Opinions that Poland’s membership of the European Union costs the country too much are appearing increasingly often in public debate. Most economic studies, however, point to a strongly positive impact of European integration on the Polish economy. Without EU membership, Poland’s level of development would be significantly lower today. This is not only about access to EU funds.
Over the 22 years of Poland’s presence in the European Union, the country’s economy has undergone a profound transformation. In 2004, when Poland joined the EU, Polish GDP per capita, measured in purchasing power parity terms, stood at around 50% of the EU average. Today, it is approaching 80%. In a relatively short period of time, Poland has therefore significantly narrowed its development gap with the EU average.
One of the factors supporting Poland’s economy has been EU funding. According to data from the Ministry of Finance, between 1 May 2004 and the end of 2025, transfers from the EU budget to Poland exceeded EUR 268.5 billion. Over the same period, Poland contributed more than EUR 100.5 billion to the common budget. As a result, the net balance of benefits amounted to approximately EUR 168 billion.
European cohesion policy funds have been particularly important, accounting for around 63% of the money flowing from the EU to Poland. These funds strengthen public investment by financing projects that develop infrastructure, including the expansion of motorways, roads and railways. Cohesion policy resources are also used to directly support the manufacturing sector, stimulate innovation and develop human capital.
According to analyses by the Ministry of Funds and Regional Policy, around 5.5% of Poland’s average annual GDP growth in 2004–2023 resulted from projects co-financed by these funds. During that period, Polish GDP grew by an average of around 3.9% per year. Without European cohesion policy funds, this growth would have been approximately 0.2 percentage points lower, at around 3.7%.
The impact of European cohesion policy funds on economic growth is therefore positive, but limited. This is because the average annual value of EU funds flowing to Poland represents less than 3% of GDP. Contrary to popular belief, money from the EU budget is not Poland’s greatest benefit from EU membership. The key advantage lies elsewhere: economic integration and access to the single market.
It is free trade and the absence of customs barriers that have enabled the Polish economy to grow dynamically. According to estimates by the Civil Development Forum, Poland’s benefits from access to the single market are at least five times higher than the net benefits from EU funds.
The effects are visible in trade data. In 2025, Poland recorded a total trade deficit of EUR 7.7 billion, but at the same time generated a trade surplus with EU countries of EUR 78.3 billion. Last year, exports to EU countries amounted to EUR 274.1 billion and accounted for almost 75% of Poland’s total export value.
The European market is therefore the main source of demand for Polish products and services, offsetting deficits in trade with other regions of the world. Over the past 22 years, exports of goods and services to EU countries have increased almost sixfold in nominal terms. After adjusting for inflation, this means an approximately threefold increase in real terms. Today, the value of exports corresponds to around 50% of Polish GDP. The Polish economy is therefore strongly linked to foreign markets, especially the European market.
Economic integration also involves costs and compromises. EU membership means that some of the profits generated in Poland by major European companies are transferred abroad. Stronger competition from companies based in other EU countries puts pressure on less productive firms, sometimes leading to their marginalisation or closure.
Participation in the single market also requires compliance with common regulations. Although these rules support stability and transparency, they may generate additional costs for some industries. These are the arguments most frequently raised by opponents of further economic integration. The key question is therefore whether the costs outweigh the benefits.
We do not know exactly what Poland’s alternative development path outside the EU would have looked like. It can, however, be modelled. Using the synthetic control econometric model, the Polish Economic Institute estimates that, thanks to EU membership, Poland’s GDP per capita is now 42% higher. Without EU membership, Polish GDP per capita would currently be 30% lower and would remain at the level recorded in 2015. Poland’s membership of the EU has therefore accelerated the country’s economic development by a decade.
Brexit provides an interesting example of the reversal of integration. It clearly shows what happens when economic integration is sharply reduced. Research published in 2025 by an international team of economists found that, as a result of Brexit, UK GDP per capita is 6–8% lower than it would have been had the United Kingdom remained in the EU. In addition, investment in the UK fell by 12–18%, employment declined by 3–4%, and economic productivity decreased by 3–4%. Limiting economic integration can therefore lead to measurable losses in growth, investment and efficiency.
Although it is impossible to measure with absolute precision how much EU membership has changed Poland’s development trajectory, different analyses lead to a similar conclusion: European integration has been one of the key drivers of Poland’s economic growth. Without the European Union, Poland would be significantly poorer today — and this would be felt directly in household budgets.
Author: Paweł Janukowicz, PhD in social sciences in the field of economics and finance, and a member of the Polish Economic Society.
Sources:
Bloom N. et al. (2025), The Economic Impact of Brexit, National Bureau of Economic Research.
Michnik M. (2024), Twenty Years of Poland’s Membership of the European Union – Benefiting Everyone!, Civil Development Forum.
PIE (2026), Economic Weekly No. 13/2026, Polish Economic Institute.
