Demographics of Poland


The demographics of Poland constitute all demographic features of the population of Poland, including population density, ethnicity, education level, health of the populace, economic status, religious affiliations and other aspects of the population.
According to the 2011 census by the Polish Central Statistical Office, at the end of 2011 Poland had a population of 38,538,447, which translates into an average population density of 123 people/km2. 61.5% of the Polish population lives in urban areas, a number which is slowly diminishing. Poland is the 37th most populous country in the world. Total population of Poland is almost stagnant. In 2018, the average life expectancy was 77.9 years; 74.1 for men and 82 for women. Population distribution is uneven. Ethnically, Poland is a very homogeneous country, with 96.7% of population being Polish.
A number of censuses have assessed this data, including a national census in 2002, and a survey by the Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights, which confirmed there are numerous autochthonous ethnic groups in Poland. Estimates by INTEREG and Eurominority present a similar demographic picture of Poland but they provide estimates only for the most numerous of these ethnic groups.
Like many developed nations, Poland is ageing. In 1950, the median age was 25.8: half of the Polish population was younger, half older. Today it is 38.2. If current trends continue, it may be 51 by 2050. As the population is ageing, it also started to decline in the 1990s mainly due to low birth rates and continued emigration overseas which impacted the local economy; however this has started to change, with the Polish government encouraging citizens to return to Poland with increased wage incentives. The number of children born in Polish families is one of the lowest in Central Europe, but has started to increase in recent years.

Historical population

For many centuries, until the end of World War II in 1945, the population of Poland included many significant ethnic minorities.

Twentieth century

The population of Poland decreased by about six million due to the losses sustained during the Holocaust and German occupation during World War II, and Poland became one of the most ethnically homogeneous areas in Europe as a result of radically altered borders and population expulsions at the end of and after the war. The post-war population movements were accompanied by waves of forced migrations ordered by the Soviet and Polish communist authorities, including the transfers of sizable Polish populations from Poland's pre-war eastern territories which were incorporated into the Soviet Union, the expulsion of ethnic Ukrainians to the USSR, Operation Vistula, and the expulsion of Germans from former German provinces awarded to Poland.

Recent trends

According to GUS, about 38,325,000 people live in Poland, however, the same report states that the number of residents living in the country all the time is approximately 37,200,000; with 1,125,000 people living abroad for 6 to 7 months or more. It means that the permanent population may be correspondingly smaller.
In the 21st century many Poles migrated following Poland's accession to the European Union in 2004 and the opening of the EU's labor market; with approximately 2 million Poles taking up jobs abroad.

Vital statistics

[Total Fertility Rate] from 1800 to 1920

The total fertility rate is the number of children born per woman. It is based on fairly good data for the entire period. Sources: Our World In Data and Gapminder Foundation.
Years18001801180218031804180518061807180818091810
Total Fertility Rate in Poland6.286.266.256.236.226.26.196.176.166.146.12

Years1821182218231824182518261827182818291830
Total Fertility Rate in Poland6.36.035.765.496.836.166.36.226.146.06

Years1841184218431844184518461847184818491850
Total Fertility Rate in Poland6.166.436.36.035.365.495.094.825.495.63

Years1861186218631864186518661867186818691870
Total Fertility Rate in Poland6.436.976.576.25.835.465.095.635.636.16

Years1881188218831884188518861887188818891890
Total Fertility Rate in Poland5.095.235.235.095.365.365.365.495.765.63

Years1901190219031904190519061907190819091910
Total Fertility Rate in Poland5.365.365.095.094.965.095.094.964.964.82

Vital statistics from 1921 to 1938

YearAverage populationLive birthsDeathsNatural changeCrude birth rate Crude death rate Natural change Total fertility rates
192127,224,000890,400568,300322,10032.720.911.84.40
192227,846,000983,100554,600482,50035.319.915.44.73
192328,480,0001,014,700493,800520,90035.617.318.34.82
192429,007,0001,000,100519,200480,90034.517.916.64.69
192529,475,0001,036,600492,200544,40035.216.718.54.74
192629,906,000989,100532,700456,40033.117.815.34.44
192730,302,000958,733525,633433,10031.617.314.34.23
192830,693,000990,993504,207486,78632.316.415.94.29
192931,084,000994,101518,929475,17232.016.715.34.26
193031,490,0001,022,811488,417534,39432.515.517.04.33
193131,935,000964,573493,703470,87030.215.514.74.05
193232,394,000934,663486,548448,11528.915.013.83.87
193332,823,000868,675466,210402,46526.514.212.33.55
193433,223,000881,615479,684401,93126.514.412.13.56
193533,616,000876,667470,998405,66926.114.012.13.50
193634,020,000892,320482,633409,68726.214.212.03.51
193734,441,000856,064481,594374,47024.914.010.93.34
193834,849,000849,873479,602370,27124.413.810.63.26

Years1939194019411942194319441945
Total Fertility Rate in Poland3.233.213.183.163.133.113.08

After World War II

Current vital statistics

Number of births from January-May 2019 = 153,900
Number of births from January-May 2020 = 145,800
Number of deaths from January-May 2019 = 178,300
Number of deaths from January-May 2020 = 174,300
Natural increase from January-May 2019 = -24,400
Natural increase from January-May 2020 = -28,500

