The economy of Poland is an emerging and developing, high-income, industrialized, mixed economy that serves as the sixth-largest in the European Union by nominal GDP and fifth-largest by GDP (PPP). Poland boasts the extensive public services characteristic of most developed economies and is one of few countries in Europe to provide no tuition fees for undergraduate and postgraduate education and with universal public healthcare that is free at a point of use. Since 1988, Poland has pursued a policy of economic liberalisation but retained an advanced public welfare system. It ranks 20th worldwide in terms of GDP (PPP), 21st in terms of GDP (nominal), and 21st in the 2023 Economic Complexity Index. Among OECD nations, Poland has a highly efficient and strong social security system; social expenditure stood at roughly 22.7% of GDP.
Bank Ochrony Środowiska S.A. started operations in 1991. It specializes in supporting undertakings and activities contributing to environmental protection. As of 2015, BOŚ S.A. allocated approximately 15,1 billion PLN for the financing of ecological projects, only in 2014 the total amount of loans for pro-ecological projects exceeded 1,9 billion PLN. Implementation of investments for environmental protection, credited by the bank and completed in 2014, contributed to significant environmental effects.
Powszechna Kasa Oszczędności Bank Polski Spółka Akcyjna or PKO Bank Polski S.A., in short PKO BP or simply PKO, is a multinational banking and financial services company headquartered in Warsaw, Poland. It is one of the largest financial institutions in Poland and in Central and Eastern Europe.
The Warsaw Stock Exchange (WSE) is a stock exchange in Warsaw, Poland. Founded in 1817, it was located in the Saxon Palace until 1877 when it was moved to the Exchange Building at the Saxon Garden. Currently, it is located at ul. Książęca 4 in the Śródmieście District of Warsaw in the Exchange Center Building opened in 2000. As of September 2024, there are 410 companies, including 42 foreign ones, quoted on the stock exchange whose market capitalization amounts to PLN 1.50 trillion, making it the largest stock exchange in Central and Eastern Europe. The most important stock market indices of the Warsaw Stock Exchange are WIG20, WIG30, MWIG40 and SWIG80. Trading at Warsaw runs from 08:30 to 17:00 with closing auction from 17:00-17:05.
Santander Bank Polska SA, formerly Bank Zachodni WBK (BZ WBK) (eng. West WBK Bank - the WBK abbreviation below) is a Polish universal bank based in Wrocław, Poznań and Warsaw. It is the third largest bank in Poland in terms of assets value and the number of outlets. It was formed in 2001 by the merger of Bank Zachodni S.A. and Wielkopolski Bank Kredytowy SA. Since 2011, the Bank has been owned by the Spanish bank Santander Group.
Powszechny Zakład Ubezpieczeń Spółka Akcyjna, also known as PZU SA is a publicly traded insurance company, a component of the WIG30 stock market index and Poland's biggest and oldest insurance company. PZU is headquartered in Warsaw and is the largest financial institution in Poland. It is also the largest insurance company in Central and Eastern Europe.
Asseco Poland SA is a Polish multinational software company which develops enterprise software primarily for the banking and finance industries. It was founded in 1991, and its headquarters are located in Rzeszów, Subcarpathian Voivodeship, Poland. Asseco is one of the largest corporations in the technology sector quoted on the Warsaw Stock Exchange (WSE) and is a component of the WIG30 stock market index. It operates in 60 countries worldwide and employs over 32,400 people. As of 2023, the largest shareholder of the company is Cyfrowy Polsat with 22.95% of the shares ahead of OFE Allianz Polska with 10.82% of the shares.
Bank Polska Kasa Opieki Spółka Akcyjna, commonly using the shorter name Bank Pekao S.A., is a universal bank and currently the second largest bank in Poland with its headquarters in Warsaw. The Italian bank UniCredit used to own 59% of the company. It sold the bank in December 2016. Now Powszechny Zakład Ubezpieczeń owns 20% of the company, Polish Development Fund 12.80%, UniCredit 6.28% and others 60.94%.
Leszek Janusz Czarnecki is a Polish billionaire. His main business activity is banking. He is an engineer by education and a doctor of economics. Graduate of Harvard Business School (AMP). Since 2006 he lives in Malta.
Bank Millennium S.A. is a Poland-based commercial bank with headquarters in Warsaw, and owned by the Portuguese bank Millennium BCP. It is one of the largest banks in Poland and has been operating for 35 years. In 2018, it was the 7th bank in Poland in terms of asset value.
PGE Polska Grupa Energetyczna S.A. is a state-owned public power company and the largest power producing company in Poland. PGE is listed on the Warsaw Stock Exchange and is a constituent of the WIG30 index.
Sebastian Tomasz Kulczyk is a Polish billionaire businessman, and the son of Jan Kulczyk, who was the richest man in Poland, and Grażyna Kulczyk. He is president of Kulczyk Investments and specializes in the new technology sector. As of August 2024, his net worth was estimated at US$1.6 billion.
LPP S.A. is a Polish multinational clothing company headquartered in Gdańsk, Poland, whose activity comprises design, production and distribution of clothing. The company owns five distinct fashion brands: Reserved, House, Cropp, Mohito and Sinsay.
MCI Capital SA - private equity fund listed on the Warsaw Stock Exchange established in 1999 by Tomasz Czechowicz with assets under management (AUM) of 2.8 billion PLN and permanent capital of 1.8 billion PLN [ca. 400 m Euro) as of December 31, 2021. According to Wall Street Journal MCI is one of Poland’s leading private equity companies.
Grupa Azoty S.A. is a major Polish chemical industry company headquartered in the Mościce district of Tarnów, in the Lesser Poland Voivodeship of southeastern Poland.
Mariusz Świtalski is a Polish entrepreneur. He is the founder of Elektromis, Eurocash, Biedronka, Żabka, and Małpka Express and has been named one of the richest people in Poland by Wprost weekly.
Getin Noble Bank is a Polish banking and financial services company, formed in Warsaw in 2010 as a result of the merger of Getin Bank SA with Noble Bank SA. Main shareholder is a Polish billionaire Leszek Czarnecki.
After the end of World War II, the Communist government in Poland instituted large scale nationalizations in Poland starting in 1944.
Beesfund is a Polish equity crowdfunding platform based in Warsaw, Poland. Managed by its eponymous company founded in 2012 by entrepreneur Arkadiusz Regiec, it is one of the first crowdfunding platforms in Poland, and Central and Eastern Europe. As of May 2020, 74 public offerings (issuances) were carried out on the platform, for a total amount of PLN 47M, collected by over 48,000 registered investors.
InPost S.A. is a Polish public logistics limited company with courier, package delivery and express mail service. It is based in Kraków, Poland, and it is owned by Integer.pl corporate group. The company specializes in parcel locker service operated in Poland, Italy, United Kingdom, France, Benelux, Spain, and Portugal.
PLN 84.6 billion (2022) [1] 
