March 18, 2025

Map Of Polish Descendants & Diaspora Worldwide – Brilliant Maps

Map Of Polish Descendants & Diaspora Worldwide

The
map
above
shows
the
number
of
people
who
can
claim
Polish
ancestry
worldwide
by
country,
plus
Poles
who
have
more
recently
emigrated
from
Poland.

There
are
around
20
million
people
of
Polish
ancestry
living
outside
Poland
today,
compared
to
Poland’s
current
population
of
around
38
million.

Here
are
some

estimates
by
country

(note
estimates
differ
somewhat
from
the
map
above)

Country Population
United
States
9,569,207
Germany 3,000,000
Argentina 2,000,000
Brazil 1,800,000
Canada 1,010,705
France 1,000,000
United
Kingdom
815,000
Belarus 300,000
Netherlands 215,000
Australia 209,284
Lithuania 200,317
Ukraine 144,130
Ireland 122,585
Norway 119,000
Sweden 110,212
Belgium 98,000
Italy 87,000
Russia 73,000
Spain 69,353
Austria 65,000
Latvia 51,548
Chile 45,000
Switzerland 39,000
Czech
Republic
38,218
Czechia 38,000
South
Africa
25,000
Ghana 24,999
Serbia 23,000
Iceland 18,508
Greece 16,000
Mexico 15,000
Hungary 6,900
Slovakia 6,400
Denmark 5,000
Kazakhstan 5,000
Lebanon 5,000
Cyprus 5,000
Venezuela 4,500
Finland 3,800
Azerbaijan 3,700
Uzbekistan 3,600
Uruguay 3,400
New
Zealand
2,871
Paraguay 2,700
Romania 2,100
Estonia 1,700
Moldova 1,400
Georgia 1,300
Turkmenistan 900
Bulgaria 700
Croatia 600

Here’s
more
about
the
8
largest
groups:


1.
United
States


  • Historical
    waves
    :


    • Late
      19th–early
      20th
      century
      :
      Economic
      hardships
      under
      partitions
      (by
      Russia,
      Prussia,
      Austria-Hungary)
      led
      to
      mass
      immigration,
      settling
      primarily
      in
      industrial
      cities
      such
      as
      Chicago,
      Detroit,
      New
      York,
      Cleveland,
      and
      Pittsburgh.

    • Post-World
      War
      II
      :
      Immigration
      from
      displaced
      persons
      fleeing
      communist
      rule.

    • 1980s
      and
      later
      :
      Smaller
      waves
      fleeing
      martial
      law
      and
      later
      economic
      migrants
      post-1989.

  • Culture
    :
    Vibrant
    cultural
    life
    with

    Polish-American
    communities

    preserving
    customs,
    language,
    churches,
    cuisine,
    festivals,
    notably


    Pulaski
    Day

    and
    celebrations
    of
    Polish
    Constitution
    Day.


2.
Germany


  • Historical
    context
    :

    • Long-standing

      historical
      presence

      due
      to
      shared
      borders,
      partitions,
      and
      shifting
      territories,
      especially
      Silesia,
      Pomerania,
      and
      East
      Prussia.
    • Significant
      influx
      occurred
      after
      Poland
      joined
      the
      EU
      in
      2004,
      with
      many
      younger
      Poles
      migrating
      for
      economic
      opportunities.

  • Characteristics
    :
    Poles
    in
    Germany
    maintain
    strong
    economic
    and
    cultural
    ties
    with
    Poland,
    frequently
    traveling
    back
    and
    forth.


3.
Brazil


  • Historical
    waves
    :

    • Primarily
      late

      19th
      and
      early
      20th
      centuries
      ,
      encouraged
      by
      the
      Brazilian
      government
      to

      colonize
      the
      southern
      states

      (Paraná,
      Santa
      Catarina,
      and
      Rio
      Grande
      do
      Sul).

  • Culture
    :
    Strong
    cultural
    preservation
    in
    southern
    Brazil,
    particularly
    in
    Curitiba,
    with
    festivals,
    Polish
    folk
    dance
    groups,
    Polish
    cuisine,
    and
    traditional
    villages
    like

    Nova
    Polônia
    .


4.
Argentina


  • Historical
    context
    :


    • Major
      immigration

      waves
      between

      1890–1939
      ,
      settling
      primarily
      in
      Buenos
      Aires,
      Misiones,
      and
      Córdoba.
    • Many
      were
      economic
      migrants
      and
      political
      refugees
      fleeing
      Europe.

  • Culture
    :
    Polish
    clubs,
    associations,
    Catholic
    parishes,
    and
    cultural
    festivals
    remain
    active,
    though
    assimilation
    has
    diluted
    Polish
    language
    usage
    over
    generations.


5.
Canada


  • Historical
    waves
    :


    • Early
      settlement

      began
      in
      the
      late

      19th
      century
      ,
      mainly
      agricultural
      communities
      in
      Western
      Canada
      (Manitoba,
      Saskatchewan,
      Alberta).
    • Post-WWII
      immigrants
      included
      Polish
      veterans
      and
      displaced
      persons
      escaping
      communist
      rule.
    • Immigration
      continued
      steadily
      through
      the
      late
      20th
      century
      and
      early
      21st
      century.

  • Culture
    :
    Rich
    cultural
    heritage
    preserved
    through
    Polish
    community
    centers,
    bilingual
    schools,
    Catholic
    churches,
    newspapers,
    and
    events
    in
    Toronto,
    Montreal,
    Winnipeg,
    Calgary,
    and
    Vancouver.


6.
France


  • Historical
    context
    :

    • Major
      influx
      during
      the
      interwar
      period
      (1920–1939),
      as

      Poles
      migrated

      to
      industrial
      and
      mining
      regions
      in
      northern
      France,
      notably
      Nord-Pas-de-Calais
      and
      Lorraine.
    • Post-WWII
      waves
      included
      refugees
      from
      communism.

  • Characteristics
    :
    Polish
    heritage
    still
    visible
    in
    French
    cities
    through
    Polish
    associations,
    cultural
    festivals,
    churches,
    and
    traditional
    organizations;
    however,
    many
    descendants
    have
    fully
    assimilated
    into
    French
    culture.


7.
United
Kingdom


  • Historical
    context
    :

    • World
      War
      II-era
      migrants
      included
      soldiers
      and
      refugees.
    • Major
      recent
      wave
      occurred
      post-2004
      when
      Poland
      joined
      the
      EU,
      especially
      between
      2004–2010,
      seeking
      economic
      opportunities.

  • Characteristics
    :

    Polish
    community

    is
    prominent,
    especially
    in
    London,
    Birmingham,
    Manchester,
    Edinburgh,
    and
    Northern
    Ireland.
    Active
    Polish-language
    media,
    churches,
    stores,
    cultural
    events,
    and
    significant
    impact
    on
    local
    economy
    and
    culture.


8.
Belarus


  • Historical
    context
    :


  • Culture
    :
    Despite
    challenges
    (political
    tensions,
    limitations
    on
    Polish
    schools
    and
    institutions),
    Poles
    in
    Belarus
    maintain
    strong
    cultural
    identity
    through
    the
    Catholic
    Church,
    education
    in
    Polish
    language,
    and
    traditional
    celebrations.
    However,
    cultural
    activities
    are
    often
    subject
    to
    political
    constraints
    from
    the
    Belarusian
    government.

Also
see:

Other
Diaspora
Maps
in
the
series:

Go to Source
Author: Brilliant Maps