Voivodeship profile: Podlachia voivodeship
Key indicators for Podlachia voivodeship from Statistics Poland's Local Data Bank (BDL)
Overview of Podlachia voivodeship
Snapshot of key indicators in the Podlachia voivodeship in the most recent year available.
Population
1,154,283
people · 2021
Avg. gross salary
7.9 K PLN
2024
Unemployment rate
7.4%
% · 2025
Businesses per 10k
1,093
entities / 10k · 2024
Population density
56.1
ppl / km² · 2024
Apartment price / m²
8.0 K PLN / m²
2024
Description - Podlachia voivodeship
Podlaskie is a north-eastern voivodeship with 1.15 million inhabitants, with Białystok as its capital, bordering Belarus and Lithuania. It is among the less affluent regions: GDP per capita is PLN 75,601, the gross salary of PLN 7,850 sits at 91% of the national average and registered unemployment is 7.4%. The economy is relatively small, with low foreign-capital presence (3.7% of investment — the lowest in Poland) and average business activity (1,093 REGON entities per 10,000). The region nevertheless stands out for exceptionally low crime (14.7 per 1,000) and high detection (73.6%), ranking 1st in Poland for public safety. Podlaskie also has outstanding natural assets — the Białowieża Forest, the Biebrza National Park and the Augustów lakes — which feed into a high quality of life (ranked 4th nationally). Demographics are relatively stable (female life expectancy of 83.7 years, male of 75.4). Weak points are a very thin innovation base (ranked 13th, with only 2.8 researchers per 1,000 economically active people), modest tourism (542 tourists per 1,000 — ranked 14th) and a sparse cultural offer (27 museums, 12 cinemas). The region sits 12th–13th in the economic rankings.
Demographics of Podlachia voivodeship
Gender composition and demographic load on the working-age population in the Podlachia voivodeship based on the latest GUS data.
Gender split in the Podlachia voivodeship
- Men561,754 · 48.7%
- Women592,529 · 51.3%
Dependency ratios in the Podlachia 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 Podlachia voivodeship
Births, deaths, marriages and natural increase in the Podlachia voivodeship based on GUS data.
Total deaths
12,007
people · 2024
Marriages
3,707
marriages · 2024
Divorces
1,685
divorces · 2024
Labour market in the Podlachia voivodeship
Salaries, unemployment and broader employment signals in the Podlachia voivodeship based on GUS BDL data.
Avg. gross salary in Podlachia
7.9 K PLN
2024
Registered unemployment in Podlachia
7.4%
% · 2025
Salary growth YoY
15.36%
% · 2024
Job offers at year-end in Podlachia
969
offers · 2025
Employed per 1k residents
209
ppl / 1k · 2021
Business activity in the Podlachia voivodeship
REGON registrations, deregistrations and net balance in the Podlachia voivodeship.
Registrations vs deregistrations - Podlachia voivodeship
New businesses
8,565
entities · 2025
Deregistered
5,375
entities · 2025
REGON entities per 10k residents
1,093
entities / 10k · 2024
REGON entities per 1k working-age
188.1
entities / 1k working-age · 2024
Sole props / working-age
14.2%
% · 2024
Foreign-capital companies in Podlachia
1
entity · 2025
Real estate in the Podlachia voivodeship
Apartment prices, affordability and construction activity in the Podlachia voivodeship.
Apartment price / m² in Podlachia
8.0 K PLN / m²
2024
Housing affordability in Podlachia
1.02
months of salary / m² · 2024
Dwellings completed / 1k residents
5.3
dwellings / 1k people · 2025
Months of gross salary required per 1 m² of apartment in the Podlachia voivodeship.
Education in the Podlachia voivodeship
Higher-education students, graduates and preschool-age children in the Podlachia voivodeship based on GUS BDL data.
Higher-ed students
29,621
people · 2024
Higher-ed graduates
7,148
people · 2024
Preschool-age children
20,769
people · 2024
Students by gender
- Women18,006
- Men11,615
Transport & infrastructure in the Podlachia voivodeship
Registered vehicles, public roads and road infrastructure in the Podlachia voivodeship based on GUS BDL data.
Passenger cars
623,246
vehicles · 2024
Public roads, total
27,367.3
km · 2024
Expressways
202.7
km · 2024
Bridges & viaducts
1,681
structures · 2024
Cars / 1k residents: 539.9
Environment in the Podlachia voivodeship
Green areas, waste management and public-space quality in the Podlachia voivodeship.
Green areas per capita
37.7
m² / person · 2024
Municipal green areas per capita
6.3
m² / person · 2024
Parks & squares per capita
12
m² / person · 2024
Green-areas share of total area
0.21%
% · 2024
Podlachia voivodeship in numbers over time
Multi-year trajectory of the key indicators in the Podlachia voivodeship.
