Around 40 per cent of Poland’s population is expected to be aged over 60 in less than 30 years, according to a new report published by the Polish Statistics Agency (GUS). 

(The analysis also looks at the toll of the pandemic on elderly people, including limited access to healthcare and growing numbers living in extreme poverty.)

9.8 million people were aged 60 or more by the end of the year 2020. GUS forecasts that the figure will continue to rise, reaching 10.8 million people in 2030 and even 13.7 million by the half of the century. 

The growing percentage of elderly citizens obviously goes hand in hand with problems related to the country’s pensions scheme. There are currently less than 3 that number is set to shrink much further.

The proportion of elderly people is higher in cities (nearly 28 per cent) compared to rural areas (almost 23 per cent). The highest share of seniors is currently living in the Central voivodeship of Łódź (28 per cent), while the lowest is to be found in the Southern Małopolska voivodeship (nearly 24 per cent).

The GUS report reveals that over 9 per cent of elderly deaths in 2020 were caused by a coronavirus. Interestingly, the numerous epidemiological restrictions also raised mortality rates among the elderly by limiting their access to healthcare. 

As a result, Poland even recorded the highest excess death rate in the European Union. The report shows that around ten per cent fewer medical consultations were held for those aged 65 years and more in 2020. 

In 2020, 412,800 people aged 60 years and over died in Poland, which constituted 86.5 per cent of all deaths. Strangely enough, this did not stop the trend of an ageing population as the birth rate also fell by 5.2 per cent compared to 2019.

Over 85 per cent of those aged 60 and more were no longer active in the labour force in 2020. This may indicate that they were living off their pensions, savings or any other form of support.

Author: Sébastien Meuwissen

Photo: Unsplash