This article has three objectives. The first one is to compare and interpret the exceptionally large social and economic costs of policy errors by central authorities in Greece 2000–2010, Poland 1970–1980 and the G7 countries 2000–2010. The second objective is to analyse the risks to the pace and stability of Poland’s economic growth and the state of public finances after 2020. The third objective is to propose policy adjustments in responses to these risks in the period 2023–2030.

The number 1 aim of the paper is to note theoretical explanations of three facts: the remarkably rapid acceleration of the rate of growth of the per capita domestic product (GDP) in a small part of the world economy in the early 19th century, a strong stability of the per capita GDP growth rates in countries of that part since then, and a very strong divergence in the per capita GDP growth among the less developed countries. The number 2 aim is to note the probable implications of these explanations for the likely rate of global economic growth during this and next centuries.