10 answers, 4 from Poland's own official bodies, with a link to each figure.
87% of the 322,859 school leavers who sat the 2026 matura in Poland passed, or 280,870 people, according to the Central Examination Board's information on the exam results, published on 11 September 2026. The pass rate was 90.7% in general secondary schools and 79.8% in technical schools.
These figures include the results of resits in August. 33,979 people took the August resit. The CKE results page carries reports by subject and region.
1,322.8 thousand people were studying at Poland's higher education institutions on 31 December 2025, 42.7 thousand more than a year earlier, according to Statistics Poland's report on the 2025/2026 academic year. Institutions awarded 306.6 thousand diplomas in the 2024/25 academic year.
The count includes full-time and part-time students and foreign students, and counts a person once per course of study, so someone on two courses appears twice. The Ministry of Science and Higher Education oversees universities and their funding.
About 6.7 million children, young people and adults were enrolled in Poland's education system in the 2025/26 school year, 0.5% fewer than a year earlier and 17.9% of the population, according to Statistics Poland's preliminary data.
The total covers pre-school, primary, secondary and post-secondary schools. Falling births mean fewer children are entering school. The school year calendar, including holiday dates, is set each year by the Ministry of National Education.
Government spending on education in Poland was 4.31% of GDP in 2022, down from 4.62% in 2021, according to the World Bank, which uses UNESCO Institute for Statistics data.
The figure covers central and local government spending on all levels of education, including transfers to households. Local governments run most schools and receive an education grant from the state budget, whose size the Ministry of Finance sets each year. The ratio also moves with GDP, so a fall can reflect faster economic growth rather than lower spending.
The figures below use one definition for every country, so they can differ from national figures.
In 2017, net primary school enrolment in Poland was 95.8%, according to the UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Since 2005 it has ranged from 93.1% (2005) to 96.0% (2013). Europe & Central Asia median: 95.7%; Poland is 20th highest of 45. World rank, highest first: 46th of 134.
The UNESCO Institute for Statistics puts gross secondary school enrolment in Poland at 107.9% in 2024. Its high point since 2005 was 2020, at 112.6%; its low point was 2009, at 99.6%. Europe & Central Asia median: 101.1%; Poland is 10th highest of 34. Of 100 countries with 2024 data, 17th highest.
The UNESCO Institute for Statistics puts gross tertiary enrolment in Poland at 80.9% in 2024. That is the highest since at least 2005. Across Europe & Central Asia the middle value was 71.1%, and Poland placed 10th highest of 34. World rank, highest first: 14th of 90.
4.3% of GDP: that is government spending on education in Poland for 2022, according to the UNESCO Institute for Statistics. No year since 2005 has been lower. It is 26th highest of 45 in Europe & Central Asia, where the median is 4.5% of GDP. World rank, highest first: 72nd of 155.
According to the UNESCO Institute for Statistics, the number of primary pupils per teacher in Poland was 10 in 2017. Its high point since 2005 was 2005, at 12; its low point was 2010, at 9. Europe & Central Asia median: 13; Poland is 33rd highest of 39. World rank, highest first: 120th of 130.
The latest figure from the UNESCO Institute for Statistics, for 2019, is 94.7%. Since 2005 it has ranged from 94.2% (2018) to 105.2% (2017). It is 35th highest of 46 in Europe & Central Asia, where the median is 98.4%. Worldwide: 75th of 136.
Read on 14 October 2026. Definitions · Report an error