Poznań has once again finished near the top of Poland’s Healthy Cities Index, taking second place among cities with more than 300,000 residents.
The fifth edition of the annual index places Warsaw first, with Poznań scoring 65.5 points, followed by Lublin on 59.8 points. The result keeps Poznań firmly among the leading large Polish cities after it topped the ranking in the previous two editions.
The index looks beyond healthcare alone. It assesses the wider conditions that shape everyday life, from the environment and public services to education, housing, infrastructure and the city's demographic profile. The 2026 edition covers 66 Polish cities with county rights and is the first to add a five-year perspective to the assessment.
Poznań remains a regular presence on the podium
For Poznań, the latest result marks the third consecutive year in which the city has finished on the podium.
Mayor Jacek Jaśkowiak said the result reflects the combined effect of policies and investments taking place across the city.
For three years, we have consistently remained on the podium of this index, created by independent experts, which confirms the effectiveness of our actions. We run numerous and innovative prevention programmes, invest in environmentally friendly public transport and create new green areas. We do all this to improve the quality of life of our city’s residents.
The Mayor also highlighted the city's broader approach in his official statement, pointing to preventive health programmes, public transport, green spaces, and improvements to the urban environment.
Poznań's position is particularly notable because the index brings together eight separate areas rather than focusing on one measure. These are health, population and generations, municipal and social services, education, housing, environment, infrastructure and urban space.
Strong result for the environment
One of Poznań's clearest strengths in the 2026 assessment is the Environment category.
The city took second place, matching its position from the previous edition. The category considers factors including air quality, emissions, wastewater treatment, green areas, waste collection, water infrastructure and environmentally friendly transport infrastructure such as cycling routes and public transport stops.
This is particularly relevant to changes residents see around the city every day, from tram and bus investment to cycling infrastructure and the protection and development of green areas.
Poznań's environmental performance has been a recurring feature of the Healthy Cities Index, making this year's second-place finish part of a longer-term pattern rather than an isolated result.
Health programmes remain a major strength
Poznań was also recognised for the scale of its activity in the Health area.
The latest edition does not place the city first in this category, as it did in the previous edition, but the report still highlights Poznań's large number of health and prevention initiatives.
The change in position should not be read simply as a deterioration in local health policy. The authors note that the assessment has been expanded with additional indicators, changing how cities are measured.
That distinction is important. The index is designed to examine the conditions created by local governments for healthy living, rather than provide a direct measurement of the health of Poznań's population.
Housing and demographics also feature
Housing was another area in which Poznań received recognition.
The index considers factors including municipal housing stock, social housing, renovations, vacant properties and housing support. The category provides a broader view of housing conditions and the role of local government in making homes available to residents.
Poznań was also highlighted in the Population and Generations section. The city is among the six large cities identified as having a comparatively young age structure.
The 2026 edition places particular emphasis on changes over time. It introduces the designation of “Cities of the Five Years”, recognising municipalities that have made the greatest progress since the index began.
How the Healthy Cities Index works
The Healthy Cities Index was established to compare the conditions created by Polish cities for healthy and comfortable living.
The 2026 edition analyses 66 cities with county rights and divides them into two groups based on population size. The larger-city category covers municipalities with more than 300,000 residents.
Researchers draw on existing statistical sources, including data from Poland's Central Statistical Office, the ProfiBaza health database, the Agency for Health Technology Assessment and Tarification and the Central Examination Board.
The project is produced with the involvement of experts from the Warsaw School of Economics, Krakow University of Economics, the OEES Foundation and LUX MED.
What the result says about everyday life in Poznań
For people living in Poznań, the ranking is less about a single health statistic and more about the collection of services and infrastructure that shape daily life.
Access to prevention programmes, public transport, green space, housing, education and community services all form part of the picture. For an international city with a large student population, growing business community and residents from across Poland and abroad, these are also practical factors in how easy it is to live, work and raise a family here.
Poznań's second-place finish does not mean that every aspect of city life is rated equally highly, but it does show that the city continues to perform strongly across a broad range of measures.
After two consecutive years at the top of the large-city ranking, Poznań has now moved to second place, while remaining among Poland's leading cities in the fifth edition of the index.
See more: Poznań Rivers Send an SOS for Water as 508 Kg of Rubbish Is Collected
Source and image credit: poznan.pl, Mayor of Poznań Jacek Jaśkowiak Official Facebook Page
