The PZU Lokalnie 2025, a quality-of-life ranking of Poland’s largest cities, is here. While Poznań ranks high in culture, education, and lifestyle comfort, it just missed the top five. What factor held it back? Despite its strengths, safety turned out to be Poznań’s weakest point. Here’s a detailed look into what shaped the rankings and how Poznań compares to other major Polish cities.
What’s The PZU Lokalnie 2025?
PZU Lokalnie 2025, a project launched by Poland’s leading insurance group PZU and created in partnership with the Warsaw School of Economics (SGH), provides a comprehensive look at urban quality of life across 38 Polish cities with over 100,000 residents. The name loosely translates to PZU Locally — a platform and data initiative that helps residents assess how their city performs in terms of healthcare, safety, education, and comfort of living.
PZU Lokalnie is our way of bringing data closer to everyday life. We want residents to understand their cities better—what works well, and where there’s room to grow. It’s also about encouraging conversations around urban safety and well-being.
explains Wioletta Łada-Szewczenko, Director of Digital Marketing and Research at PZU Group.
The Leaders: Warsaw, Lublin, and Olsztyn on Top
At the top of PZU Lokalnie 2025 is Warsaw, the undisputed leader. With the highest wages in Poland, excellent public transport, an extensive medical system, and a thriving cultural scene, the capital remains an ideal place to live and work.
Lublin secured second place, excelling in medical service availability, cycling infrastructure, and public safety. Its combination of low living costs and a peaceful atmosphere contributed significantly to its success. Olsztyn completed the top three, standing out for clean air, access to healthcare, low crime, and affordable housing.
Just off the podium was Rzeszów, recognized as the safest city in Poland, and Białystok, which ranked first in healthcare accessibility.
Poznań: High Scores in Culture, Moderate in Health, Low in Safety
Poznań claimed 6th place overall, with a total score of 8.7 out of 10 in the PZU Lokalnie 2025 report. The city’s strengths lie in:
- Education and culture: Poznań ranks third nationally in this category, thanks to its broad access to institutions of learning and cultural venues.
- Cycling and active lifestyle: An expansive network of bike paths supports a healthy, eco-friendly lifestyle.
- Stable job market: Poznań boasts a reliable employment landscape, adding to its livability.
However, where the city notably fell short was safety—21st place out of 38. This significantly lowered its overall standing. While fire safety indicators were positive, higher crime rates compared to top-ranked cities played a key role in the decline.
Poznań’s Scores by Category:
- Health: 13th
- Culture & Education: 3rd
- Safety: 21st
- Comfort of Life: 6th
What Set the Top Cities Apart?
The PZU Lokalnie 2025 report highlights how each city distinguished itself:
- Warsaw: Best for culture, education, wages, and medical access.
- Lublin: Excellent in safety, affordability, and healthcare.
- Olsztyn: High in healthcare access and air quality.
- Rzeszów: Poland’s lowest crime rates and best security stats.
- Białystok: Top marks for medical services and lowest hazard levels in the country.
Other notable cities include Zielona Góra (7th), Koszalin (8th), Szczecin (9th), and Toruń (10th), with many praised for clean air, green spaces, and low living costs.
How the Ranking Was Built
The PZU Lokalnie 2025 methodology is rooted in both statistical data and social research. According to Prof. Andrzej Torój from SGH, the project used availability indicators (e.g., doctors per capita, schools per number of children) and weighted each life area based on how much it influenced overall satisfaction in national surveys.
The four evaluated areas—and their importance in the final score—were:
- Health – the most heavily weighted, including access to services, clean air, and sports infrastructure.
- Comfort of Life – wages, housing costs, transport, and green spaces.
- Culture & Education – access to schools, nurseries, and cultural institutions.
- Safety – crime statistics and fire/police presence.
Discover Your Own Area
PZU Lokalnie 2025 is not just a ranking—it’s also a data-driven civic tool. By visiting www.pzu.pl/lokalnie, residents can enter their address and access an interactive map of their neighborhood. The platform features heatmaps highlighting local risks, such as fire and theft, along with information on medical service access, air quality, housing prices, and proximity to key infrastructure.
It’s a free, public resource designed to both educate citizens and support smarter local decision-making around safety, health, and well-being.
When people understand the risks in their surroundings—from air quality to crime—they’re more likely to take action or seek protection. PZU Lokalnie 2025 empowers communities with knowledge—and that’s the first step toward building safer, healthier cities.
says Wioletta Łada-Szewczenko, Director of Digital Marketing and Research at PZU Group.
This initiative is also aligned with PZU’s broader strategy to promote property awareness. In a recent survey conducted for the platform, fire and theft were cited as the top two property-related fears, with 94% and 84% of respondents expressing concern. PZU Lokalnie 2025 aims to address these fears by increasing public understanding and highlighting the value of local insurance coverage and prevention.
Positioned for Progress
Poznań’s 6th place finish in PZU Lokalnie 2025 reflects a city that is thriving in many areas—education, culture, and everyday convenience. But safety concerns continue to shadow its progress. If the city hopes to climb into the top five or even top three in future editions, meaningful improvements in public security may be the missing puzzle piece. With so much potential already in place, Poznań is well-positioned to rise—provided it listens closely to what the data says.
