Electoral turnout in Poland against the background of Europe

Election turnout in Poland

The presidential elections in Poland in 2025 proved to be a minute of exceptional importance for Polish democracy, attracting a crucial number of citizens to polling polls.

The presidential elections in Poland in 2025 were unique High attendance, which was an crucial signal of social mobilisation. In the second circular held on June 1, 2025, the urn went 71.63% entitled to vote, in accordance with the data of the State Election Commission. It is worth noting that preliminary exit polls, conducted by Ipsos, estimated attendance at an even higher level of 72.8%. The first circular of elections, which took place on May 18, 2025, noted an awesome turnout 67.31%.

These results are historical for the Polish electoral system. Turnout in the second circular of the 2025 presidential election is the highest in the past of these elections in Poland, surpassing the erstwhile evidence of 68.18% from 2020. Moreover, attendance in the first circular in 2025 was highest since 1995.

To full appreciate the scale of this achievement, it is worth looking at the historical context of attendance in the Polish presidential elections (1990-2025):

Analysis of these data shows that the Polish voter turnout has undergone a crucial transformation. Periods of lower participation, specified as declines below 50% in 2005 and 2015, gave way to a clear upward trend. A steady and crucial increase in engagement in 2020 and 2025, after a evidence turnout of 74.38% in the 2023 parliamentary elections, suggests a deep and lasting change. This pattern, observed in various types of national elections, indicates that the fresh increase in engagement is not a one-off event, but a possibly more rooted and lasting feature of Polish civic participation.

This phenomenon, which can be described as a "new normality" of Polish electoral engagement, indicates a highly mobilized electorate, most likely driven by an increased perception of the political rate and a profoundly polarized political landscape. This undermines earlier narratives about the decline of democratic participation in Poland and suggests a more active, though possibly divided, society.

Looking at attendance distribution in 2025, there are clear regional and demographic differences. The highest turnout in the second circular was recorded in Mazowieckie voivodship (77.51%) and Małopolskie voivodship (77.96%), while the lowest turnout in Opolskie voivodship (62.61%). Moreover, large urban centres have shown much higher participation than the national average. For example, in Warsaw attendance was 83.16%, in Krakow 79.71%, in Poznań 79.15%, and in Gdańsk 78.95%.

Electoral turnout divided into voivodships:

• Mazowieckie – 77,51%
• Lesser Poland – 73,96%
• Łódź – 73,11%
• Pomeranian – 72,58%
• Wielkopolska – 71,60%
• Silesian – 70,68%
• Lower Silesian – 70,63%
• Lublin — 69,63%
• Subcarpathian — 69,46%
• Świętokrzyskie – 69,12%
• West Pomeranian – 68,81%
• Kujawsko-pomorskie – 67,88%
• Podlaskie — 67,77%
• lubuskie — 66,71%
• Warmian-Masurian – 64,71%
• Opolskie — 62,61%

Interestingly, exceptionally advanced attendance was besides recorded among Poles voting abroad, where it amounted to 84.26%.

Comparison of European attendance

Comparing attendance in the Polish presidential elections in 2025 (71.63% in the second circular and 67.31% in the first round) with the last national elections in another European countries, Poland ranks at the forefront of countries with a advanced civic commitment.

Poland's turnout is akin to the results of countries known for consistently advanced participation, specified as Germany, where in the 2025 national elections 84% or Sweden, with a turnout of 84.21% in the 2022 parliamentary elections. This shows that Poland is competitive with countries with an established culture of advanced commitment.

Moreover, Polish results are comparable and even outweigh those from another major Western European democracies. For example, in France in the second circular of the 2022 presidential election attendance was 71.99%. In Spain, 70.41% were recorded in the 2023 parliamentary elections. In the Czech Republic, in the second circular of the 2023 presidential election, 70.22% of the eligible voters voted, and in Hungary in the 2022 parliamentary election attendance was 69.53%.

