Problematyka demograficzna Polski
The Demographic Problem of Poland

Summary/Abstract: The introductory part of the paper focuses on the demographic transformations in Poland in the first half of the twentieth century. The evolution of natural movement has been especially stressed here. In that period, the population of Poland had a very high birth rate. It followed from the dwindling but always high number of births, and the lowering death rate. The political and military events of the First and Second World Wars had brought about essential consequences. Especially the Second World War was fraught with consequences. As a result of demographic losses and changes of borders, the population of Poland diminished from 34.8 million (1939) to 23.9 million (1946). Then for a dozen of so years compensatory processes took place, which have recompensed the war losses. During further decades we dealt with a constant fall of the birth rate. It resulted from a diminished number of children. In the beginning of the 1990s, the population of Poland reached 38 million of inhabitants. The political transformation that took place in the last decade of the twentieth century have brought about far-reaching demographic results. A rapid fall of the birth rate, with the death rate at the same level, have made the birth rate dwindle. As a result, the demographic regress took place. The de-population processes embraced the majority of the country. In the final part of the paper the author arrives at a conclusion that these new tendencies in the natural movement are permanent. To prove this point we have one of demographic prognosis. According to its presuppositions, the population of Poland will diminish to the level of 26.3 million in 2050. The author claims that it will cause essential geopolitical, social, and economic consequences.

• Details
• Contents