PROSPECTS OF POLANDS SOCIO-ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IN LIGHT OF STATISTICAL DATA (Perspektywy rozwoju gospodarczo-spolecznego w Polsce w swietle danych statystycznych)

The objective of this paper is to evaluate, in light of statistical data, Poland's capacity for dynamic development in the future and its possibilities for the attainment of its ambitious economic and social goals. The analysis was based on the latest available data drawn primarily from Eurostat. They concern a number of EU countries, chosen as the reference countries in the paper. The Author discusses different measures for the evaluation of the economic and social processes to assess Poland's development opportunities in the coming years. For the sake of simplicity of presentation, the Author has divided the measures into short- and long-term indices. Short-term analysis shows that Poland is successful in the short run. Unfortunately, long-term indices, which are rarely discussed by the public, reveal a grim picture of the performance of Poland in comparison with the reference EU countries. The Author concludes that Poland is a country which does not pay much attention to its long-term socio-economic development.