Poland population migration. Language and population of Poland. Can the situation change for the better?

Thanks to modern technology, it is possible to determine with almost 100% accuracy how many people live in a certain country. By the end of 2018, the population of Poland was 38 million 645 thousand 240 people. Taking into account last year's figures, the population of this country grew by 0.02% over the year.

Population of Poland (1946-2016). The graph is based on data from Wikipedia.

The graph of the dynamics of the Polish population was compiled according to data at the end of the Great Patriotic War. In 1939, the population of Poland was almost 35 million people, or more precisely 34,849,000. At the end of the war, the local population decreased to 24 million. However, with the advent of Soviet power, a significant increase was observed, and this was mainly due to an increase in the birth rate.

Demographics:

• in 2018, 401,448 people were born in the country, which is 22,024 more people than died;
• emigrated from the country - 14,682 people;
• there are 1 million 369 thousand more women;
• working-age population – 58.7%;
• people of retirement age 13.8%;
• children – 27.5%;
• urban population – 62%.

In Poland, there is a fairly serious emigration outflow of residents, which has a negative impact on the number of residents of this country. People began to leave the country especially strongly when Poland joined the European Union. Over the course of several years, more than 2 million people left the country. This negative factor forced officials to develop programs to retain personnel in the country, in particular, it was adopted.

The average life expectancy is 73 years. Women live 77 years, and men live 8 years less - an average of 69 years.

Ethnic composition of the country

Poland is considered a mono-ethnic state; the majority of the population, namely 97%, are Poles. Germans live in this country 0.8%, Ukrainians – 0.65, Belarusians – 0.53. Russians, Slovaks, Gypsies, and Latvians also live here, but their percentage is quite small, less than 2%.

This country is one of the most monoethnic in the world. However, such a low population is due to the fact that after World War II the country lost about 20% of its population. When Germany and the USSR declared an armistice, more than 12,000,000 ethnic Poles who had previously lived in the country and were Polish citizens were exiled to Ukraine.

During the collapse of the USSR, the country lost about half a million residents who migrated to Canada and the USA. Currently, the Polish diaspora of more than 10,000,000 people is scattered around the world.

Religion

The majority of residents of the Republic of Poland consider themselves Catholics. A few years ago, a survey was conducted asking people what faith they belonged to. Almost 88% said that they are Catholics, 7% of respondents decided not to disclose their religion, 2.5% said that they do not believe in a higher power and are atheists. All other religions are professed by no more than 1% of the population.

Considering these statistics, one can determine how important this religion is in this country, and how widespread Catholicism is here. Poland is rightfully considered the most Catholic country in all of Europe.

Language capabilities of the population

The vast majority of the local population speaks Polish. Of the foreign languages, English is considered the most popular; 29% of the population knows it. In second place, local residents speak Russian – 26%. The third place is occupied by the German language, almost 19% of the population knows it. It is important to understand that the Russian language is mainly spoken by the mature and elderly population, English by young people, and German by residents of the eastern and northern regions.

Thanks to the research of historians, Poland is considered the country where the Prussian language and Esperanto were invented, the latter was created specifically so that people could communicate in a scientific society.

Culture and traditions

Most of all, Polish people have made serious contributions to world literature. The first Polish creations that became known to historians date back to the 15th century. Among all the authors of that time, Mikolaj Ray especially stood out; his creations were predominantly of a religious nature.

The 17th-19th centuries saw the dawn of Polish literature, which was strongly influenced by Western Europe. Then the world saw the works of such writers as Adam Mickiewicz and Alexander Glowacki, the Polish people love to read their works.

In the modern world, Polish literature is not on the sidelines; Sapkowski and Lem are considered very revered in their circles.

Separately, it can be noted that in Poland family and family traditions are highly revered. During the survey, the majority of local residents reported that the highest value for them was family and a happy family life. Eloquent proof of this is that Poland ranks one of the last places in Europe in terms of the number of divorces. According to surveys, the Polish people value family significantly above material values ​​and professional growth.

Moreover, Polish citizens are very polite people, however, they also demand respect for themselves. Women are held in high esteem in this country, and the Polish people revere and care for them very much. Poles are also considered one of the most educated inhabitants of all of Europe.

Conclusion

From all of the above, several main points can be highlighted.

