Katowice
Katowice had 278,885 residents at the end of 2024 and is a city in Poland. For Katowice, monthly precipitation was 43.8 mm in January and 103.8 mm in July. The unemployment rate was 2% at the end of 2025.
Lower unemployment than 97% of Polish cities that publish it and dirtier air than 88% of Polish cities that publish it.
Who Katowice may suit
Relative profile scores use comparable published values. They are a decision aid, not a personal recommendation.
Population and city profile
The city covered 165 km² in 2024. Population density was 1,690 people per km² in 2024.
Derived from the published population and foreign-resident counts.
| Metric | Value | Verified | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| City area | 165 km2 | 2026-07-152024 | Official sourceGUS BDL / GUGiK area variable 2018 Source-backed value |
| Foreign residents | 1,059 people | 2026-07-152021 | Official sourceGUS BDL / NSP 2021 non-Polish citizenship variable 1653367 Source-backed value |
| Population density | 1,690 people/km² | 2026-07-152024 | Official sourceReproducible gmina density for Katowice: population_total_2024 / official area_2024, rounded to the metric contract precision 0. Source-backed value |
| Population | 278,885 people | 2026-07-142024 | Official sourcesource-9079c84c7932 Source-backed value · gmina |
Cost of living
Published city cost observations. Some items come from the supplemental estimate lane and are not official statistics.
| Metric | Value | Verified | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fitness club membership, monthly | 25.79 EUR/month | 2026-08-012024 | Supplemental estimateNumbeo — Cost of Living in Katowice (Wayback capture 20241231093102) Supplemental context |
| Internet, 60 Mbps unlimited | 12.87 EUR/month | 2026-08-012024 | Supplemental estimateNumbeo — Cost of Living in Katowice (Wayback capture 20241231093102) Supplemental context |
| Private kindergarten, monthly | 292.11 EUR/month | 2026-08-012024 | Supplemental estimateNumbeo — Cost of Living in Katowice (Wayback capture 20241231093102) Supplemental context |
| Mobile plan, 10 GB | 7.21 EUR/month | 2026-08-012024 | Supplemental estimateNumbeo — Cost of Living in Katowice (Wayback capture 20241231093102) Supplemental context |
| Monthly transport pass | 27.82 EUR/month | 2026-08-012024 | Supplemental estimateNumbeo — Cost of Living in Katowice (Wayback capture 20241231093102) Supplemental context |
| Basic utilities, 85 m² home | 247.28 EUR/month | 2026-08-012024 | Supplemental estimateNumbeo — Cost of Living in Katowice (Wayback capture 20241231093102) Supplemental context |
Work and income
Published unemployment rates for cities in the same country.
| Metric | Value | Verified | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unemployment rate | 2 %country median 4.2% — 52% below | 2026-07-27Aging | Official sourceLocal Data Bank — Share of registered unemployed persons in the working-age population by sex, total, 2025 Source-backed value |
Climate and air quality
Monthly mean temperatures were −1.2°C in January and 19.1°C in July. Annual PM2.5 was 19.5 µg/m³ at the end of 2024.
Published monthly climate normals for this city.
Published monthly climate normals for this city.
Published monthly climate normals for this city.
City values from the published air-quality observations. WHO 2021 guidelines and EU limit values are published constants.
Published annual means from the same national measurement network.
