City profile: Opole

Map of Opole

Overview of Opole

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

Population

127,387

people · 2021

Avg. gross salary

8.6 K PLN

2024

Unemployment rate

3.2%

% · 2025

Businesses per 10k

1,928

entities / 10k · 2024

Population density

842.1

ppl / km² · 2024

Apartment price / m²

8.4 K PLN / m²

2024

About - Opole

Opole, with about 127,000 residents and the capital of Opole Voivodeship, is a historic Silesian-Opole centre on the Oder, known for the annual National Festival of Polish Song. Strengths: a high employment rate of 457 employed persons per 1,000 inhabitants (88th percentile), business density of 1,928 REGON entities per 10,000 (86th percentile) and a rich cinema offer (4 cinemas, 83rd percentile). Low unemployment of 3.2% (80th percentile), 3 Park & Ride lots and 113.6 km of bike paths form a modern infrastructure. Gross wages of PLN 8,564 (99% of the national average) and 31,924 library readers complete the picture of a vigorous mid-sized centre. Weaknesses: high violent crime (0.71 per 1,000, 3rd percentile), low police effectiveness at 52.6% (6th percentile) and high road fatalities (3.97 per 100,000, 8th percentile) — Opole has public-safety challenges. Just 5 museums and 5 cultural centres are a moderate offer for a regional capital. Opole offers a strong economy, a good labour market and affordable living, but needs significant improvements in road and personal safety.

Strengths and weaknesses of Opole

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

Top 3 rankings of Opole

Best ranking positions of Opole across Poland.

Strengths

Opole offers business-friendly conditions - high company density and strong new-registration flow.
Best cities to do business in
Rank among medium cities (100–200 thousand inhabitants): #1
Rank in Poland: #8
Rich cultural scene in Opole - theatres, museums and events on a national scale.
Best cities for culture
Rank among medium cities (100–200 thousand inhabitants): #1
Rank in Poland: #4
Great conditions for an active lifestyle in Opole - plenty of sports and recreation spaces.
Best cities for an active lifestyle
Rank among medium cities (100–200 thousand inhabitants):

Weaknesses

Expensive housing in Opole relative to earnings - many monthly salaries per square metre.
Most affordable housing relative to earnings
Rank among medium cities (100–200 thousand inhabitants): #23
Rank in Poland: #64
Less senior-friendly conditions in Opole - weaker access to healthcare, culture or transport.
Best cities for seniors
Rank among medium cities (100–200 thousand inhabitants): #22
Rank in Poland: #54
Low public-safety level in Opole - higher crime than in other Polish cities.
Safest cities
Rank among medium cities (100–200 thousand inhabitants):

Air quality today

Good air qualitySource: GIOŚ

The result is based on the weakest reading among 2 air monitoring stations in Opole.

PM2.5 now

3.8 µg/m³

PM10 now

7.5 µg/m³

Last updated

05/21/2026, 09:15 PM

Demographics of Opole

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

Gender split in Opole

Men59,599 · 46.8%
Women67,788 · 53.2%

Dependency ratios in Opole

Non-working-age dependency ratio

ppl / 100 working-age · 2024

73.6

Post- per working-age

ppl / 100 working-age · 2024

45.6

Old-age dependency ratio

% · 2024

36.7%

Population change per 1k residents

ppl / 1k · 2024

-4.6

Vital events in Opole

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

Total deaths

1,348

people · 2024

Marriages

439

marriages · 2024

Births / 1k6.64 per 1k people

Deaths / 1k10.71 per 1k people

Natural increase / 1k-4.08 per 1k people

Labour market in Opole

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

Salary benchmark - Opole

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

Registered unemployment in Opole

3.2%

% · 2025

Salary growth YoY

13.94%

% · 2024

Job offers at year-end in Opole

351

offers · 2025

Employed per 1k residents

457

ppl / 1k · 2021

Business activity in Opole

REGON registrations, deregistrations and net balance in Opole.

Registrations vs deregistrations - Opole

New businesses

1,450

entities · 2025

Deregistered

872

entities · 2025

New businessesDeregistered

Net change+578

REGON entities per 10k residents

1,928

entities / 10k · 2024

REGON entities per 1k working-age

334.8

entities / 1k working-age · 2024

Sole props / working-age

21.4%

% · 2024

Foreign-capital companies in Opole

entities · 2025

Real estate in Opole

Apartment prices, affordability and construction activity in Opole.