1. Poland is a mono-ethnic country, where 97% of the population is Poles; there are very few other ethnic groups in this country.
2. The main religion in Poland is Catholicism. This country is considered the most Catholic in all of Europe. Thanks to this, certain cultural traditions have developed in the country.
3. The local population is considered one of the most educated in Europe.
4. A large number of people leave the country for other, more economically developed countries in Europe.

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Poland is an Eastern European country with a fairly homogeneous national composition. If you look at long-term history, this situation seems truly amazing. However, the fact remains: the main population of Poland is made up of local natives. These are people who have been living in this territory for several generations. Let's take a closer look at Poland's population, including the traditions and cultural achievements that have opened the country to the world.

Ethnic groups

Poland is a multinational country. In addition to the main ethnic group, which is dominant, Ukrainians, Russians, Belarusians, Slovaks, Lithuanians, Latvians, Germans and Jews live here. This is not surprising, since an independent state in its modern territory arose only after the Second World War. At the same time, national minorities make up only 5%. As a result of the conclusion of the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact between the USSR and Germany in 1939, more than 13 million inhabitants ended up on the territory of Ukraine (at that time one of the Soviet republics). In addition, World War II reduced Poland's population by another 20%. In 1980-1990 500 thousand ethnic residents emigrated to the USA and Canada. Today the Polish diaspora numbers about 10 million people. Most Poles live in the USA, Brazil, France and the CIS countries.

Population of Poland and features of settlement

The Central Statistical Agency (GUS) collects statistics in the country. According to him, the population of Poland in 2009 was 38.325 million people. Since 1995, this figure has gradually decreased by 3%. Prior to this, there was a positive increase. For comparison: in 1961, the population of Poland was only 30 million people. At the same time, more than a million people live abroad for 6-7 months a year. The state is in 69th place in the world and 9th among European countries in terms of territory. It can be calculated that the population density of Poland is 122 people per square kilometer. Most people live in cities - 61.5%. After joining the EU, more than 2 million young people emigrated to more developed European countries. Today, the country is implementing programs aimed at stopping the “brain drain”, as well as attracting highly qualified specialists to promising sectors of the economy.

Composition of the population of Poland

The nation in question is one of the “aging” ones. Half a century ago the average age was 25 years old; today it is 38. By 2050 it is expected to reach 51 years. The average number of children per family is 1.31. And this is one of the lowest rates in Eastern Europe. Life expectancy for women is 79.5 years, for men - 73.1.

Religion in Poland

The majority of the country's inhabitants are Catholics. In 2011, a special survey was conducted in which 91.2% of the population took part. As a result, 87.5% said that they were Catholics, 7.1% did not express their religious preferences, 2.4% turned out to be atheists, less than 1% were Orthodox and representatives of other faiths. This situation can easily be explained by the consequences of the Holocaust of Polish Jews during World War II.

Catholicism plays an important role in the life of the country. The church is a symbol of unity and the preservation of centuries-old cultural traditions. Poland is the most Catholic state in Europe.

Status of languages

The majority of the population speaks Polish. The main foreign languages ​​spoken by residents are: English (29%), Russian (26%), German (19%). According to the legal act of January 6, 2005, the following languages ​​have the status of languages ​​of national minorities: Armenian, Belarusian, Czech, German, Hebrew, Lithuanian, Russian, Slovak and Ukrainian. It should be noted that Poland is the birthplace of Esperanto (created artificially for scientific communication) and Prussian (no longer used).

Cultural traditions

Poland is rightfully proud of its traditions. The most important contribution to world culture is its literature. The first written examples were written in Latin in the 15th century. In those days, literature was of a religious nature. Against this background, Mikolaj Ray, who wrote both poetry and prose, stands out sharply. Polish literature of the 18th century appeared under the influence of Western Europe. At this time, the first female writer, Elzbita Druzbaka, gained fame. The next century gave the world the great Polish poet Adam Mickiewicz, most of whose works were written in exile, but on national themes. But the most famous Polish work is perhaps the novel by Nobel laureate Alexander Glowacki, who wrote under the pseudonym Henryk Sienkiewicz, “Kamo khryadeshi”. The most popular authors from this country today are science fiction writers Stanislaw Lem and Andrzej Sapkowski.

conclusions

Thus, the population of Poland is 5% of the total European one. This is a country with centuries-old cultural traditions that are embodied in the worldview of its people.

