Donald Tusk claims Poles will be richer than Brits by 2029 as ‘it’s better to be in the EU’

The Polish prime minister has boasted Poles will be richer than Britons by next year because “it’s better to be in the EU”.

Donald Tusk, the former president of the European Council, claimed forecasts show Poland is on track to have a higher GDP per capita than the UK by 2025.

GDP per capita refers to the total income of a country, divided by the number of people living in it.

Mr Tusk referred to World Bank forecasts which show that GDP per capita in 2021 was £36,038 ($44,979) in Britain and £27,974 ($34,915) in Poland.

If GDP per capita in the UK continues to grow at an average of 0.5 per cent annually, as it did between 2010 and 2021, and should Poland maintain its 3.6 per cent average growth, it will overtake Britain by 2030.

In a post on X, the Polish PM said: “As we celebrate 20 years in the EU, a fierce debate is taking place in Great Britain caused by the World Bank's forecast that income per capita will be higher in Poland than in the UK in 2025. And I promise this: on the 25th anniversary, Poles will be wealthier than the British. It's better to be in the EU!”

The 25th anniversary of Poland joining the EU will be in 2029.

Romania, with an average annual growth of 3.8 per cent and Hungary with 3 per cent, could also overtake the UK by 2040 if forecasts are accurate.

These comments come one week after prime minister Rishi Sunak visited Poland to meet with Mr Tusk for talks about aid for Ukraine.

In a joint speech, the Tory leader and Polish PM said “we are allies in the long term”, following a £500 million pledge in military aid for Ukraine by the British government.

“We will never forget in Britain that it was Polish pilots that gave their lives to protect our country in the Battle of Britain,” they said.

“And today we’re proud to stand together as NATO allies. Two of Europe’s biggest military powers.Two of Ukraine’s firmest friends.”

Mr Sunak added: “And across Europe, I think Poland and the UK are part of a growing wave of countries that are taking greater responsibility for our collective security.

“Poland is spending more of its GDP on defence than any NATO ally in Europe.

“And with today’s announcement, the UK will be spending more in cash terms than any NATO ally in Europe.”

Similar comments were made by Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer in February last year.

Sir Keir warned: “The British people are falling behind while our European neighbours get richer, in the east as well as in countries like France and Germany.

"I'm not comfortable with that; not comfortable with a trajectory that will soon see Britain overtaken by Poland.

“Nor am I prepared to accept what the consequences of this failure would mean.”