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The figures worth knowing before you decide to robotise: how fast your competitors are investing, what the labour market is short of and how quickly a robot pays for itself.

Macro trends

Robotisation in Poland is growing
Your competitors are already investing in robots

Robot densityRobots per 10,000 manufacturing employees in 2025
  • European average159
  • World average152
  • Poland86

Poland still has only about half as many robots per employee as the European average – an opening for those who invest first.

Top 6 EU countriesWith the most robots installed in 2025
  • Germany24,842
  • Italy7,824
  • France4,474
  • Spain4,302
  • Netherlands2,473
  • Poland2,397
Robotisation leaders in PolandNew robots by industry in 2025
  • Automotivelargest decline: −18.6% y/y604
  • Metal346
  • Chemical and plastics311
  • Electrical and electronics193
  • Wood and furniturelargest increase: +59.4% y/y161
  • Other industries782

Source: IFR, World Robotics 2026

Labour market – Poland and its regions

Get ready for a labour shortage
robotise your plant

  • −6.5 mresidents by 2060

    According to the GUS projection, by 2060 the population of Poland will fall by 6,487,000 compared with 2025 – from 37.41 million to 30.93 million.

    Source: GUS (Statistics Poland), Population projection 2023–2060 (thousands)

  • 48.8%of residents of working age in 2060

    People of working age (18–59/64) will make up less than half of the population of Poland – 48.8% compared with 58.0% in 2025. Fewer people to handle the same volume of orders.

    Source: GUS (Statistics Poland), Population projection 2023–2060

  • 57%of companies in Poland struggle to recruit

    According to ManpowerGroup, 57% of employers in Poland find it hard to hire people with the skills they need. The most common reasons according to the “Occupational Barometer 2026”:

    Source: ManpowerGroup, Talent Shortage 2026; Occupational Barometer 2026

  • 3 shiftsput workers off

    Manufacturing is largely physical, shift-based work. That is why many people, especially Generation Z (born 1995–2012), avoid it or change jobs often – and three-shift positions are getting harder and harder to fill.

  • 43 yrsaverage age of a working person

    In November 2025 the average age of a working person in Poland was 43.1 years. The workforce is ageing: there are more older workers and fewer younger ones.

    Source: GUS (Statistics Poland), Local Data Bank (Nov 2025)

  • 17shortage occupations in 2026

    The “Occupational Barometer 2026” lists 17 shortage occupations in Poland. In manufacturing, there is a shortage of welders. Welders have been in short supply for 10 years running and are needed in every region.

    Source: Occupational Barometer 2026

  • 1,633,869work permits and notifications for foreigners in 2025

    This is how many work permits, declarations and notifications of employing foreigners were registered in Poland in 2025. Employers are increasingly recruiting from abroad. Nationwide, the documents mainly concern citizens of Ukraine (71%), Belarus (7.9%) and Georgia (3.5%).

    Source: Ministry of Family, Labour and Social Policy – employment of foreigners, 2025 data

  • PLN 9,337average gross monthly wage

    In the first half of 2026 the average wage in the enterprise sector in Poland was PLN 9,337 gross – 5.8% more than a year earlier. The cost of every job goes up year after year.

    Source: GUS (Statistics Poland), enterprise sector (H1 2026)

  • 5.8%unemployment rate (September 2026)

    The registered unemployment rate in Poland is 5.8%. With unemployment this low, the pool of candidates for production jobs is small, and companies across the region compete for every worker.

    Source: GUS (Statistics Poland), registered unemployment (Sep 2026)

Sources: Statistics Poland (GUS) – Population projection 2023–2060, Local Data Bank, Socio-economic situation of voivodeships 2/2026, Registered unemployment IX 2026; Barometr zawodów 2026 (occupational barometer); ManpowerGroup – Talent Shortage 2026; Ministry of Family, Labour and Social Policy (MRPiPS) – employment of foreigners in 2025; Voivodeship Labour Office in Toruń (Kuyavian-Pomeranian)

Costs and tax relief

Labour is getting more expensive
robotisation pays off

  • +85%minimum wage growth since 2020

    The minimum wage has risen from PLN 2,600 in 2020 to PLN 4,806 gross in 2026. Skilled wages follow – according to Statistics Poland (GUS), the average gross salary in the enterprise sector in Q1 2026 was PLN 9,278.

  • PLN 208ka year to staff one workstation on three shifts

    That is roughly what it costs an employer to staff one workstation across three shifts even at the 2026 minimum wage (PLN 4,806 gross plus approx. 20.5% employer contributions) – before holidays, sick leave, cover and recruitment. A robot works every shift, and in our projects it pays for itself in 2–6 years.

  • 50%of robotisation costs as an additional deduction

    The Polish robotisation tax relief lets you deduct an additional 50% of robotisation costs incurred in 2022–2026 from your tax base – on top of ordinary deductible costs. The government has announced a further 10-year extension (draft bill, as of October 2026). How it is claimed (in one go or through depreciation) is open to dispute – our partner EDORADCA will help you match tax relief and funding to your project.

Sources: Council of Ministers regulations on the minimum wage (2020–2026); Statistics Poland (GUS), announcement of 21.04.2026; Art. 38eb of the CIT Act and Art. 52jb of the PIT Act; Prawo.pl (28.08.2026) – draft extension of the relief; ROBCO calculation

Return on investment

ROI in ROBCO projects

How many years does it take for a robot to pay for itself? Data from our projects – choose an industry or application and see how quickly the investment pays back.

  1. DefenceHelmet gluing2.1 years~48%/ yr
  2. ChemicalFertiliser palletising2.2 years~46%/ yr
  3. GlassGlass grinder tending2.4 years~42%/ yr
  4. GlassGlass loading into the paint shop2.4 years~42%/ yr
  5. GlassGrinders – new line3.1 years~32%/ yr
  6. PlasticsBagging machine3.1 years~32%/ yr
  7. DefencePlate and helmet milling3.7 years~27%/ yr
  8. MillingFlour palletising3.8 years~26%/ yr
  9. FoodFrozen food palletising4.3 years~23%/ yr
  10. GlassWeld seam trimming in glass sheets4.8 years~21%/ yr
  11. IntralogisticsAMR mobile robots5.6 years~18%/ yr

Estimate your payback

Pick an industry and an application to see the payback period and ROI we achieved on a real project.

We'll calculate the ROI for your line

Data from selected ROBCO projects. ROI and payback period are estimates – the actual result depends on the process, the number of shifts and labour costs at your plant.

Benefits

More than
a financial return

  1. Lighter workloads and a healthier workplace

    The robot takes over heavy physical work, and the operator has no contact with harmful substances and materials.

  2. No more staff shortages

    Three-shift operation with no recruitment and no staff turnover.

  3. Optimised throughput

    Constant 24/7 line throughput, whatever the shift, team fatigue or growth in orders.

  4. Savings on materials

    Precise, repeatable processing means less damage, scrap and waste.

  5. Financial benefits

    Lower operating costs and a predictable budget as volumes grow.

Let's see how much your plant could gain

Let's talk