Good to know
Good to Know
- Ukrainian population grew dramatically post-2022 invasion; city experienced 23% population increase. While many are refugees with temporary status, some are establishing longer-term presence.
- Foreigner concentration is highest in districts like Dębniki and Podgórze; Krakow ranks highly among Polish cities for immigrant density (12.4% vs Warsaw's 14.5%, but well above most other cities).
- Tech ecosystem is mature and well-connected with quality talent pool, competitive salaries relative to Western Europe, and strong academic institutions (24 higher education institutions, ~200,000 students). Many foreign tech companies establish R&D centers here rather than headquarters.
- Growing economic migration beyond Ukraine: Indians, Colombians, and other nationalities increasing. City positions itself as regional center for economic migrants, not just Ukrainian refugees.
Population
- City Proper
- 816600
- Estimate Date
- 2025-12-31
- Growth Note
- Growing population, +2% since 2020
Notable Nationalities
Ukrainian
- Status
- Largest foreign group, mix of economic migrants and forced migrants/refugees
- Estimated Residents
- 32000
- Note
- Over 32,000 forced migrants from Ukraine; also economic migrants and students
Indian
- Status
- Fast-growing economic migrant group
- Note
- Among fastest-growing nationalities nationally in 2025
Belarusian
- Status
- Notable Eastern European community
Georgian, Russian, Spanish, Italian, British, Brazilian, Moldovan
- Status
- Growing diverse communities from Europe, Asia, Africa, South America
Foreign Born Residents
- Percentage Of Population
- 12.4%
- Estimate Date
- 2025-12-31
- Estimated Count
- 101400
- Source Methodology
- Official GUS (Central Statistical Office) data including residence registrations, work permits, and residence cards
Business And Tech Presence
IT Workforce
- Role
- IT specialists and professionals
- Estimated Count
- 50000
Tech Companies
- Count
- 500
- Description
- Over 500 technology companies operating in Krakow
Major Employers
- Notable Companies
- Brainly (EdTech), Zendesk, Ailleron, Edrone, and others
- International Tech
- IBM, Motorola headquarters presence
Specializations
- IoT ventures
- Sales & Marketing tech/SaaS
- Game studios (over 20% of Polish game studios based in or with offices in Krakow, including CD Projekt RED)
- MedTech
- E-commerce solutions
Startup Ecosystem
- Ranking
- Third in Poland for registered startups (after Wroclaw and Warsaw)
- Funding Strength
- Strong startup funding environment with multiple accelerators and incubators
- Unicorn Presence
- 22 foreign unicorns with R&D centers
- Registered Startups
- At least 150 companies
Support Infrastructure
Organizations
- Krakow Technology Park
- OMGKRK
- KPT Incubator
- Academic Incubation Programs (AIP)
AI-generated estimateData refreshed July 2026
Sources cited for this category
These are the sources cited in this local demographics research for this city. Individual figures may not each trace to one of them.
More About Kraków
Data last updated July 2026 · Verify anything important.