A new report reveals the significant growth of Poland’s video gaming workforce, placing it among the largest in Europe.
The Game Industry of Poland Report 2023, released by the Polish Agency for Enterprise Development, highlights the consistent growth of the Polish games industry, recording record numbers year after year.
Rising up the ranks
The report states that there are currently 15,290 people employed in Polish games production, surpassing Germany and securing a spot among Europe’s top three countries in terms of workforce size. The report also notes that there are a total of 494 game producers and publishers employing these individuals.
Of particular note is the percentage of women in the Polish gaming workforce, which is one of the highest globally at 24 percent.
Poland’s employment growth in the gaming industry is the fastest in Europe, with an estimated year-on-year increase of 23 to 27 percent since 2017. The distribution of the workforce across companies is diverse, with the majority (78 percent) consisting of teams with fewer than 25 employees. However, there are 16 companies with over 200 employees and 56 companies with more than 50 people per team.
Foreign employees also play a significant role, with Ukrainians representing the largest proportion.
Although Poland’s workforce ranks among the largest, there is still room for growth in terms of revenue. The country’s gaming industry generated €1.286 billion in revenue last year but still lags behind the UK, France, Germany, Finland, and Sweden.
Dariusz Budrowski, the President of the Polish Agency for Enterprise Development, stated, “Today, the Polish computer game industry is the synonym of quality, creativity, and innovation. It is worth remembering, however, that this was not always the case. This sector of the economy has transformed over the last twenty years from a niche into a billion-dollar business.”
The full report profiles 190 Polish game companies, providing comprehensive data on the industry.
In related news, game developer Virtuos has announced the establishment of a new branch in Poland specifically focused on developing “best-in-class” graphics.