There were so many Poles, “as if the whole city of Zielona Góra disappeared”

In Poland, there is a demographic crisis, since last year there are less of us by nearly 150,000 people. Women decide on offspring later and often only for one child. The reasons for this state of affairs are complex, but regardless of them, you have to start adapting to the reality of an aging society. Material of the magazine “Poland and the world”.

The view of parents with two children is becoming rarer and the parents themselves admit. Anna and Dariusz have two children – Jagna is three years old, and Juliusz 11. They admit that among their friends most have, if one, one child.

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WITH GUS data it follows that there are fewer and fewer Poles. – At the end of the first quarter of 2025, the Polish population was about 37.4 million people. It is nearly 158,000 less than a year ago and by over 52,000 less than at the end of 2024 – indicates the deputy director in the Department of Demographic Research of the CSO Katarzyna Góral -Radiszewska. “It's like a whole city of Zielona Góra disappeared,” he estimates.

According to experts, the number of Polish citizens could really change even more. – Data on changes in the long period for the country are super reliable, but we must be aware that the lower the administrative level we go down, the more the data in reality differ more than the real ones – says the sociologist prof. Piotr Szukalski from the University of Lodz.

Estimates show that about 700,000 Polish inhabitants have lost within five years. – The number of births has decreased dramatically. If she fell in seven years from 400 to 250,000, i.e. it fell by practically 40 percent, as you can easily guess, today we have the youngest citizens definitely less – indicates prof. Piotr Szukalski.

The influx of migrants saves the situation, can fill the resulting gap, but Poland will have to face the next challenges. – A dozen or so years and every third person in Poland will be in retirement age – notes Dr. Krzysztof Szwarc from the Poznań University of Economics.

Read also: Fewer and fewer Poles. Statistics are falling

We must adapt to the realities of the aging society

Mature age achieves a generation of post -war demographic growth – this means that there will be very few people on the labor market. – Pensions will be, but they will be lower and it will be a real challenge – admits prof. Iga Magda from the Institute of Structural Research.

– Equally difficult will be the long -term care and medical care system for people who will be in the elderly, because we do not have such a system at the moment – adds prof. Iga Magda.

– The labor market is also changing, a consumer is changing, who is also getting older – indicates the director of the Institute of Statistics and Demography of SGH prof. Agnieszka Chłoń-Domińczak. – Very many areas of our lives change due to the fact that the structure of the population age changes – he adds.

We must adapt to the realities of the aging society – from health protection through industry to education. – The question is how schools are to function, not only as a place of education for the youngest, slightly older children, say since the age of seven, but also as such centers of educational activity also adults – wonders prof. Agnieszka Chłoń-Domińczak.

We are in a demographic crisis and this is a global problem, but there is also a light in the tunnel.

– Factors that affect fertility, which is the main reason in which we are the situation are known – says Demographer Mateusz Łakomy. – However, it will not be something that will happen at the weekend or in a short period of time. We must be patient – he adds.