The population of Poland is more than 38 million people.
National composition:
- Poles (97%);
- Ukrainians, Germans, Belarusians, Lithuanians, Gypsies and other nations (3%).
The high monoethnicity of Poland is the result of historical events that occurred in the middle of the 20th century (World War II and the post-war period): at this time there was a massive movement of Germans, Poles and Ukrainians, which led to changes in the ethnic composition of the state.
Over the past few decades, there have not been many immigrants coming to Poland, with the exception of refugees from Chechnya. But refugees in Poland are not paid benefits and are prohibited from engaging in labor activities whose purpose is to earn money. Therefore, Poland is a transit country for them.
On average, 123 people live per 1 km2, but the southern part of Poland is the most densely populated.
The official language is Polish, but English is widely spoken, and staff in hotels and shops also speak Russian.
Large cities: Warsaw, Krakow, Lodz, Wroclaw, Poznan, Szczecin, Lublin.
Most residents of Poland profess Catholicism, but in the country you can meet Jews, Orthodox Christians and representatives of Lutheranism.

Lifespan

Men live on average up to 71 years, and women - up to 80 years.
It is generally accepted that the higher the government spends on health and medicine, the higher life expectancy will be. But the high living standards of the Polish population do not justify this postulate - the government allocates only $1,300 for this item of expenditure, while in the United States - $8,000, and Western European countries - about $5,000.
Poles take care of their health - they smoke 2 times less than Bulgarians, Greeks, Russians, Serbs, and the obesity level in Poland is 15.8% (the average in Europe is 18%, in the USA - 36%, and in Mexico - 40%). In addition, Poles are supporters of healthy eating.

Traditions and customs of the people of Poland

The Poles love to hold cheerful celebrations, especially to participate in theatrical performances (“nurseries”), which they stage based on gospel stories (such events are held after Christmas) - mummers walk around the villages, joking and caroling: they go from house to house and amuse the owners. And as “payment” they accept treats from the festive table or small money.
The season of balls and masquerades begins on December 31 - these noisy holidays are accompanied by entertainment events with dancing, songs, abundant treats and practical jokes.
If you are going to Poland, keep in mind that:
- you need to go to visit the Poles on an empty stomach: they treat their guests generously and satisfyingly;
- if you are a non-drinker, visiting the Poles, at the table, you will have to defend your position;
- In Poland, it is customary to give up your seat to women and older people on public transport in order to show respect.

Poland is one of the largest countries in Europe. Its area is more than 312 thousand km2. The population of Poland according to 2017 data is about 38,638,000 people. In this article we will look at the ethnic composition, linguistic background, and general demographic picture of this state.

Population growth in 2017

According to statistics, the population of Poland over the past year grew by only 7,340 people. The overall annual growth rate is 0.02%. At the beginning of 2017, the country's population was 38,630,559 people. During this period, 401,372 children were born and 379,352 people died. More than 14 thousand citizens emigrated from the country. Natural increase - 22,019 people. At the beginning of 2018, the exact figure for the population of Poland is 38,637,899 people. Moreover, there are 1.5 million more women than men.

Forecast for 2018

No significant demographic changes are expected during 2018. Presumably, the population of Poland, as in 2017, will increase by a little more than 7 thousand people. Mortality rates are also projected to remain unchanged. In terms of migration, the number of citizens traveling abroad will be higher than the number of people arriving in the country. The population of Poland by the end of 2018 could reach 38,645,240 people.

Ethnic composition

Poland can be called a mono-ethnic state, since 97% of its citizens are Poles. The remaining 3% (as of 2011) are made up of other nationalities.

The largest ethnic group after the Poles are the Silesians. There are about 809 thousand of them on the territory of the state. Silesians are an ethnic group living in Poland, the Czech Republic and Germany. Another large ethnic group is the Kashubians. There are about 228 thousand people. They live mainly in Kashubia - the Polish Littoral region. 109 thousand citizens of Poland are ethnic Germans. Ukrainians and Belarusians living on the territory of the state are approximately 47-48 thousand people each. Also in Poland there are 10-15 thousand gypsies, Russians, Americans, Lemkos and English.

But all these are official data; the real picture may be radically different from these indicators, since the flow of migrants has increased in recent years. For example, on the territory of Poland there are about 50 thousand representatives of the Belarusian people. However, according to unofficial data, this number is too underestimated, and in fact up to 230 thousand Belarusians live here. The same is true for other national groups.

Before the outbreak of World War II, the population of Poland reached 34,923 thousand people. At that time, one of the largest national communities were Jews. About 3.5 million people lived on the territory of pre-war Poland. As a result of the Holocaust, a huge number of Jews were killed.