Life expectancy

Source: UN World Population Prospects

Structure of the population

Age groupMaleFemaleTotal%
Total18 651 44119 882 34838 533 789100
0-41 058 8741 005 0692 063 9435,36
5-9945 643897 7231 843 3664,78
10-14974 509925 5061 900 0154,93
15-191 158 3671 108 2672 266 6345,88
20-241 394 7611 341 3932 736 1547,10
25-291 623 0721 575 5463 198 6188,30
30-341 602 7361 558 6223 161 3588,20
35-391 470 7511 432 8222 903 5737,54
40-441 231 0831 209 7512 440 8346,33
45-491 196 5481 192 9522 389 5006,20
50-541 369 2581 414 9962 784 2547,23
55-591 404 1411 522 1402 926 2817,59
60-641 163 9351 350 6842 514 6196,53
65-69675 573861 5841 537 1573,99
70-74529 739776 7221 306 4613,39
75-79424 407720 2491 144 6562,97
80-84278 428566 126844 5542,19
85-89115 213311 388426 6011,11
90-9428 56591 223119 7880,31
95-994 61418 26522 8790,06
100+2241 3201 544<0,01

Age GroupMaleFemaleTotal%
Total18 607 41719 847 15938 454 576100
0-4982 639928 6621 911 3014.97
5-91 047 830996 2052 044 0355.32
10-14924 671877 7801 802 4514.69
15-191 028 884979 5852 008 4695.22
20-241 257 7031 209 4982 467 2016.42
25-291 464 4381 417 0402 881 4787.49
30-341 647 1471 602 9303 250 0778.45
35-391 561 3961 522 2023 083 5988.02
40-441 354 8991 329 4762 684 3756.98
45-491 166 3581 160 8782 327 2366.05
50-541 211 2941 238 3982 449 6926.37
55-591 386 3031 489 8162 876 1197.48
60-641 256 0351 443 9852 700 0207.0
65-69917 8931 147 7252 065 6185.37
70-74501 311716 2241 217 5353.17
75-79426 059715 6291 141 6882.97
80-84287 908573 415861 3232.24
85+184 649497 711682 3601.77

Demographic statistics

Demographic statistics according to the World Population Review in 2019.
Demographic statistics according to the CIA World Factbook, unless otherwise indicated.
;Population:
;Age structure:
;Median age:
;Birth rate:
;Death rate:
;Total fertility rate:
;Population growth rate:
;Net migration rate:
;Mother's mean age at first birth:
;Infant mortality rate:
;Dependency ratios:
;Life expectancy at birth:
;Urbanization:
;Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
;School life expectancy :
;Unemployment, youth ages 15–24:
;Sex ratio:
;Population distribution:
Population concentrated in the southern area around Krakow and the central area around Warsaw and Lodz, with an extension to the northern coastal city of Gdansk
;Ethnic groups:
Polish 96.9%, Silesian 1.1%, German 0.2%, Ukrainian 0.1%, other and unspecified 1.7%
note: represents ethnicity declared first
;Languages:
Polish 98.2%, Silesian 1.4%, other 1.1%, unspecified 1.3%
note: data represents the language spoken at home; shares sum to more than 100% because some respondents gave more than one answer on the census; Poland ratified the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages in 2009 recognizing Kashub as a regional language, Czech, Hebrew, Yiddish, Belarusian, Lithuanian, German, Armenian, Russian, Slovak, and Ukrainian as national minority languages, and Karaim, Lemko, Romani, and Tatar as ethnic minority languages
;Religions:
Catholic 87.2%, Orthodox 1.3%, Protestant 0.4%, other 0.4%, unspecified 10.8%

Nationalities

97.10% of the people of Poland claim sole or partial Polish nationality, and 98.19% declare that they speak Polish at home. Among minority groups, the largest numbers of respondents claimed Silesian nationality, followed by Kashubian, German, Ukrainian and Belarusian. The statistics on Ukrainians do not include recently arrived migrant workers, which a report by the National Bank of Poland estimated at around 1 million in 2015.

Largest metropolitan and urban areas

AreaESPON Eurostat LUZ :pl:Ministerstwo Rozwoju Regionalnego|Ministry of Regional DevelopmentUnited Nations Demographia.comCitypopulation.deScientific study by Scientific study by Swianiewicz, Klimska
Katowice 3,029,0002,710,3973,239,2003,069,0002,500,0002,775,0002,746,0002,733,000
Warsaw2,785,0002,660,4062,680,6002,194,0002,030,0002,375,0002,631,9002,504,000
Kraków1,236,0001,264,3221,227,200818,000750,000Not listed1,257,5001,367,000
Łódź1,165,0001,163,5161,061,600974,000950,0001,060,0001,178,0001,129,000
Gdańsk993,0001,105,2031,220,800854,000775,000No data1,098,4001,210,000
Poznań919,0001,018,5111,227,200No data600,000No data1,011,200846,000
Wrocław861,0001,031,4391,136,900No data700,000No data1,029,800956,000
Szczecin721,000878,314724,700No data500,000No dataNo data755,806

Demographics by town

Demographics by voivodeship

Immigration

Immigration to Poland has only picked up recently after 2014, when unemployment started falling and more workforce was needed. Most migration is temporary, with workers arriving for 3 to 12 months and then returning home with the earned money. Some of them stay long enough to acquire permanent and long-term stay permits, but the actual amount of migrants in Poland is far higher. On June 4th GUS published an estimate of foreigners residing in Poland as of 31st December 2019, which amounted to 2,106,101 people, the biggest groups being citizens of Ukraine, Belarus, Germany, Moldova, Russia, India, Georgia, Vietnam, Turkey, China and 360,541 people representing all other nationalities.


NationalityPopulation
233,828
27,929
21,019
12,815
11,699
10,174
8,485
8,234
6,860
6,336
5,889
5,690
5,362
4,948
4,450
3,366
3,030
2,593
2,505
2,477

Ethnic groups

Population background%Population
European98.637,962,000
European Union98.237,813,000
Ethnic Polish 97.737,602,000
Other EU member states 0.5211,000
European Other 0.4149,000
Other background 0.129,000
Mixed or unspecified background1.4521,000
Total population10038,512,000

Religions

Languages