Record growth in trade and investment between Poland and the UK

In 2023, the value of trade in goods and services reached a record EUR 36.4 billion, an increase of 35% compared to 2018. A particularly impressive jump was recorded in the services sector, where the increase in value was as much as 70 percent.

With a population of around 67 million people and high purchasing power, the UK is an attractive and stable export market. The competitive quality and prices of Polish products affect the growth dynamics of our domestic exports. Sectors such as food, technology, clothing and professional services have great potential for development.

Poland and the United Kingdom strengthen economic relations

Over the past few years, cooperation between our countries has gained new momentum, covering not only increased trade but also investment. Poland currently ranks sixth in Europe in terms of investment attractiveness, which can also be seen in the interest in our market by investors from the United Kingdom.

Exports and imports – dynamic growth of trade in goods

The United Kingdom remains the fourth largest export market for Poland. In 2023, the value of Polish exports to the United Kingdom amounted to EUR 17.5 billion, and in 2024 as much as EUR 18.5 billion. Imports of EUR 6.1 billion have remained at a very similar level over the past two years. The total value of trade in goods reached EUR 23.6 billion in 2023, an increase of 21% compared to 2018. In 2024, it amounted to EUR 24.6 billion. Poland maintains a significant surplus in trade in goods, reaching a difference of EUR 11.4 billion in 2023 and almost EUR 12.5 billion a year later

The total imports of goods of the United Kingdom in 2023 are $791.66 billion, and exports – $521.21 billion.

The United Kingdom imports the most goods from China (12.11 per cent), the United States (11.37 per cent) and Germany (9.42 per cent).

In the services sector, the United Kingdom ranks third as a recipient of Polish services (7.7 per cent) and second as a service provider (8.1 per cent). IT, consulting, financial and outsourcing services recorded the largest growth, confirming the growing role of Poland as the business centre of Central and Eastern Europe.

British investments in Poland

British investments in Poland reached PLN 91.4 billion, which is an increase of 103% compared to 2018. There are over 1400 companies with British capital in Poland, employing a total of 113, 000 people. The largest of them are: GSK, BP, Castorama and HSBC, which play a significant role in the Polish economy. Moreover, 51 per cent of companies listed on the London Stock Exchange FTSE 100 have investments in Poland.

The energy sector has become increasingly important in the investments of British companies, in particular in the field of renewable energy sources and decarbonisation strategies.

Expansion of Polish companies into the British market

Polish companies are also investing more and more often in the United Kingdom. The value of Polish direct investments in the UK reached £460 million in 2022. Companies such as InPost, Atlas and TFKable, by achieving success in the UK, strengthen Poland’s position on that market.

Future prospects

Experts predict that further cooperation between Poland and the United Kingdom will focus on the energy, aviation, technology and financial sectors.

Further growth in trade, investment development and joint projects in the field of energy transition, digitization and start-ups allow us to forecast that economic relations between Poland and the United Kingdom will continue to strengthen in the coming years.

Sources:

• British-Polish Chamber of Commerce (BPCC), report “The potential of Polish-British economic cooperation”, February 2025.
• Export Intelligence