Key Findings
Poland’s 18 measured cities perform strongly overall, led by Utility Services (88.6), Business Entry (84.6), and Business Insolvency (83.7).
Business Entry is fully harmonized nationwide as national rules apply and mandatory online registration consists of standardized steps, fees, and requirements.
Utility Services is the highest scoring topic, driven by strong national regulation and robust infrastructure that underpin high performance, with Torun leading and many large and mid-size cities clustered closely.
Business Location is the lowest-scoring topic, due to fragmented, paper-based systems, complex permitting, and limited digitalization.
Despite a uniform national framework, scores for Dispute Resolution diverge widely due to local court capacity and administrative practices. Proceedings for instance range from 10-11 months in Torun and Bydgoszcz to 32 months in Krakow.
All cities perform well on Business Insolvency but differ mainly by liquidation and reorganization duration; Bydgoszcz leads (88.5) while Szczecin lags (78.2), driven primarily by local court efficiency in reorganization and the speed of asset sales in liquidation.
No city is uniformly strong; strengths are topic-specific and shaped by local practices and institutions rather than size. Size does not predict outcomes, implying reform potential across the board and opportunities for peer-to-peer learning.