Apartment price / m² in Opole

8.4 K PLN / m²

2024

Housing affordability in Opole

0.98

months of salary / m² · 2024

Dwellings completed / 1k residents

2.9

dwellings / 1k people · 2025

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

Education in Opole

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

Higher-ed students

19,426

people · 2024

Higher-ed graduates

4,483

people · 2024

Preschool-age children

2,233

people · 2024

Students by gender

Women11,159
Men8,267

Transport & infrastructure in Opole

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

Passenger cars

92,956

vehicles · 2024

Cars / 1k residents: 729.7

Environment and quality of life in Opole

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

Green areas per capita

50.4

m² / person · 2024

Municipal green areas per capita

19.7

m² / person · 2024

Parks & squares per capita

29.9

m² / person · 2024

Green-areas share of total area

4.24%

% · 2024

Air quality

· Monitoring stations: 2

Particulate matter

PM2.5 now

3.8 µg/m³

Fine particles that can penetrate deep into the lungs.

PM2.5 24h avg

5.43 µg/m³

PM2.5 30d avg

11.47 µg/m³

PM10 now

7.5 µg/m³

Larger airborne particles - dust, traffic and heating.

PM10 24h avg

10.01 µg/m³

PM10 30d avg

18.98 µg/m³

High PM10 days (30d)

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

Traffic-related pollution

NO₂ now

10 µg/m³

Pollution most often linked to road traffic.

NO₂ 24h avg

14.06 µg/m³

NO₂ 30d avg

11.51 µg/m³

Last updated: 05/21/2026, 09:15 PMSource: GIOŚ

Opole in numbers over time

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

Average gross salary in Opole

Registered unemployment rate in Opole

REGON entities per 10k inhabitants - Opole

Population of Opole

Apartment price per m² in Opole

Opole in rankings

How does Opole 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

49.0/ 100

Rank in Poland: #42
Rank among medium cities: #17

settlement year	Taxpayers (1.5%)	Total 1.5% PIT	OPPs in the city	Avg. per OPP
2025	14.8 K	2.1 M PLN	17	121.5 K PLN
2024	12.8 K	1.5 M PLN	14	109.7 K PLN
2023	10.5 K	1.1 M PLN	13	83.5 K PLN
2022	13.4 K	919.1 K PLN	14	65.7 K PLN
2021	13.9 K	790.5 K PLN	13	60.8 K PLN
2020	12.6 K	769.7 K PLN	12	64.1 K PLN
2019	14.6 K	806.9 K PLN	14	57.6 K PLN
2018	13.0 K

City profile: Opole

Overview of Opole

About - Opole

Top 3 rankings of Opole

Strengths

Weaknesses

Demographics of Opole

Gender split in Opole

Dependency ratios in Opole

Vital events in Opole

Labour market in Opole

Salary benchmark - Opole

Business activity in Opole

Registrations vs deregistrations - Opole

Real estate in Opole

Education in Opole

Students by gender

Transport & infrastructure in Opole

Environment and quality of life in Opole

Air quality

Particulate matter

Traffic-related pollution

Opole in numbers over time

Average gross salary in Opole

Registered unemployment rate in Opole

REGON entities per 10k inhabitants - Opole

Population of Opole

Apartment price per m² in Opole

Opole in rankings

Best cities to live in Poland

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

Safest academic cities

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 - Opole

Largest OPP in Opole

1.5% PIT history - Opole

All indicators - Opole

Companies

Harmony Garden Opole Spółka z Ograniczoną Odpowiedzialnością

Softelia HOME Spółka z Ograniczoną Odpowiedzialnością

BMG PRIM Spółka z Ograniczoną Odpowiedzialnością

Associations

Stowarzyszenie Kochaj Swoje Życie

Związek Polskich Artystów Plastyków - Polska Sztuka Użytkowa Opole

Stowarzyszenie Setka z Hakiem

Foundations

Fundacja Generacje

Future Ready Generation

Altervue Foundation

Browse other city profiles

Opole in rankings

Best cities to live in Poland

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