36.6M.
Is the Polish diaspora growing?
Yes — over the past decade, the number of Poles living abroad has grown from 4.2M to 4.6M, about 10%.
Where does the data on the Polish diaspora come from?
The source is International Migrant Stock 2024 (UN DESA, Population Division). It counts people born in Poland who now live in other countries. Descendants of emigrants born abroad are not included.
Where to live?
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Living in Poland
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