Characteristics of Polish society
Since 2010, Poland's population has been steadily declining. A significant decrease was recorded in 2020, affected by the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. The unfavorable mortality situation and a low birth rate contributed to the record low level of natural increase. During this period, Poland diminished by 475 thousand people in 2021 compared to 2019. Most of the population lives in urbanized areas, and the Mazowieckie Voivodeship is the most populous region. It is also a region experiencing a year-on-year increase in its population.The country has 1.26 million more women than men, and the average age of women was more than three years higher than that of men in 2021. Poland, like other European countries, is facing an aging population problem. The life expectancy for a newborn born in 2021, regardless of gender, was 75.6 years. In comparison, the median age for women in 2021 was over 16 years higher than in 1950.
Causes of Poland's demographic problems
One of the significant demographic problems is the low fertility rate. Births are the key factor influencing the number and structure of the population. A decreasing number of women of childbearing age will affect the future number of births. This is mainly due to young people postponing the decision to start a family and then having fewer children or even living alone. Since 1990, the fertility rate has been below two, which does not guarantee a simple replacement of generations. In 2021, only 331 thousand children were born – the fewest in the postwar period. In 2021, the number of live births declined by approximately 20 thousand compared to the previous year. After 1990, changes caused the highest female fertility rate to shift from the 20-24 age group to the 30-34 age group. A significant increase in fertility occurs in the oldest age groups. Between 1995 and 2021, the number of women of reproductive age declined by 13 percent. The low birth rate is not the only problem of Poland's demographic crisis. It is also exacerbated by mortality, life expectancy, marriage breakdown, and migration.
