Migrants are a very important factor that stabilizes the economic situation – said the president of the Social Insurance Institution (ZUS) Zbigniew Derdziuk in an interview with TVN24 BIS. He pointed out that foreigners supply with contributions a pension system and affect economic development.
President ZUS During the conversation at the European Economic Congress in Katowice, he pointed out that “the pension system is very dependent on the demographic situation and the demographic situation is difficult.”
– The second factor is that we live longer. If we look at the system loading, it grows for two reasons: people live longer, the population of pensioners is greater, there are also fewer children, the number of working consistently reduces – said Derdziuk.
ZUS president with a load for the pension system
He added that “in the 1950s, fertility (…) was more than three children for one mother of childbearing age.”
– We entered the transformation period in the early 1990s, there were still 2.1, and now when we are developing, this number of children born is reduced, because this fertility rate 10 years ago was 1.6, now it is 1.16 for the previous year – he said.
– This of course means that this burden (for the pension system – ed.) Will be large, but we must remember that pension It depends on how each of us pays contributions, how it works, and this demographic has an impact on balancing the entire liquidity of the system – he commented.
Zbigniew Derdziuk about migration
– This balance and this power supply is also at the expense of migration, because Poland is an attractive country as a labor market, many people come, often for political reasons, such as Ukrainians and Belarusians. In Poland, today we have 1.2 million foreigners who work in Poland and pay contributions to ZUS – he added.
By Ukraine – he said.
– We already have less than 800,000 Ukrainians, 130,000 Belarusians, 20-thousand Georgians. And we still have citizens with ColombiaWith Sri Lankafrom virtually every continent. In total, as I said, it is 1.2 million and for 16 million insured in total it is seven percent – he pointed out.
– The system is that everyone who pays contributions has an account in which these contributions are saved. If (such a foreigner – ed.) Goes to the retirement age of Poland, then Poland will pay him (benefit – ed.), If he acquires retirement rights. If someone is from the country with whom we have a contract or is from the European Union, then this internships are calculated to a minimum – 20 and 25 years – he said.
– Of course, the capital he has will pay him out anyway. That is why some worked for several months, hence there are events such as penny pensions – he explained.
Zbigniew Derdziuk about migrantsTvn24 bis
“Very important factor”
He stated that migrants “is a very important factor that stabilizes the economic situation.”
– By working, they will pay not only contributions, take care of their future, but also affect economic development. Due to the fact that the economy is developing and we have growth, we also have funds for subsidies to the Social Insurance Fund – he said.
– In total, contributions cover about 85 percent of all of our expenses. Expenses for 2025 are planned in the amount of PLN 471 billion, so these 15 percent are about 60-80 billion. I say so because it is very difficult to predict such accuracy. Last year, we spent 8 billion less than we assumed, but it was the result of good economic growth – he said.
Source of the main photo: Leszek Szymański/PAP