The publication shows the progress and directions of changes in rural areas in the years 2019 and 2024, both at the national and regional level. The analysis showing the diversity of rural areas both in socio-economic and environmental terms makes it possible to relate the observed processes to the situation in urban areas and in Poland in general.

The publication covers a large scope of issues, from demographic characteristics and economic situation of the population, through technical and social infrastructure, to non-agricultural activity and agriculture, the condition of the environment and the sources of financing for the development of rural areas. Showing such a large scope information with varying degrees of detail has been possible thanks to the application of identifiers of the National Official Register of Territorial Division of the Country (TERYT), the classification of Territorial Units for Statistics (NUTS) as well as Eurostat and OECD territorial typologies that define urban and rural regions.

The publication is supplemented by selected data presented according to the Delimitation of Rural Areas (DOW), which distinguishes between the following groups of rural areas: high and low density agglomeration areas and high and low density non-agglomeration areas. To deepen the analytical perspective, also the national strategic intervention (ASI) areas, i.e. gminas threatened with permanent marginalisation were taken into account as well as, for the first time, the voivodeships of Eastern Poland.