Based on the most recent CBOS survey, 83% of Poles believe that Poland is a safe country to live in, while only 13% hold the opposite view. Furthermore, 96% of respondents feel that their immediate surroundings (district, neighbourhood, or village) are safe and peaceful.
The Polish population feels a strong sense of safety and security in their country. This is backed by numerous public opinion surveys which indicate that a significant majority of the population feel safe within the borders of Poland despite the presence of a large-scale war beyond the eastern border. This statistic reflects positively on the overall condition of the Polish state. Moreover, when considering local contexts, the sense of security reaches even higher levels, exceeding 90%.
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However, according to a February 2023 survey, 73% of Poles believe that the Ukraine war threatens Poland’s security. Another CBOS report indicates that 42% of citizens believe that there is a threat to Poland’s independence.
According to CBOS 8 out of 10 Poles feel safe in their country. The survey question posed to respondents is: „Do you think Poland is a safe country to live in?” As of June last year, data indicates that 83% of those surveyed answered positively, while 13% believed the country to be unsafe. Only 4% of respondents did not express an opinion on the matter.
During a recent discussion on the „Rymanowski’s Breakfast on Polsat News and Interia” program (org. „Śniadanie Rymanowskiego w Polsat News i Interii”), politician Błażej Poboży commented on the impact of the ongoing Russian-Ukrainian war on life in Poland. The topic of current issues that Poles may discuss at their Easter tables was raised by the politicians, and Poboży observed that many of the challenges facing Poland are rooted in the conflict in the east. Despite this, he also pointed out that the state’s ability to ensure the safety and security of its citizens is a significant achievement. The politician referred to public opinion polls that consistently show that the majority of Poles feel secure in their country and their local neighbourhoods.
The latest CBOS report shows that men are more likely than women to express a belief in the safety of Poland. Similarly, middle-aged and older respondents (over 45 years old) are more likely to share this opinion, while among the youngest group surveyed (aged 18 to 24), the level of negative opinions reached as high as 22%. Poles in good socio-economic situations are more likely to perceive Poland as a safe place to live, with people from families with high per capita incomes (over PLN 4,000; 91%) and those who consider their financial situation as good (87%) being most likely to express a sense of security. Additionally, right-wing individuals are more likely to believe in safety (91%) compared to those with left-wing or centrist views, with 75% and 86%, respectively.
In March 2022, just after the outbreak of war, as many as 85% of Poles felt cause for concern. Nearly half of those surveyed (47%) strongly agreed that war threatens our security.
However, one year after the start of the Russian invasion, this percentage dropped to 73%. A quarter of Poles (23%) did not view the war as a threat to their nation’s security. A different CBOS report, which was released in June 2022, found that 42% of Poles believed that there was a risk to Poland’s independence. This represented a 12-point increase compared to the previous poll conducted in 2020. The most significant rise in this regard occurred between 2013 and 2014, going from 16% to 41%.
Author: Patrycja Bodzek-Kurzyńska
Photo: Pixabay
