Voivodeship profile: Lesser Poland voivodeship
Key indicators for Lesser Poland voivodeship from Statistics Poland's Local Data Bank (BDL)
Overview of Lesser Poland voivodeship
Snapshot of key indicators in the Lesser Poland voivodeship in the most recent year available.
Population
3,432,295
people · 2021
Avg. gross salary
8.8 K PLN
2024
Unemployment rate
4.7%
% · 2025
Businesses per 10k
1,456
entities / 10k · 2024
Population density
225.8
ppl / km² · 2024
Apartment price / m²
11.7 K PLN / m²
2024
Description - Lesser Poland voivodeship
Lesser Poland is the country's second-most populous voivodeship (3.43 million) with Kraków as its capital. The region combines a strong economy with exceptionally good social and health indicators. GDP per capita is PLN 87,269, the gross salary of PLN 8,819 sits at 102% of the national average and registered unemployment is 4.7%. Lesser Poland ranks 1st in Poland for demographic stability — the highest female life expectancy (83.3 years) and male life expectancy (76.2), the lowest natural decline (−1.82 per 1,000) and a high birth rate. Kraków is one of Europe's largest academic centres (157,000 students), powering a strong innovation profile (ranked 3rd, with 12.1 researchers per 1,000 economically active people). It is also one of Poland's most popular tourist destinations — 1,791 tourists per 1,000 residents (Kraków, the Tatras, Zakopane, Wieliczka). The voivodeship sits at the top of most rankings: 2nd for quality of life, 2nd for the labour market, 2nd for public safety and 3rd for tourism. Weak points are low housing affordability (median price PLN 11,707/m², housing-affordability ratio 1.3 — the worst in Poland) and an average cultural offer relative to population size.
Demographics of Lesser Poland voivodeship
Gender composition and demographic load on the working-age population in the Lesser Poland voivodeship based on the latest GUS data.
Gender split in the Lesser Poland voivodeship
- Men1,665,176 · 48.5%
- Women1,767,119 · 51.5%
Dependency ratios in the Lesser Poland voivodeship
Non-working-age dependency ratio
ppl / 100 working-age · 2024
Post- per working-age
ppl / 100 working-age · 2024
Old-age dependency ratio
% · 2024
Population change per 1k residents
ppl / 1k · 2024
Vital events in the Lesser Poland voivodeship
Births, deaths, marriages and natural increase in the Lesser Poland voivodeship based on GUS data.
Total deaths
32,835
people · 2024
Marriages
13,578
marriages · 2024
Divorces
4,352
divorces · 2024
Labour market in the Lesser Poland voivodeship
Salaries, unemployment and broader employment signals in the Lesser Poland voivodeship based on GUS BDL data.
Avg. gross salary in Lesser Poland
8.8 K PLN
2024
Registered unemployment in Lesser Poland
4.7%
% · 2025
Salary growth YoY
13.99%
% · 2024
Job offers at year-end in Lesser Poland
2,985
offers · 2025
Employed per 1k residents
254
ppl / 1k · 2021
Business activity in the Lesser Poland voivodeship
REGON registrations, deregistrations and net balance in the Lesser Poland voivodeship.
Registrations vs deregistrations - Lesser Poland voivodeship
New businesses
36,436
entities · 2025
Deregistered
18,899
entities · 2025
REGON entities per 10k residents
1,456
entities / 10k · 2024
REGON entities per 1k working-age
245.9
entities / 1k working-age · 2024
Sole props / working-age
18.1%
% · 2024
Foreign-capital companies in Lesser Poland
6
entities · 2025
Real estate in the Lesser Poland voivodeship
Apartment prices, affordability and construction activity in the Lesser Poland voivodeship.
Apartment price / m² in Lesser Poland
11.7 K PLN / m²
2024
Housing affordability in Lesser Poland
1.33
months of salary / m² · 2024
Dwellings completed / 1k residents
5.9
dwellings / 1k people · 2025
Months of gross salary required per 1 m² of apartment in the Lesser Poland voivodeship.
Education in the Lesser Poland voivodeship
Higher-education students, graduates and preschool-age children in the Lesser Poland voivodeship based on GUS BDL data.
Higher-ed students
156,687
people · 2024
Higher-ed graduates
36,629
people · 2024
Preschool-age children
69,130
people · 2024
Students by gender
- Women91,948
- Men64,739
Transport & infrastructure in the Lesser Poland voivodeship
Registered vehicles, public roads and road infrastructure in the Lesser Poland voivodeship based on GUS BDL data.
Passenger cars
1,952,594
vehicles · 2024
Public roads, total
31,838.9
km · 2024
Expressways
91.2
km · 2024
Bridges & viaducts
4,565
structures · 2024
Cars / 1k residents: 568.9
Environment in the Lesser Poland voivodeship
Green areas, waste management and public-space quality in the Lesser Poland voivodeship.
Green areas per capita
53.7
m² / person · 2024
Municipal green areas per capita
8.6
m² / person · 2024
Parks & squares per capita
12.8
m² / person · 2024
Green-areas share of total area
1.21%
% · 2024
Lesser Poland voivodeship in numbers over time
Multi-year trajectory of the key indicators in the Lesser Poland voivodeship.
