Regional profile Silesia, Poland

Silesia is located in south-western Poland, bordering with Slovakia and Czechia. With over 4.4 million inhabitants, the Silesian Voivodeship is the most populated and urbanised region in Poland; 76% of its population lives in cities, with its two most populous cities having a population density above 3000 people/km. It is also the biggest coal mining region in the EU (in terms of number of coal mines, coal production and coal mining employment), with an economy that is primarily based on fossil fuels and energy intensive industries. Compared with other Voivodeships, Silesia is the third largest producer and second largest consumer of electricity in Poland. The region comprises of eight NUTS-3 subregions, of which six are notably affected by coal mining and related industries. The communities where most miners live are in the central and western subregions, namely Katowicki, Bytomski, Gliwicki, Rybnicki, Sosnowiecki, and Tyski. While coal mining still plays an important role in the regional economy, its gradual decline in recent years has been marked by falling production volumes and productivity, as well as low profitability. The share of mining in gross value added of the Silesian Voivodeship decreased from 9.7% in 2000 to 6.2% in 2019. Nonetheless, the sector still employed 72,051 in 2021, representing 4.3% of total employment in the region. It is expected that the employment in coal mining will be reduced by 12,300 people by 2030 and by 48,700 in 2050.