On the 44th floor of Warsaw’s Varso Tower, the European Union’s tallest building, architects Jedrzej Kolesinski and Krzysztof Gornicki are helping design a major new airport for Poland. Years earlier, both men moved to London in their twenties to work at the head office of British architecture firm Foster + Partners. Today, they are back in Poland, doing the same kind of international design work without having to live abroad.
Their return reflects a broader change across Poland, where decades of emigration are beginning to reverse. After Poland joined the EU in 2004, many workers left for western Europe in search of higher pay, creating a persistent brain drain. Now, migration flows are shifting. Since Brexit took effect in 2021, twice as many Polish nationals have left the UK as have arrived each year. In 2024, Germany also registered more foreign nationals moving to Poland than heading in the opposite direction for the first time.
Rapid economic expansion is driving the reversal. Over the past four decades, national income has grown past $1 trillion, ranking Poland among the world’s 20 largest economies. Incomes have reached 81% of the EU average, up from 40% in the mid-1990s, and International Monetary Fund projections suggest income per person will soon overtake levels in Japan and Spain. In Warsaw, net monthly salaries have risen by 120% since 2016, surpassing levels in western European capitals such as Rome and Lisbon.
For returning professionals, the appeal lies in combining global careers with life in a familiar, greener, and more affordable city. Although fast growth has brought new challenges—including climbing living costs and high income inequality—workers like Gornicki note that Polish cities now offer strong opportunities to raise families near relatives while managing projects worldwide.