Average gross salary in the Lesser Poland voivodeship
Registered unemployment rate in the Lesser Poland voivodeship
REGON entities per 10k inhabitants - Lesser Poland voivodeship
Population in the Lesser Poland voivodeship
Apartment price per m² in the Lesser Poland voivodeship
All indicators - Lesser Poland voivodeship
Population of Lesser Poland
people · year 2021
3,432,295
Number of men in Lesser Poland
people · year 2021
1,665,176
Number of women in Lesser Poland
people · year 2021
1,767,119
Population density
ppl / km² · year 2024
225.8
Population change per 1k residents
ppl / 1k · year 2024
-0.2
Urban-area population density
ppl / km² · year 2024
2,989
Non-working-age dependency ratio
ppl / 100 working-age · year 2024
68.9
Post- per working-age
ppl / 100 working-age · year 2024
36.8
Post- per pre-working-age
ppl / 100 pre-working-age · year 2024
114.7
Old-age dependency ratio
% · year 2024
28.7%
Live births per 1k residents
per 1k people · year 2024
7.75
Deaths per 1k residents
per 1k people · year 2024
9.57
Natural increase per 1k residents
per 1k people · year 2024
-1.82
Total deaths in Lesser Poland
people · year 2024
32,835
Marriages registered in Lesser Poland
marriages · year 2024
13,578
Divorces in Lesser Poland
divorces · year 2024
4,352
Infant mortality rate
idx · year 2024
330.9
Life expectancy at birth - men
yrs · year 2024
76.25
Life expectancy at birth - women
yrs · year 2024
83.26
Avg. gross salary in Lesser Poland
year 2024
8.8 K PLN
Registered unemployment in Lesser Poland
% · year 2025
4.7%
Employed per 1k residents
ppl / 1k · year 2021
254
Employed per 1k working-age
ppl / 1k working-age · year 2021
422.9
Unemployed / working-age
% · year 2024
1.1%
Unemployed women / working-age women
% · year 2024
1.3%
Unemployed men / working-age men
% · year 2024
0.9%
Job offers at year-end in Lesser Poland
offers · year 2025
2,985
Job offers during the year in Lesser Poland
offers · year 2025
50,645
Work accidents in Lesser Poland
accidents · year 2024
4,681
Accidents per 1k employed
ppl / 1k employed · year 2024
3.61
Salary growth YoY
% · year 2024
13.99%
Salary vs Poland
% · year 2024
102.18%
REGON entities per 10k residents
entities / 10k · year 2024
1,456
Newly registered businesses in Lesser Poland
entities · year 2025
36,436
Deregistered businesses in Lesser Poland
entities · year 2025
18,899
REGON entities in Lesser Poland
entities · year 2025
36,436
REGON entities per 1k residents
entities / 1k · year 2024
146
REGON entities per 1k working-age
entities / 1k working-age · year 2024
245.9
Foreign-capital companies in Lesser Poland
entities · year 2025
6
Foreign-capital entities per 10 000 inhabitants
entities / 10k · year 2024
5.7
Foreign-capital entities as share of REGON total
% · year 2024
0.4%
Sole props / working-age
% · year 2024
18.1%
Agri-food sector entities in Lesser Poland
entities · year 2025
3,758
Business net change in Lesser Poland
entities · year 2025
17,537
Business net-change rate
% · year 2025
92.79%
Gross domestic product, total
mln PLN · year 2024
297,163
GDP per capita
year 2024
87.3 K PLN
Gross value added, total
mln PLN · year 2024
264,285
Sold industrial production per capita
year 2024
53.3 K PLN
Sold industrial production, total
mln PLN · year 2024
182,780.8
Investment outlays, national economy
year 2024
33.0 B PLN
Enterprise investment outlays in Lesser Poland
year 2024
17.0 B PLN
Gross fixed assets per capita
year 2024
124.9 K PLN
Investment rate
% · year 2023
16.5%
Higher-education students in Lesser Poland
people · year 2024
156,687
Female higher-ed students in Lesser Poland
people · year 2024
91,948
Male higher-ed students in Lesser Poland
people · year 2024
64,739
Higher-education graduates in Lesser Poland
people · year 2024
36,629
Preschool-age children in Lesser Poland
people · year 2024
69,130
Registered passenger cars in Lesser Poland
vehicles · year 2024
1,952,594
Public roads - total length
km · year 2024
31,838.9
Bridges & viaducts
structures · year 2024
4,565
Expressways - total length
km · year 2024
91.2
Apartment price / m² in Lesser Poland
year 2024
11.7 K PLN / m²
Dwellings completed / 1k residents
dwellings / 1k people · year 2025
5.9
Dwellings completed / 10k residents
dwellings / 10k people · year 2025
59.2
Housing affordability in Lesser Poland
months of salary / m² · year 2024
1.33
New office buildings / 1k residents
buildings / 1k people · year 2025
0.01
New retail-service buildings / 1k
buildings / 1k people · year 2025
0.06
JST budget revenue per capita
PLN / person · year 2024
837.18
JST own-source revenue per capita
PLN / person · year 2024
540.98
JST PIT-share revenue per capita
PLN / person · year 2024
67.38
JST CIT-share revenue per capita
PLN / person · year 2024
404.01
JST budget expenditure per capita
PLN / person · year 2024
736.4
JST investment expenditure per capita
PLN / person · year 2024
181.34
Local-govt investment-spend share
% · year 2024
16.3%
JST education expenditure per capita
PLN / person · year 2024
41.4
JST culture expenditure per capita
PLN / person · year 2024
104.99
Green areas per capita
m² / person · year 2024
53.7
Municipal green areas per capita
m² / person · year 2024
8.6
Parks & squares per capita
m² / person · year 2024
12.8
Green-areas share of total area
% · year 2024
1.21%
Parks & squares share of total area
% · year 2024
0.3%
Forestation share (forest area / total area)
% · year 2024
28.6%
Forest area, total
ha · year 2024
434,367.76
Forest area per capita
ar / person · year 2024
12.7
Afforestation, total area
ha · year 2024
8.82
