Poland enters demographic crisis says stats office
Poland has fallen into a demographic crisis with the population predicted to drop by 4.4 million by 2050, according to a report by the Central Statistical Office (GUS).
"The fall in the number of births recorded in 2021 confirms that Poland has entered another demographic crisis (which temporarily took place in 1997-2007), but the current one may probably be a longer trend," GUS wrote on Wednesday.
The GUS forecast also does not predict any significant increase in the fertility rate (the average number of children per woman) above 2.0.
"The persistence of a low birth rate for a long time threatens to enter into the so-called low fertility trap, from which it is very difficult to get out," GUS said.
According to the report, in 2050, the number of deaths will reach nearly 430,000 and the median age of the population will be over 52, about 11 years more than at present.
This means that more than half of the population of Poland will be over 50 years old in 2050, GUS said. (PAP)
emer/md/jch
