UK vs Poland: GDP per person, GDP and defence spending compared
IMF figures for 2025 put the UK's GDP per head at $65,758, higher than Poland's $55,940. On IMF figures, the UK's GDP in 2025 was $4.01 trillion; Poland's was $1.04 trillion. In 2026 the NATO gives 2.56% of GDP for the UK's defence spending and 4.68% of GDP for Poland.
GDP per head, purchasing power parity
IMF figures for 2025 put the UK's GDP per head at $65,758, higher than Poland's $55,940. The UK's figure was higher than Poland's in every year from 2015 to 2025.
| Year | UK | Poland |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $65,758 | $55,940 |
| 2024 | $63,492 | $52,405 |
| 2023 | $61,899 | $49,328 |
| 2022 | $60,180 | $47,245 |
| 2021 | $54,009 | $41,671 |
| 2020 | $48,881 | $36,657 |
| 2019 | $50,729 | $35,875 |
| 2018 | $47,780 | $32,343 |
| 2017 | $46,556 | $30,172 |
| 2016 | $44,511 | $28,182 |
| 2015 | $43,480 | $27,064 |
The IMF's GDP per head at purchasing power parity is GDP divided by population, converted into international dollars using purchasing power parities: rates that adjust for differences in price levels between countries, so that a dollar buys the same amount everywhere.
GDP, current prices
On IMF figures, the UK's GDP in 2025 was $4.01 trillion; Poland's was $1.04 trillion. The UK's figure was higher than Poland's in every year from 2015 to 2025.
| Year | UK | Poland |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $4.01 trillion | $1.04 trillion |
| 2024 | $3.71 trillion | $921.7 billion |
| 2023 | $3.44 trillion | $813.0 billion |
| 2022 | $3.20 trillion | $695.7 billion |
| 2021 | $3.21 trillion | $689.3 billion |
| 2020 | $2.73 trillion | $605.9 billion |
| 2019 | $2.89 trillion | $602.6 billion |
| 2018 | $2.91 trillion | $594.6 billion |
| 2017 | $2.71 trillion | $528.5 billion |
| 2016 | $2.72 trillion | $472.9 billion |
| 2015 | $2.95 trillion | $479.7 billion |
The IMF's GDP in US dollars is the value of all goods and services produced in a country in a calendar year, at that year's prices, converted from the national currency into US dollars at market exchange rates.
Core defence expenditure
In 2026 the NATO gives 2.56% of GDP for the UK's defence spending and 4.68% of GDP for Poland. From 2016 to 2026 the UK's figure was the higher of the two in 7 of 11 years.
| Year | UK | Poland |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 2.56% of GDP | 4.68% of GDP |
| 2025 | 2.32% of GDP | 4.25% of GDP |
| 2024 | 2.28% of GDP | 3.75% of GDP |
| 2023 | 2.22% of GDP | 3.26% of GDP |
| 2022 | 2.22% of GDP | 2.21% of GDP |
| 2021 | 2.25% of GDP | 2.19% of GDP |
| 2020 | 2.33% of GDP | 2.21% of GDP |
| 2019 | 2.06% of GDP | 1.96% of GDP |
| 2018 | 2.08% of GDP | 2.00% of GDP |
| 2017 | 2.06% of GDP | 1.88% of GDP |
| 2016 | 2.07% of GDP | 1.99% of GDP |
NATO defines defence expenditure as payments by a national government to meet the needs of its armed forces, those of allies or of the Alliance, including military pensions, peacekeeping and some research and development.
More figures for the UK and Poland
| Figure | UK | Poland | Year | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Real GDP growth | 1.2% | 3.7% | 2025 | IMF |
| Life expectancy at birth | 81.4 years | 78.4 years | 2024 | World Bank |
| Inflation, average consumer prices | 3.4% | 3.6% | 2025 | IMF |
| Unemployment rate | 4.9% | 3.1% | 2025 | IMF |
| General government gross debt | 102.1% of GDP | 59.7% of GDP | 2025 | IMF |
| Total tax revenue | 34.4% of GDP | 36.6% of GDP | 2024 | OECD |
| Current health expenditure | 11.4% of GDP | 8.9% of GDP | 2025 | OECD |
| General government expenditure | 43.5% of GDP | 50.9% of GDP | 2025 | IMF |
| Employment rate, ages 15 to 64 | 75.1% | 72.8% | 2025 | OECD |
| Real minimum wage per hour | $17.13 an hour | $13.01 an hour | 2025 | OECD |
| Gross domestic spending on research and development | 2.8% of GDP | 1.6% of GDP | 2023 | OECD |
Figures are the international body's, for a year both countries share; they can differ from those published by the ONS because they are adjusted for comparison.
Ranked tables with the UK and Poland
- UK GDP compared with other countries
- UK GDP per head compared with other countries
- UK defence spending compared with NATO allies
More about Poland: Poland in figures. Compare any two countries with the country comparison tool.
Sources and receipts
- International Monetary Fund: World Economic Outlook database (IMF DataMapper)read 2026-10-14 · SHA-256
50bf0fd1cc9a9b57…· publisher's page - International Monetary Fund: World Economic Outlook database (IMF DataMapper)read 2026-10-14 · SHA-256
7294ac0b3013e39b…· publisher's page - NATO: Defence expenditure of NATO countries (2014-2026)read 2026-10-14 · SHA-256
11e302d3f556b6df…· publisher's page
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