Ten Years Later — How The EU Membership Has Changed Poland

After joining the EU, Poland's gross domestic product nearly doubled, and its GDP per capita jumped from almost 50% to 68% of the EU average in just a decade. The Polish economy grew by 49%, which was four times the EU average between 2004 and 2013.

Poland moved from 12th to 8th position among major exporters, with total trade reaching 836 billion euros. Polish households also became richer, with dishwasher ownership increasing by over 500% and computer ownership by 156%.

Poland received approximately 90 billion euros from the EU between 2003 and 2013. These funds were used to build over 2,000 kilometers of roads, add 2,500 kilometers of railway tracks, and initiate 1,200 R&D projects.

Nearly 20 billion euros in subsidies were given to Polish farmers, and 20,000 Polish entrepreneurs also received support. The number of Poles studying at foreign universities doubled, and investment in Polish universities tripled. Unemployment fell from 20% in 2003 to less than 14.5% in 2013, with a 6.5% increase in the workforce.