Poland's turnout contrasts clearly with countries that have experienced lower or falling participation in national elections in fresh years. In Italy, 63.91% were recorded in the 2022 parliamentary elections, which was the lowest consequence in the past of the republic. Similarly, in the UK in the 2024 parliamentary election, attendance fell to 59.7%, the lowest since 2001.

It is crucial to realize that advanced attendance in Poland in 2025 is the consequence voluntary engagement of citizens. This is crucial due to the fact that in many European countries advanced participation is partially or mostly a consequence compulsory voting. Belgium, Bulgaria, Luxembourg, Cyprus and Greece are EU associate States that apply the voting obligation. For example, in Belgium attendance in the elections to the European Parliament in 2024 was 89%. The fact that Poland reaches more than 70% of attendance without specified a legal request underlines authentic civic mobilisation, alternatively than mechanical overstatement of statistic due to legal obligation. This phenomenon is simply a crucial indicator of strong and active democratic pulse in Poland. This distinguishes Poland from countries where advanced numbers are primarily a function of legal orders, highlighting the strength of the political climate and the willingness of the electorate to participate.

Comparison of attendance in fresh national elections in selected European countries:

In the case of Poland, the exceptionally advanced attendance observed in the parliamentary elections of 2023 and the presidential elections of 2025 is inextricably linked to "deeply engaged and divided Polish society". The perception of the "hybrid regime" under the erstwhile ruling organization (PiS) and the vigorous mobilisation of opposition forces most likely created a deep sense of advanced stake among the electorate, forcing most of the citizens to vote.

It should be remembered that in any countries, specified as Belgium, Bulgaria, Luxembourg, Cyprus and Greece, there is simply a mandatory vote. specified rules may artificially overturn attendance, which should be taken into account in comparisons.

It is besides worth referring to attendance in elections to the European Parliamentwhich is usually lower than in national elections. The average attendance in the European Parliament elections in 2024 was 50.74% and in 2019 was 50.66%. In Poland, attendance in the EP election amounted to 40.65% in 2024 and 45.68% in 2019. Although these figures represent an improvement compared to Poland's historically low turnout in the EP elections, they stay noticeablely lower than both national turnout and the EU general average in the EP elections.

This crucial difference between advanced turnout in national elections in Poland (more than 70%) and comparatively lower turnout in EP elections (about 40-45%) is not unique to Poland. This reflects the common pattern seen throughout Europe, where citizens frequently see national elections as having more direct and higher rates than European elections. This suggests that while Polish citizens are powerfully motivated to form their national leadership and interior policies, their direct engagement in wider political processes at European level is little intense or little personally motivating.

Attendance in elections to the European Parliament (EU and Poland):

The voice of citizens – directions for the future

The presidential elections in Poland in 2025 noted exceptionally High attendance, 71.63% in the second circular and 67.31% in the first, which is simply a historical evidence for this kind of election in the country. These results, combined with the evidence turnout in the 2023 parliamentary elections, propose a permanent change in the Polish civic engagement, pointing to "new normality" in participation. Despite this overall growth, there is simply a clear division between urban and agrarian turnouts, reflecting deep social divisions.

Compared to another European countries, Poland ranks at the forefront of advanced attendance countries, comparing Germany, Sweden and France, and surpassing Spain, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Italy and the United Kingdom. Importantly, advanced attendance in Poland is the consequence of voluntary engagement, as opposed to countries with mandatory voting. At the same time, attendance in elections to the European Parliament in Poland remains lower than in national elections, indicating differences in perception of the importance of these elections.

In the future, both in Poland and across Europe, it will be crucial to proceed to cultivate genuine civilian engagement, to strengthen the integrity and credibility of democratic institutions and to effectively address the fundamental problems that substance to citizens, with peculiar emphasis on the evolving concerns and motivations of younger generations. The advanced election turnout, although undoubtedly a affirmative indicator for democracy, is besides a multifaceted phenomenon which requires continuous analysis, adaptation strategies and coordinated efforts to guarantee that it truly translates into a healthy, typical and resilient democratic system.