| Metric | Value | Verified | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| NO₂ — annual mean | 47 µg/m³ | 2026-08-012024 | Official sourceEEA air quality statistics — PL NO2 annual mean 2024 (station Katowice, ul. Plebiscytowa/A4) Source-backed value · nearest-station reading |
| PM10 — annual mean | 35 µg/m³ | 2026-08-012024 | Official sourceEEA air quality statistics — PL PM10 annual mean 2024 (station Katowice, ul. Plebiscytowa/A4) Source-backed value · nearest-station reading |
| PM2.5 — annual mean | 19.5 µg/m³country median 15.5 — 26% above | 2026-07-292024 | Official sourceEEA Air Quality Annual Statistics — Poland 2024 PM2.5 city station means Source-backed value |
| Average daytime high by month | Jan 1.8 · Feb 3.7 · Mar 8.2 · Apr 14.9 · May 19.6 · Jun 22.9 · Jul 24.9 · Aug 24.6 · Sep 19.2 · Oct 13.7 · Nov 7.8 · Dec 2.7 °C | 2026-07-272020 | Official sourceIMGW-PIB climate normal — mean monthly maximum air temperature, KATOWICE, 1991-2020 Source-backed value |
| Average night-time low by month | Jan -4.3 · Feb -3.4 · Mar -0.7 · Apr 3.5 · May 8 · Jun 11.7 · Jul 13.4 · Aug 12.9 · Sep 8.9 · Oct 4.6 · Nov 0.9 · Dec -2.9 °C | 2026-07-272020 | Official sourceIMGW-PIB climate normal — mean monthly minimum air temperature, KATOWICE, 1991-2020 Source-backed value |
| Average temperature by month | Jan -1.2 · Feb 0.1 · Mar 3.6 · Apr 9.3 · May 13.8 · Jun 17.3 · Jul 19.1 · Aug 18.6 · Sep 13.7 · Oct 8.9 · Nov 4.2 · Dec 0 °C | 2026-07-272020 | Official sourceIMGW-PIB climate normal — mean monthly air temperature, KATOWICE, 1991-2020 Source-backed value |
| Average precipitation by month | Jan 43.8 · Feb 39.4 · Mar 47.7 · Apr 44.9 · May 75.7 · Jun 78.7 · Jul 103.8 · Aug 73.1 · Sep 69.9 · Oct 53.4 · Nov 49 · Dec 43.8 mm | 2026-07-272020 | Official sourceIMGW-PIB climate normal — monthly total precipitation, KATOWICE, 1991-2020 Source-backed value |
| Average sunshine by month | Jan 50.7 · Feb 70.6 · Mar 122.6 · Apr 182.7 · May 223.7 · Jun 230.6 · Jul 246.8 · Aug 241.3 · Sep 162.6 · Oct 114.5 · Nov 61.3 · Dec 43 hours | 2026-07-272020 | Official sourceIMGW-PIB climate normal — mean monthly sunshine duration, KATOWICE, 1991-2020 Source-backed value |
Worked out from these numbers
Arithmetic on the published values above. Each one names what it assumed.
How international is the population?
0.4% of residents hold a foreign nationality — 1,059 people of 278,885 people. This counts nationality, not place of birth, so long-settled residents who naturalised are not in it.
Common questions
Answered from the published values on this page, each with its source and date.
What is the unemployment rate in Katowice?
The unemployment rate is 2 %. Source: Local Data Bank — Share of registered unemployed persons in the working-age population by sex, total, 2025, checked 2026-07-27.
Is the air quality good in Katowice?
The annual PM2.5 mean is 19.5 µg/m³. The WHO 2021 guideline is 5 µg/m³ and the EU limit value is 25 µg/m³, so this reading is above the WHO guideline but within the EU limit. Source: EEA Air Quality Annual Statistics — Poland 2024 PM2.5 city station means, checked 2026-07-29.
How many people live in Katowice?
The published population is 278,885 people. Source: source-9079c84c7932, checked 2026-07-14.
How many foreign residents live in Katowice?
1,059 people residents hold a foreign nationality. Source: GUS BDL / NSP 2021 non-Polish citizenship variable 1653367, checked 2026-07-15.
How much is public transport in Katowice?
A monthly transport pass is 27.82 EUR/month. This is a supplemental estimate, not an official municipal measurement. Source: Numbeo — Cost of Living in Katowice (Wayback capture 20241231093102), checked 2026-08-01.
Cities of a similar size in Poland
Closest published populations, for a like-for-like comparison.
Sources
Spotted a number that looks wrong? Every value here carries its source and date — tell us what you found and we will re-check it against the source.