Poland’s border traffic rose as cross-border spending grew faster

Statistics Poland recorded 63.5 million crossings of Poland’s border in the first quarter of 2026. Foreign non-residents accounted for 56% of the total and Polish residents for 44%. Compared with the same quarter a year earlier, foreign traffic increased 1.4% and traffic by Poles increased 3%.

What to know

Spending grew more quickly than the number of crossings. The value of goods and services bought by foreigners in Poland was 7.8% higher year on year, while purchases by Polish residents abroad were 10.4% higher. That gap suggests price levels and the composition of trips matter as much as traveller counts when judging the border economy.

Land borders with other EU countries represented 72.2% of all crossings, and airports accounted for 20.2%. For retailers, tourism businesses and transport operators, the useful next question is whether higher nominal spending translates into stronger real demand after inflation and whether the spring and summer quarters extend the pattern.

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