City profile: Elbląg

Map of Elbląg

Overview of Elbląg

Snapshot of key indicators for Elbląg in the most recent year available.

Population

115,220

people · 2021

Avg. gross salary

7.9 K PLN

2024

Unemployment rate

7.9%

% · 2025

Businesses per 10k

1,302

entities / 10k · 2025

Population density

1,391.7

ppl / km² · 2025

Apartment price / m²

6.4 K PLN / m²

2024

About - Elbląg

Elbląg, with about 115,000 residents in Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship, is a historic Hanseatic port on the Elbląg Canal with access to the Vistula Lagoon and a new shipping route to the Baltic via the Vistula Spit. Its environmental strengths stand out: forest cover of 27.8% (88th percentile) and excellent green-area provision of 75.9 m² per inhabitant (83rd percentile) ensure high environmental quality. Wage growth of 16.58% YoY (80th percentile) suggests renewed momentum. The weak side is the labour market: 221 employed persons per 1,000 inhabitants (6th percentile) and unemployment of 7.9% (14th percentile) reflect underutilised demographic potential. A modest cultural base (2 cultural centres, 9th percentile), low investment outlays of PLN 256 million (12th percentile), the absence of bus lanes and low police effectiveness at 62.7% (18th percentile) are the public-realm challenges. Housing prices of PLN 6,376/m² against gross wages of PLN 7,929 (92% of the national average) yield moderate affordability (0.8 monthly salaries per m²). Elbląg is a city with substantial environmental and logistics potential (port plus the new shipping route) but in clear need of major investment in jobs and public infrastructure.

Strengths and weaknesses of Elbląg

Strengths and weaknesses of Elbląg based on the city's position across every published Polish-city ranking.

Top 3 rankings of Elbląg

Best ranking positions of Elbląg across Poland.

Strengths

Elbląg breathes some of the cleanest air in Poland - low PM10, PM2.5 and NO₂ levels.
Cleanest air
Rank among medium cities (100–200 thousand inhabitants): #2
Rank in Poland: #3
Elbląg ranks among the greenest cities in Poland - high green-area per resident.
Greenest cities
Rank among medium cities (100–200 thousand inhabitants): #4
Rank in Poland: #10
Elbląg is one of the most innovative cities in Poland - strong R&D base and foreign capital.
Most innovative cities
Rank among medium cities (100–200 thousand inhabitants): #11

Weaknesses

Tougher career environment for women in Elbląg than in other major Polish cities.
Best cities for women's careers
Rank among medium cities (100–200 thousand inhabitants): #23
Rank in Poland: #62
Less women-friendly conditions in Elbląg - weaker results in safety, healthcare or equality.
Best cities for women
Rank among medium cities (100–200 thousand inhabitants): #23
Rank in Poland: #61
Low investment potential in Elbląg - limited capex activity by businesses and local government.
City investment potential

Latest available air-quality reading

Good air qualitySource: GIOŚ

The result is based on the reading from 1 monitoring station in Elbląg.

PM2.5

3.7 µg/m³

PM10

6.4 µg/m³

Last updated

07/29/2026, 04:20 PM

Demographics of Elbląg

Gender composition and demographic load on the working-age population of Elbląg based on the latest GUS data.

Gender split in Elbląg

Men54,944 · 47.7%
Women60,276 · 52.3%

Dependency ratios in Elbląg

Non-working-age dependency ratio

ppl / 100 working-age · 2025

75.6

Post- per working-age

ppl / 100 working-age · 2025

48.1

Old-age dependency ratio

% · 2025

37.8%

Population change per 1k residents

ppl / 1k · 2025

-8.6

Vital events in Elbląg

Births, deaths, marriages and natural increase in Elbląg based on GUS data.

Total deaths

1,306

people · 2025

Marriages

383

marriages · 2025

Births / 1k5.48 per 1k people

Deaths / 1k11.7 per 1k people

Natural increase / 1k-6.23 per 1k people

Labour market in Elbląg

Salaries in Elbląg compared with the voivodeship and national averages, alongside broader employment signals.

Salary benchmark - Elbląg

Voivodeship and Poland baselines derived from BDL ratios (Elbląg vs. voivodeship / Poland).

Registered unemployment in Elbląg

7.9%

% · 2025

Salary growth YoY

16.58%

% · 2024

Job offers at year-end in Elbląg

offers · 2025

Employed per 1k residents

221

ppl / 1k · 2021

Business activity in Elbląg

REGON registrations, deregistrations and net balance in Elbląg.

Registrations vs deregistrations - Elbląg

New businesses

989

entities · 2025

Deregistered

840

entities · 2025

New businessesDeregistered

Net change+149

REGON entities per 10k residents

1,302

entities / 10k · 2025

REGON entities per 1k working-age

228.6

entities / 1k working-age · 2025

Sole props / working-age

16%

% · 2025

Foreign-capital companies in Elbląg

entities · 2025

Real estate in Elbląg

Apartment prices, affordability and construction activity in Elbląg.

Apartment price / m² in Elbląg

6.4 K PLN / m²

2024

Housing affordability in Elbląg

0.8

months of salary / m² · 2024

Dwellings completed / 1k residents

4.5

dwellings / 1k people · 2025

Months of gross salary required per 1 m² of apartment in Elbląg.

Education in Elbląg

Higher-education students, graduates and preschool-age children in Elbląg based on GUS BDL data.

Higher-ed students

2,414

people · 2024

Higher-ed graduates

631

people · 2024

Preschool-age children

1,536

people · 2025

Students by gender

Women1,524
Men890

Transport & infrastructure in Elbląg

Registered vehicles, public roads and road infrastructure in Elbląg based on GUS BDL data.

