Assessments for 2025
Author: Barbara Badora
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2025-12-29
Since the mid-1980s, we have regularly asked respondents how the past year was for themselves, their workplaces, Poland, and finally, for the entire world. Evaluations of 2025 in personal and professional dimension, in relation to Poland and to the world are generally better than evaluations of 2024, although the improvement is slight. Just over three-fifths of Poles (62%) believe that 2025 was a good year for them personally. Ten percent consider it a bad year for themselves, while 27% rate it as "neither good nor bad." It is worth noting that since 2005, the groups of respondents who evaluated the past year as good have consistently dominated. This period of relative prosperity for Poles coincides with Poland's membership in the European Union.
How was the past year, in general, for you personally?
* Respondents evaluated the past year on a 7-point scale: 1 – very good, 2 – good, 3 – fairly good, 4 – neither good nor bad, 5 – rather bad, 6 – bad, 7 – very bad. "Good" is the sum of responses from 1 to 3; "Bad" is the sum of responses from 5 to 7. "Don't know" and refusals to answer were omitted. Percentages do not add up to 100 due to rounding.
Nearly two-thirds (64%) of employees consider the past year as good for their workplace. Negative evaluations in this regard are at 12%. One in five respondents (20%) believes it was "neither good nor bad." Analysing evaluations of past years from a longer perspective, we can observe that despite a significant decline noted in the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic, since 2005, which was the first full year of Poland's EU membership, Polish workplaces have experienced an unprecedented period of prosperity.
How was the past year, in general, for your workplace?
* Respondents evaluated the past year on a 7-point scale: 1 – very good, 2 – good, 3 – fairly good, 4 – neither good nor bad, 5 – rather bad, 6 – bad, 7 – very bad. "Good" is the sum of responses from 1 to 3; "Bad" is the sum of responses from 5 to 7.
** Only employees answered.
** Only employees answered.
Just over one-third of respondents (36%) believe the past year was good for Poland. Almost the same number (35%) claim it was "neither good nor bad," while one in four (25%) evaluates it negatively. Considering the period since 1984, when we first asked this question, it can be seen that for most (22) of the last 42 years, including 2025, respondents rated the situation in our country positively more often than negatively, with the best balance in 1989. Conversely, 19 years from this period were rated negatively more often than positively, with the worst year being 2001.
How was the past year, in general, for Poland?
* Respondents evaluated the past year on a 7-point scale: 1 – very good, 2 – good, 3 – fairly good, 4 – neither good nor bad, 5 – rather bad, 6 – bad, 7 – very bad. "Good" is the sum of responses from 1 to 3; "Bad" is the sum of responses from 5 to 7.
The majority of respondents (56%) believe that 2025 was, in general, a bad year for the world. Only 13% of respondents gave it a positive evaluation globally, while 24% stated it was "neither good nor bad." According to Poles, 2025 ranks among the seven worst years for the world since the research began in 1986. Previous studies show that, in the perception of Polish society, the COVID-19 pandemic marked the beginning of a six-year period of negative trends for our globe, with the first year of the war in Ukraine further deepening negative sentiments.
How was the past year, in general, for the world?
* Respondents evaluated the past year on a 7-point scale: 1 – very good, 2 – good, 3 – fairly good, 4 – neither good nor bad, 5 – rather bad, 6 – bad, 7 – very bad. "Good" is the sum of responses from 1 to 3; "Bad" is the sum of responses from 5 to 7.
More information about this topic can be found in CBOS report in Polish: “Assessments for 2025”, December 2025. Fieldwork dates for the sample: November/December 2025, N=948. The random sample is representative for adult population of Poland.
