On 1 October 2026, Wine Australia will be hosting an Australia and New Zealand Trade Tasting in collaboration with New Zealand Winegrowers for wine buyers, retailers and sommeliers in Warsaw, Poland. While many European wine markets are mature and experiencing declining consumption, Poland stands out as a large and growing economy with positive long-term potential for wine.
This Market Bulletin highlights five reasons why Poland deserves closer attention:
- Poland’s economy is one of the ten largest in the European Union and growing well – forecast to grow by 3 per cent in 2026.
- It is a small wine market but showing positive movements since 2019.
- Per capita consumption is very low compared to its neighbours – leaving plenty of opportunity for growth.
- Non-European sources of wine have a high share of imports in Poland.
- Australian wine exports to Poland are on a long-term growth trend in volume and flat in value.
One of the fastest growing major economies in the European Union
Since Poland joined the European Union (EU) in 2004, its gross domestic product per capita has risen steadily (see Figure 1). This indicates that incomes are adjusting upwards and gradually narrowing the income gap with Western Europe.
Figure 1: Poland's gross domestic product per capita by purchasing power parity
Poland is the EU’s fifth most populous country and sixth largest economy in 2026. Its GDP is forecast to grow by 3 per cent in 2026, the strongest rate among the ten largest EU economies shown in Figure 2. However, inflation and a declining birth rate remain broader economic and demographic challenges, as in other European countries.
Figure 2: 2026 Gross domestic product and growth rate - top 10 EU economies (Source: IMF and European Commission)
A large European economy – but a very different wine market
When analysing the ten major economies of the EU, it becomes clear that Poland has a different wine market to the others. Although IWSR classifies Poland as an “established wine market” (a market that has had strong historical growth which is tailing off), most other European markets are flat or declining (see Figure 3). The value of wine consumption in Poland has grown by an average of 4 per cent per year since 2019. Driving this growth is the increase in disposable incomes for young drinkers – who are also increasing their participation in the wine category. However, like in many other markets around the world, Polish consumers are drinking less alcohol than previously, and this is impacting on the performance of all alcohol categories.
Figure 3: Value of wine consumption and growth - top 10 EU economies (Source: IWSR)
Alcohol consumption in Poland declined by an average of 3.5 per cent per year over the five years to 2025, according to IWSR. Most of the decline came from beer and cider, while wine and spirits were broadly flat in volume. RTDs have grown at the strongest rate, but off a very low base.
Wine accounts for only 5 per cent of Poland’s alcohol consumption by volume (Figure 4). Polish adults drink around five litres per person per year – compared with Ireland at 18 litres, Sweden at 25, and Italy at 41. Per capita wine consumption in Poland is low even compared to its closest neighbours – consumers in the Czech Republic drink 17 litres each per year and even Lithuania drinks more wine per person with 8 litres per year. This low participation suggests room for the wine category to grow.
Figure 4: Volume of total alcohol consumption, wine vs other categories – top 10 EU economies (Source: IWSR)
Poland sources a comparatively high share of its imported wine from outside Europe. Among non-European suppliers, wines from the United States have the highest share of Polish imports, followed by Chile and Australia.
Figure 5: European wine market share vs rest of world - top 10 EU imported wine markets (Source: IWSR)
Australian exports to Poland show long-term growth in volume
As a relatively small wine market, Poland’s import volumes can fluctuate from year to year. Despite this volatility, Australian wine exports to Poland have followed a clear long-term growth trajectory. Export volumes increased by an average of 9 per cent per year over the last decade, reaching 2.4 million litres in the 12 months the June 2026. Export value, however, has remained broadly unchanged over the same period. Importantly, it is likely that these export figures are under-reporting the presence of Australian wine in Poland as there is a common practice of sourcing wine from warehouses in other EU markets.
Export growth has been largely driven by unpackaged wine exports. Higher-value exports, priced above $5 per litre free on board have also grown, increasing by an average of 3 per cent in value and 1 per cent in volume annually over the past ten years.
Still white wine accounts for almost two-thirds of Australian wine exports to Poland, with Chardonnay being the leading variety. Consumer preferences have also shifted in recent years. Red wine’s share of the still wine market declined from 52 per cent in 2019 to 48 per cent in 2025, while consumption of still rosé and white wine has increased over the same period.
A market to watch
Poland offers a markedly different growth profile from many established European wine markets. Rising incomes, sustained economic growth, increasing wine consumption, low per capita wine penetration and an openness to imported wines from outside Europe all suggest favourable conditions for future category growth. While still small compared with Europe's traditional wine markets, Poland's combination of economic and demographic drivers makes it a market worthy of close attention from Australian wine exporters.