Passenger cars

57,679

vehicles · 2024

Cars / 1k residents: 500.6

Environment and quality of life in Elbląg

Air quality, green areas and public-space quality in Elbląg.

Green areas per capita

75.9

m² / person · 2024

Municipal green areas per capita

7.8

m² / person · 2024

Parks & squares per capita

18.3

m² / person · 2024

Green-areas share of total area

10.65%

% · 2024

Air quality

· Monitoring stations: 1

Particulate matter

PM2.5

3.7 µg/m³

Fine particles that can penetrate deep into the lungs.

PM2.5 24h avg

4.42 µg/m³

PM2.5 30d avg

7.37 µg/m³

PM10

6.4 µg/m³

Larger airborne particles - dust, traffic and heating.

PM10 24h avg

7.82 µg/m³

PM10 30d avg

11.71 µg/m³

High PM10 days (30d)

Maximum number of days with PM10 above 50 µg/m³ at a single station.

Traffic-related pollution

NO₂

3.5 µg/m³

Pollution most often linked to road traffic.

NO₂ 24h avg

6.33 µg/m³

NO₂ 30d avg

6.92 µg/m³

Last updated: 07/29/2026, 04:20 PMSource: GIOŚ

Elbląg in numbers over time

Multi-year trajectory of the key indicators of Elbląg benchmarked against the voivodeship.

Average gross salary in Elbląg

Registered unemployment rate in Elbląg

REGON entities per 10k inhabitants - Elbląg

Population of Elbląg

Apartment price per m² in Elbląg

Elbląg in rankings

How does Elbląg rank?

Every city score is built from open data: GUS, GIOŚ, and public registries. A 0–100 score compares a city against the rest of Poland and against peers of similar population size.

Best cities to live in Poland

51.7/ 100

Rank in Poland: #38
Rank among medium cities: #15

settlement year	Taxpayers (1.5%)	Total 1.5% PIT	OPPs in the city	Avg. per OPP
2025	1.5 K	251.1 K PLN	7	35.9 K PLN
2024	1.8 K	276.1 K PLN	7	39.4 K PLN
2023	1.2 K	189.7 K PLN	7	27.1 K PLN
2022	1.6 K	161.4 K PLN	7	23.1 K PLN
2021	2.0 K	123.3 K PLN	7	17.6 K PLN
2020	2.9 K	155.9 K PLN	7	22.3 K PLN
2019	900	64.1 K PLN	6	10.7 K PLN
2018	1.0 K

Indicator	Elbląg	Płock	Difference
Population	115,220	114,594	+626 +0.5%
Population density	1,391.7	1,235.5	+156.2 +12.6%
Avg. gross salary	7.9 K PLN	10.6 K PLN	−2.6 K PLN −25%
Unemployment rate	7.9%	5.3%	+2.6% +49.1%
REGON / 10k	1,302	1,221	+81 +6.6%
Apartment price / m²	6.4 K PLN / m²	7.1 K PLN / m²	−747 PLN / m² −10.5%
Green areas / capita	75.9	53.6	+22.3 +41.6%
Housing affordability	0.8	0.67	+0.13 +19.4%

City profile: Elbląg

Overview of Elbląg

About - Elbląg

Top 3 rankings of Elbląg

Strengths

Weaknesses

Demographics of Elbląg

Gender split in Elbląg

Dependency ratios in Elbląg

Vital events in Elbląg

Labour market in Elbląg

Salary benchmark - Elbląg

Business activity in Elbląg

Registrations vs deregistrations - Elbląg

Real estate in Elbląg

Education in Elbląg

Students by gender

Transport & infrastructure in Elbląg

Environment and quality of life in Elbląg

Air quality

Particulate matter

Traffic-related pollution

Elbląg in numbers over time

Average gross salary in Elbląg

Registered unemployment rate in Elbląg

REGON entities per 10k inhabitants - Elbląg

Population of Elbląg

Apartment price per m² in Elbląg

Elbląg in rankings

Best cities to live in Poland

Cleanest air

Best cities to do business in

Best labour market

Most affordable housing relative to earnings

Greenest cities

City investment potential

Most demographically stable cities

Best cities for families

Best cities for students and education

Wealthiest cities

Safest cities

Best cities for culture

Best cities for an active lifestyle

Most tourist-attractive cities

Best weekend cities

Best cities for after-work life

Best cities for women's careers

Best cities for women

Best cities for seniors

Most peaceful cities to live in

Most bike-friendly cities

Cities with the highest parking pressure

Most innovative cities

Public-benefit organisations (OPP) and 1.5% PIT - Elbląg

Largest OPP in Elbląg

1.5% PIT history - Elbląg

Comparison - Elbląg vs another city

Percentage difference (Elbląg minus peer)

All indicators - Elbląg

Companies

F.U.H. Aleksandra Spółka z Ograniczoną Odpowiedzialnością

Biuro Rachunkowe na Obcasach Spółka z Ograniczoną Odpowiedzialnością

IRON Brothers W&A Spółka z Ograniczoną Odpowiedzialnością

Associations

Stowarzyszenie Międzyszkolny KLUB Sportowy Truso Elbląg

Stowarzyszenie Salka

Stowarzyszenie Elbląska Scena Kultury

Foundations

Fundacja Azymut

Fundacja Miłośników Koszykówki Elbląg

Elbląska Fundacja Szefów Kuchni

Browse other city profiles

Elbląg in rankings

Best cities to live in Poland

Cleanest air

Best cities to do business in

Best labour market

Most affordable housing relative to earnings

Greenest cities

City investment potential