The fastest growing cities in Europe – Poland at the forefront

Polish cities are among the fastest-growing urban economies in Europe over the long term. In the Oxford Economics ranking covering 2010–2025, as many as 10 of the 20 fastest-growing major European cities were located in Poland, with Wrocław ranking 3rd with average annual growth of 5.2%. The latest Oxford Economics analysis from February 2026 indicates that Warsaw, Kraków, Wrocław and Gdańsk are expected to remain among Europe’s stronger urban economies over the next decade.

The outlook for 2026–2030 is also favourable: Warsaw, Kraków, Wrocław, Gdańsk and Poznań are expected to achieve average annual real GDP growth of more than 3%. Information and communication technologies, finance and business services are playing an increasingly important role in their development, complementing the industrial sector that formed one of the foundations of their earlier growth.

The fastest-growing cities in Europe are increasingly found in Central and Eastern Europe, and Poland is one of the clearest examples of this trend. The Oxford Economics analysis covering 2010–2025 shows that half of the top 20 fastest-growing major European cities are Polish.

This is also important from an investor’s perspective. The trend is not merely the result of a post-pandemic rebound, but reflects long-term productivity gains, expansion of the services sector, industrial modernisation and the integration of Polish cities into European supply chains.

At the same time, the ranking needs to be interpreted precisely. During the 2020–2025 period alone, some of the highest growth rates were recorded by Spanish cities and regions including Málaga, Mallorca and Tenerife, which grew by more than 6% annually. Poland’s advantage is particularly visible over the longer term, while the latest forecasts indicate that this momentum will not end with 2025.

Polish dominance in the European ranking

In the Oxford Economics ranking for 2010–2025, Polish cities accounted for an exceptionally large share of the top 20. Five ranked in the top ten:

• Wrocław – 3rd place,
• Gdańsk – 6th place,
• Kraków – 7th place,
• Warsaw – 8th place,
• Poznań – 9th place.

The top twenty also included Szczecin, Białystok, Lublin, Katowice and Bydgoszcz.

Wrocław achieved the best result among Polish cities. Its economy grew by an average of 5.2% per year over the period analysed, placing it third in the overall ranking. Only Dublin and Valletta recorded higher growth rates.

Will Polish cities continue to grow rapidly after 2025?

Yes. Oxford Economics expects Warsaw, Kraków, Wrocław and Gdańsk to remain among Europe’s stronger urban economies over the next decade. In the forecast for 2026–2030, Poznań also joins the group of Poland’s five largest cities expected to record average annual real GDP growth of more than 3%.

The latest analysis also illustrates the broader scale of Poland’s growth. Since the beginning of the 21st century, Poland’s largest cities have expanded at an average rate of around 4% per year, compared with approximately 2.1% for European cities overall. Kraków recorded the highest growth rate within this group, at around 4.2% annually.

In the medium term, Warsaw is expected to gain further importance due to the scale and structure of its services sector. Wrocław and Gdańsk are, however, forecast to maintain growth rates close to those of the capital, indicating that Poland’s economic development remains polycentric rather than concentrated exclusively in Warsaw.

Why are Polish cities growing so rapidly?

For many rapidly developing cities in Central and Eastern Europe, one of the main drivers of economic growth is productivity. Companies are adopting new technologies, moving towards higher-value-added activities and improving efficiency without relying solely on employment growth.

Oxford Economics indicates that industry laid the foundations for the development of Poland’s largest urban centres, but their economic structure is gradually changing. ICT, finance and business services are making an increasingly important contribution to growth. Across the European ranking, business services, including ICT, were the main source of growth in as many as 15 of the 20 fastest-growing cities.

Industry nevertheless remains important. In 10 of the top 20 cities, it was either the largest or second-largest contributor to growth, with advanced manufacturing playing an increasingly significant role. In Poland, transport, warehousing and logistics also contribute to growth, benefiting from the country’s geographical location and integration into European supply chains.

Gdańsk – an example of urban and economic transformation

Gdańsk remains one of the most interesting examples of the long-term transformation of Polish cities. It ranked 6th in the 2010–2025 ranking, with Oxford Economics identifying productivity as one of the main drivers of its growth. In its 2026 analysis, Gdańsk was again included among the Polish cities expected to remain among Europe’s stronger urban economies over the coming decade.

