Poland on the way to SDGs. Report 2025

Air pollution is one of the most serious problems that Polish cities are facing. According to the latest European Environment Agency ranking, as many as 34 Polish cities are among the 100 most polluted cities in Europe¹. These include Chorzów, Sosnowiec, Katowice, Bytom and Ruda Śląska, which are part of the Upper Silesian Industrial Region, where the coal, steel and energy industries have been dominant for years.

It is in such regions that the effects of one of the most dangerous air pollutants, PM2.5, are especially noticeable. The WHO emphasises that due to their very small diameter (below 2.5 μm), these tiny particles easily penetrate the deepest parts of the lungs and blood vessels, increasing the risk of cardiovascular and respiratory diseases, and premature death. According to estimates of the European Environment Agency, Poland is among the EU countries where the number of premature deaths resulting from exposure to PM2.5 is the highest, following Bulgaria, Greece and Croatia. Although the number of these deaths per 100,000 inhabitants decreased from 117 in 2015 to 94 in 2022, Poland still falls behind the EU average of 53.

According to the WHO, until 2020, concentrations of PM2.5 exceeding 10 μg/m³ were considered hazardous to health and in 2021, the norm was tightened to 5 μg/m³. In Poland, the average annual concentration of this particulate matter has for years exceeded the WHO norms, although the situation is gradually improving. Compared to 2015, when the PM2.5 concentration was 23 μg/m³, in 2023, it was 16 μg/m³. This was the third consecutive year in which pollution levels were kept below the national target for reducing exposure² to PM2.5 (set at 18 μg/m³) and the fourth year in which the permissible exposure concentration obligation³ for PM2.5 of 20 µg/m³ was not exceeded.

This positive trend at the national level was influenced by the improving situation at the local level. In 2023, 26 Polish cities and agglomerations managed to maintain the PM2.5 levels below the 20 µg/m³ threshold; this is 2.5 times more cities than in 2015, when there were only 10 such places. The situation improved for the residents of southern agglomerations (Rybnik-Jastrzębie, Upper-Silesia and Cracow), which have been for years most exposed to PM2.5. The average concentration of PM2.5 in these areas was 17–19 μg/m³, which was much lower than in 2015: in the Rybnik-Jastrzębie agglomeration, it fell by almost a half and in the others by about 40%. The least exposed to the negative effects of PM2.5 are the inhabitants of northern Poland, including the Tricity agglomeration, where the average concentration of PM2.5 decreased from 14 μg/m³ in 2015 to 12 μg/m³.

¹ The data come from a full two-year measurement period covering the years 2022–2023. The ranking takes into account the average concentrations of three types of pollutants: PM2.5, NO₂ and O₃.
² The national exposure reduction target is a percentage reduction in the national average exposure indicator for the reference year, aiming to reduce the harmful effects of a given substance on human health, to be achieved by a specified date.
³ The exposure concentration obligation exposure concentration limit is the maximum permissible level of a substance in the air, determined on the basis of the national average exposure indicator. Its aim is to limit the harmful effects of a given substance on human health. The exposure concentration obligation exposure concentration limit is an air quality standard that should be achieved within a specified period.

Poland is faced with the challenge of reducing pollutant emissions, particularly those from road transport. Passenger cars, vans, lorries and buses are responsible for the emission of over 70% of greenhouse gases generated by this sector. The remaining emissions come mainly from maritime and air transport. In Poland, as in other EU countries, passenger cars remain the most popular means of transport, which only exacerbates the problem. In 2023, 82% of passengers used cars (compared to 79% in 2015), while the remaining 18% chose bus and rail transport. Compared to 2015, the number of bus passengers decreased (from 15% to 9%); on the other hand, slightly more people chose trains: in 2023, almost 9% of passengers travelled by train, compared to 7% in 2015. Similar changes can also be seen across the whole EU.

Poland ranks 6th among the most motorised countries in the EU, which shows how important cars are in our everyday transport. In 2015–2024, the number of cars per 1,000 inhabitants in Poland increased from 474 to 629, and currently exceeds the EU average, which grew from 508 to 578 vehicles during this period. At the same time, the vehicle fleet in our country is one of the oldest in the EU. According to data from the European Automobile Manufacturers' Association, in 2023, the average age of a car in Poland was about 15 years, and 13 in the EU. Most cars in Poland are already over 10 years old. The percentage of such vehicles increased from 68% in 2015 to 76% in 2024, which places Poland in third place in the EU in terms of the number of oldest cars. In turn, the percentage of new cars, i.e. those less than 2 years old, remains stable, fluctuating between 5% and 7% in the years 2015–2024.

The number of zero-emission vehicles powered by electricity or hydrogen (using fuel cells) on Polish roads is increasing. Although they still account for a small percentage of all passenger cars, the steady growth in their number shows a gradual shift towards more environmentally friendly transport. In 2024, these vehicles already accounted for 0.3% of all passenger cars in Poland, compared to just one hundredth of a permille in 2015. The situation is slightly better for zero-emission buses, motor coaches and trolley buses, whose share increased from 0.6% to 1.5% during this period. Despite the progress, the figures for Poland are still below the average for the EU, where the share of zero-emission passenger cars is 2.2% and 3.4% of zero-emission buses, motor coaches and trolley buses. Poland (alongside Greece) has one of the lowest percentages of zero-emission passenger cars in the EU and is among the ten countries with the lowest percentage of zero-emission buses, motor coaches and trolley buses. In contrast, the highest number of zero-emission vehicles can be found in Denmark, Sweden, Luxembourg and the Netherlands.