After the end of the war, many representatives of this people left the country forever. According to the census conducted in 2002, no more than 1 thousand Jews live in Poland. There are up to 50 thousand people who have Jewish roots in their family.

State language and languages ​​of national minorities

The official language is Polish. However, in addition to the literary language, there are several main dialects in Poland:

• Masovian;
• Greater Poland;
• Lesser Polish;
• Silesian

In addition to them, there are so-called peripheral dialects. They arose as a result of the expansion of the Polish language. These dialects are found in the western regions of Ukraine and Belarus, as well as Lithuania.

The official status of regional is assigned to the Kushubian language. It is studied in more than 380 educational institutions. The official languages ​​of national minorities are:

• Czech;
• Ukrainian;
• Belorussian;
• Hebrew;
• Lithuanian;
• Yiddish;
• Russian;
• German;
• Slovak;
• Armenian;
• Karaite;
• Gypsy;
• Tatar;
• Lemko

Population literacy

The population of Poland is considered quite literate. The level of education among young people is 100%. In addition to their native language, most Poles can speak English or another European language. The total literate population among adults (persons over 15 years of age) is 99.79%. Just over 68 thousand citizens of the country remain illiterate.

average life expectancy

Life expectancy is one of the most important indicators of the demographic picture. In Poland this level is significantly higher than the world average. The life expectancy of Poles is 76 years. The global figure is 71 years. On average, the female population of Poland lives to be 80 years old, but for men this mark is 8 years less.

Religious movements

Most of the population of Poland professes Catholicism. More than 33 million citizens of the country are members of the Roman Catholic and Eastern Catholic Churches. About 500 thousand people profess Orthodoxy. In Poland there is a fairly large denomination of Jehovah's Witnesses (about 130 thousand people).

In 2005, the Eurobarom organization conducted a survey, which revealed that about 80% of Poles are believers who adhere to one religion or another. Another 15% are citizens who recognize the presence of supernatural powers, but do not belong to any religion. 3% of respondents admitted themselves to be atheists, the remaining 2% of people could not answer the question posed.

Population of cities in Poland

Warsaw is the capital and is also the largest city in the country. According to statistics, in 2017, 1,753,977 people lived in it.

In Krakow and Lodz, the number of residents exceeds 700 thousand. The population of other large cities in Poland, according to 2010 data, looks like this:

1. Wroclaw - about 633 thousand people.
2. Poznan - over 550 thousand citizens.
3. Gdansk - more than 450 thousand inhabitants.
4. Szczecin - 405 thousand people.

The cities of Lublin, Bydgoszcz, and Katowice are home to 300-360 thousand citizens.

There are seven settlements in Poland, where the population ranges from 200 to 300 thousand people. These include:

• Gdynia;
• Bialystok;
• Radom;
• Kielce;
• Sosnowiec;
• Torun;
• Częstochowa.

There are also 27 cities with populations ranging from 80 to 200 thousand.

Characteristics of Poles

The Poles are a rather proud and conservative nation. They honor the traditions of their people and have special respect for the memory of their ancestors. If a relative is buried outside his homeland, a Pole is ready to travel long distances to come to the grave of a loved one and honor his memory.

The people of Poland are hospitable and friendly. Poles willingly receive guests and almost always keep in touch with close and distant relatives, as well as with friends.

They approach everyday troubles with humor. What cannot be attributed to the Poles is commercialism. These people know how to handle money carefully, without creating a special cult out of it.

Many Polish traditions are closely related to religious dates (Easter, Christmas, etc.).

The dependency ratio shows the burden on society and the economy from the population that is not part of the working population (the dependent part of the population). The non-working-age population is defined as the sum of the population under 15 years of age and the population over 64 years of age. The age of the working-age population (the productive part of the population) is, respectively, between 15 and 65 years.

This coefficient directly reflects the financial implications of social policy in the state. For example, if this coefficient increases, expenses for the construction of educational institutions, social protection, healthcare, pension payments, etc. should be increased.

Overall load factor

The overall dependency ratio is calculated as the ratio of the dependent part of the population to the working-age or productive part of the population.

For Poland, the dependency ratio is 39.6%.

The value of 39.6% is relatively low. It shows that the working age population is more than twice the size of the non-working age population. This attitude creates a relatively low social burden for society.

Potential replacement rate

The potential replacement rate (child load rate) is calculated as the ratio of the population below working age to the working age population.

The potential replacement rate for Poland is 20.6%.