Migration: Warum wandern immer mehr Deutsche nach Polen aus?

Warsaw - A blue Porsche glides through traffic in Warsaw, surrounded by construction sites. Kevin Wörner points out a former brewery site and notes that the area is now filled with offices. A new glass tower is under construction, making Warsaw's center resemble Frankfurt's financial district. Wörner drives to a basement level of a six-story new building where he recently moved his office, "Channel Craft", specializing in social media content for mid-sized companies in the US and Germany.

Previously residing in Berlin, Wörner spent considerable time in Warsaw due to a former lover. By 2025, not only Wörner but 4941 other Germans have also moved to Poland, making it the 4th most popular destination after the UK, Italy, and the Netherlands. Since the pandemic, fewer Germans have moved to Eastern Europe, yet only 1720 have returned from Poland, resulting in a negative "migration balance".

The reasons for the increasing number of Germans moving to Poland include aspects of its economy performing better than Germany's, but it remains unclear what exactly makes Poland attractive for these professionals, and what lessons we should learn to retain skilled workers in Germany.