Average gross salary in the Podlachia voivodeship
Registered unemployment rate in the Podlachia voivodeship
REGON entities per 10k inhabitants - Podlachia voivodeship
Population in the Podlachia voivodeship
Apartment price per m² in the Podlachia voivodeship
All indicators - Podlachia voivodeship
Population of Podlachia
people · year 2021
1,154,283
Number of men in Podlachia
people · year 2021
561,754
Number of women in Podlachia
people · year 2021
592,529
Population density
ppl / km² · year 2024
56.1
Population change per 1k residents
ppl / 1k · year 2024
-4.9
Urban-area population density
ppl / km² · year 2024
1,379
Non-working-age dependency ratio
ppl / 100 working-age · year 2024
72.1
Post- per working-age
ppl / 100 working-age · year 2024
41.4
Post- per pre-working-age
ppl / 100 pre-working-age · year 2024
135
Old-age dependency ratio
% · year 2024
31.7%
Live births per 1k residents
per 1k people · year 2024
6.66
Deaths per 1k residents
per 1k people · year 2024
10.58
Natural increase per 1k residents
per 1k people · year 2024
-3.92
Total deaths in Podlachia
people · year 2024
12,007
Marriages registered in Podlachia
marriages · year 2024
3,707
Divorces in Podlachia
divorces · year 2024
1,685
Infant mortality rate
idx · year 2024
330.8
Life expectancy at birth - men
yrs · year 2024
75.43
Life expectancy at birth - women
yrs · year 2024
83.72
Avg. gross salary in Podlachia
year 2024
7.9 K PLN
Registered unemployment in Podlachia
% · year 2025
7.4%
Employed per 1k residents
ppl / 1k · year 2021
209
Employed per 1k working-age
ppl / 1k working-age · year 2021
351.9
Unemployed / working-age
% · year 2024
2.1%
Unemployed women / working-age women
% · year 2024
2%
Unemployed men / working-age men
% · year 2024
2.1%
Job offers at year-end in Podlachia
offers · year 2025
969
Job offers during the year in Podlachia
offers · year 2025
19,021
Work accidents in Podlachia
accidents · year 2024
1,776
Accidents per 1k employed
ppl / 1k employed · year 2024
5.39
Salary growth YoY
% · year 2024
15.36%
Salary vs Poland
% · year 2024
90.96%
REGON entities per 10k residents
entities / 10k · year 2024
1,093
Newly registered businesses in Podlachia
entities · year 2025
8,565
Deregistered businesses in Podlachia
entities · year 2025
5,375
REGON entities in Podlachia
entities · year 2025
8,565
REGON entities per 1k residents
entities / 1k · year 2024
109
REGON entities per 1k working-age
entities / 1k working-age · year 2024
188.1
Foreign-capital companies in Podlachia
entity · year 2025
1
Foreign-capital entities per 10 000 inhabitants
entities / 10k · year 2024
3.8
Foreign-capital entities as share of REGON total
% · year 2024
0.4%
Sole props / working-age
% · year 2024
14.2%
Agri-food sector entities in Podlachia
entities · year 2025
965
Business net change in Podlachia
entities · year 2025
3,190
Business net-change rate
% · year 2025
59.35%
Gross domestic product, total
mln PLN · year 2024
82,373
GDP per capita
year 2024
75.6 K PLN
Gross value added, total
mln PLN · year 2024
73,259
Sold industrial production per capita
year 2024
43.5 K PLN
Sold industrial production, total
mln PLN · year 2024
49,388.2
Investment outlays, national economy
year 2024
12.0 B PLN
Enterprise investment outlays in Podlachia
year 2024
4.2 B PLN
Gross fixed assets per capita
year 2024
132.8 K PLN
Investment rate
% · year 2023
22.7%
Higher-education students in Podlachia
people · year 2024
29,621
Female higher-ed students in Podlachia
people · year 2024
18,006
Male higher-ed students in Podlachia
people · year 2024
11,615
Higher-education graduates in Podlachia
people · year 2024
7,148
Preschool-age children in Podlachia
people · year 2024
20,769
Registered passenger cars in Podlachia
vehicles · year 2024
623,246
Public roads - total length
km · year 2024
27,367.3
Bridges & viaducts
structures · year 2024
1,681
Expressways - total length
km · year 2024
202.7
Apartment price / m² in Podlachia
year 2024
8.0 K PLN / m²
Dwellings completed / 1k residents
dwellings / 1k people · year 2025
5.3
Dwellings completed / 10k residents
dwellings / 10k people · year 2025
53.2
Housing affordability in Podlachia
months of salary / m² · year 2024
1.02
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
1,057.95
JST own-source revenue per capita
PLN / person · year 2024
397.31
JST PIT-share revenue per capita
PLN / person · year 2024
54.24
JST CIT-share revenue per capita
PLN / person · year 2024
203.61
JST budget expenditure per capita
PLN / person · year 2024
1,041.53
JST investment expenditure per capita
PLN / person · year 2024
411.84
Local-govt investment-spend share
% · year 2024
23.8%
JST education expenditure per capita
PLN / person · year 2024
46.22
JST culture expenditure per capita
PLN / person · year 2024
165.63
Green areas per capita
m² / person · year 2024
37.7
Municipal green areas per capita
m² / person · year 2024
6.3
Parks & squares per capita
m² / person · year 2024
12
Green-areas share of total area
% · year 2024
0.21%
Parks & squares share of total area
% · year 2024
0.1%
Forestation share (forest area / total area)
% · year 2024
31.3%
Forest area, total
ha · year 2024
631,647.13
Forest area per capita
ar / person · year 2024
55.8
Afforestation, total area
ha · year 2024
26.42
