The Silesian Voivodeship has one of the strongest economies in Poland. Over 12% of the gross domestic product (GDP) is generated here, which is the second result in the country.

The transformations that are currently taking place in the region's economy are manifested by a significant change in the structure of the gross value added it generates. In this respect, the service sector contributes almost 57%, and industry - nearly 35%, which is the best result in the country.

The Silesian Voivodeship has numerous natural resources, including bituminous coal, zinc and lead deposits, methane and natural gas reserves, marl, limestone and natural aggregate deposits, as well as thermal, mineral, and healing waters. The existing resources served as a basis for the formation of the largest industrial region in the country.

Bituminous-coal mining and the iron and steel industry went through profound restructuring processes. The effects of the transformation processes taking place in coal mining include reduced employment and improved efficiency. The iron and steel industry, in turn, has undergone substantial changes in the ownership and management structure. As a result, it has been nearly fully privatised. Due to the high concentration of industry, the Silesian Voivodeship is one of the leading domestic electric power producers.

Many industries have developed on the basis of the conventional industries, particularly the modern machine industry, which is now present on many foreign markets and constitutes a major element of the economic landscape of the voivodeship. The BPO/SSC sector is growing dynamically, stimulating the activity of real estate developers.

The restructuring processes that have been in progress for many years result in systematic changes in the voivodeship's economic structure. The role of coal mining and the iron and steel industry has diminished, while the importance of the electrical machine industry, IT, and energy industries has been growing. The fastest growing sectors are the automotive industry (the region is the largest motor vehicle producer in the country) and the food industry.

Over 460,000 economic entities are registered in the Silesian Voivodeship. The largest groups among them are natural persons conducting economic activity and commercial-law companies. State-owned enterprises are the smallest group.

Over 95% of the total number of economic entities in the region operate in the private sector.