New data from the Polish state research agency CBOS reveal that only 32% of women aged between 18 and 45 in Poland declare they are planning to have children. This figure represents a sharp decline compared with 2017, when it was 41%. 

Despite the implementation of governmental pro-family policies such as the 500+ allowance, recent years have seen a constant decline in Poland’s fertility rate. 

According to the CBOS study, merely 17% of women aged 18-45 plan to have children in the next three to four years, and only 15% say they plan to do so in the longer term. In the meantime, 68% of the surveyed women declare that either they do not plan to have children or they do not know whether they will.

When a similar survey was conducted back in 2017, one in four Polish women declared they were planning to have children in the near future, while 16% in the longer term and 59% had no such plans or did not know.

The recent poll also differentiates the gathered answers based on the criteria if a given woman already has children or not. This is a crucial element to keep in mind, which puts back the overall conclusions of the survey in perspective. 

When it comes to childless women, the survey indicates that 59% plan to have children in the short- or long-term future, compared to 78% in 2017.

Among women with one child, 45% they planned to have another in 2017. This figure dropped to 35% as of 2023. Among those with two or more children, the statistics diminished slightly, from 9% to 7%.

It’s worth noticing that over 85% of Polish women aged 18-28 – who don’t have children – are planning to have them in the future. 

Image: Pixabay

Author: Sébastien Meuwissen