The changes in Gdańsk and the entire Tri-City can be seen both in the urban landscape and in the structure of the local economy:

• the revitalisation of Granary Island and the development of new residential, hotel and service functions,
• more than 1.1 million m² of Class A office space in the Tri-City,
• around 42,000 employees working in more than 227 business services centres in Pomerania, with the IT sector accounting for the largest share of employment,
• development of ports, logistics facilities and road and rail infrastructure,
• further expansion of office facilities in the vicinity of Gdańsk Airport.

One of the symbols of this transformation is Olivia Centre. The complex provides approximately 175,000 m² of office space and is home to almost 15,000 employees. It also illustrates the broader economic transformation of the Tri-City – from traditional industry and the port economy towards a combination of logistics, IT, research and development, and international business services.

Airport City Gdańsk is also expanding. The airport announced a tender for 2026 for the next office building, Bravo, with approximately 16,500 m² of space. Ultimately, the entire complex is planned to comprise seven buildings and more than 100,000 m² of leasable space.

Wrocław, Kraków and Warsaw – the fastest growing cities in Europe

Wrocław remains the highest-ranked Polish city in the Oxford Economics 2010–2025 ranking. Average annual growth of 5.2% placed it 3rd in Europe. The latest forecast also expects the city to continue growing by more than 3% annually on average between 2026 and 2030. Its position is also supported by foreign investment data. In the fDi European Cities and Regions of the Future 2025 ranking, Wrocław once again took 1st place among European mid-sized cities. According to fDi Markets, the city attracted more than USD 10.8 billion in foreign direct investment capital expenditure over five years, while 52 foreign investment projects in the software and IT services sector have been recorded since the beginning of 2020.

Kraków ranked 7th in the 2010–2025 ranking, while the long-term analysis since 2000 identifies it as the fastest-growing of Poland’s largest cities, with average annual growth of around 4.2%. The city remains a strong centre for IT, research and development, and advanced business services. In the 2025 fDi ranking, Kraków placed 3rd among large European cities, while ranking first in its category for both human capital and lifestyle and business friendliness.

Warsaw, meanwhile, combines the scale of Poland’s domestic market with a concentration of financial services, technology, professional business services and the headquarters of international companies. Oxford Economics forecasts that, in the medium term, the capital will become the fastest-growing of Poland’s largest urban economies.

Does economic growth translate into Warsaw’s investment attractiveness?

Yes. In Emerging Trends in Real Estate Europe 2026, prepared by PwC and the Urban Land Institute, Warsaw ranked 12th among 32 European cities in terms of investment and development prospects. Warsaw’s average real GDP growth is forecast at 3.2% per year between 2026 and 2028.

This growth forecast is higher than for many of the largest Western European markets included in the same ranking. At the same time, the fDi European Cities and Regions of the Future 2025 ranking placed Warsaw 3rd in the major European cities category, behind London and Dublin.

For investors, however, the rate of growth is not the only relevant factor. Rapid development also increases pressure on the labour market, infrastructure and real estate. Oxford Economics notes that average housing prices in Poland’s largest cities are now around twice as high as in 2015, driven by factors including rising incomes, urbanisation and higher construction costs.

Poland – the investment hub of the future

High growth dynamics, a stable legal environment within the European Union and a strategic geographical location make Poland one of the most attractive places to invest capital in Europe today.

Investing in Polish cities means access to:

• highly qualified staff,
• modern office and logistics infrastructure,
• a growing consumer market,
• predictable regulations within the EU.

---

Polish cities remain one of the strongest examples of long-term economic growth in Europe. The 2010–2025 ranking demonstrates the scale of the transformation to date, while analyses published in 2026 indicate that Warsaw, Kraków, Wrocław and Gdańsk have the potential to maintain strong growth rates over the next decade.

For foreign companies, the changing sources of this growth are particularly important. Alongside industry, technology, finance, research and development, and specialised business services are playing an increasingly significant role. This diversification may be one of the key factors determining the competitiveness of Polish cities in the years ahead.

---

Data sources:

• Oxford Economics, Europe’s fastest-growing major cities
• Oxford Economics, Productivity gains to power Polish city growth
• Wrocław.pl, Productivity growth drives the development of Polish cities
• fDi Intelligence, European Cities and Regions of the Future 2025
• PwC / Urban Land Institute, Emerging Trends in Real Estate Europe 2026
• Invest in Pomerania, Business Services