There has never been a crisis like this before. Terrifying information

• In Poland, the number of births has been systematically decreasing year by year.
• Such a rapid rate of depopulation could seriously threaten the sustainability of pension and healthcare systems.
• If urgent action is not taken, the effects of these changes could be permanent and difficult to reverse.

According to the Birth Gauge website, the fertility rate in Poland may reach 1.03 in 2025. It indicates the number of children that a static woman gives birth to. Let us recall that to ensure simple generation replacement, the fertility rate should be at the level of 2.1.

According to "Rzeczpospolita", in 2017 it was 1.45 in Poland, after which it began to fall. "In 2023, according to official data from the Central Statistical Office, it was 1.16. In 2024, experts estimated it at 1.11," we read.

What do the presented data mean for our country? Mateusz Łakomy, author of the book "Demography is the Future" in an interview with the daily indicated that maintaining the fertility rate at around 1.0 may cause the population of Poland to shrink to 10 million by the end of the 21st century.

In his opinion, such a rapid shrinking of the population and the associated ageing of society would have a devastating impact on the pension and healthcare systems as well as on all services financed by the state, reports "Rz".

As the expert noted, Poland must prepare for the upcoming public finance crisis and do everything to improve the fertility rate.

Demographics in Poland. We have a serious problem with the number of births

As we wrote in WNP, according to experts, previous family support programs, such as 800 plus, were aimed at improving the demographic situation, but their effectiveness is limited. Although they increased the financial security of families, they did not significantly affect fertility rates .

Poland therefore needs more comprehensive and long-term solutions that will take into account the financial stability of families and encourage combining motherhood with professional activity. Personnel Service pointed out that one potential solution could be an income tax exemption for working mothers - following the example of Hungary. What does it involve?

• From October 2024, in Hungary, mothers with at least three children are completely and forever exempt from income tax.
• In 2026, the relief will be extended to mothers with two children, gradually expanding to other age groups.
• Thanks to this, the income of large families will increase by up to 18.9 percent annually.
• In practice, this means that a woman earning the equivalent of PLN 6,000 gross per month will have up to PLN 1,000 more in her pocket each month.

Krzysztof Inglot, a labor market expert and founder of Personnel Service, believes that demography is one of Poland's biggest challenges. "If we do not take immediate action, the effects will be irreversible - both for the labor market and the pension system. We need to think long-term and create conditions that will not only encourage having children, but also ensure financial stability for families, regardless of their income level. Exemption from income tax for working mothers, following the example of Hungary, could be a real pro-family impulse," he emphasizes.