Poland’s birth rate hit a new low in November 2024, a newspaper has reported, as the country’s long-term fertility decline continues.
The Puls Biznesu daily wrote on Tuesday that “the most recent data published by Statistics Poland (GUS) state that in November 2024 there were as few as 18,500 births.
“That is the lowest monthly rate since at least the Second World War.”
The previous record low was seen in June 2024, when 19,000 children were born.
Puls Biznesu said that the gradual drop in the number of births, alongside a stable number of deaths, is leading to a natural decrease in population.
In 1989, the Polish population reached 40 million. Since then, it has fallen to around 37.5 million.
Poland is one of many countries in the European Union struggling with a declining number of babies being born. According to data for 2023 from Statista.com, the Polish fertility rate—the average number of children born per woman—is 1.47, just below the EU average of 1.5.
The yearly death rate in Poland currently exceeds the birth rate by 156,500, which suggests that the gradual depopulation would keep progressing if a plan is set in place to stop it.
The newspaper reasoned that the fall in the population could trigger wider societal issues, including fewer people being economically active and the health system and retirement programs becoming overwhelmed.
The article argued that there are two possible ways forward.
“The first would be to increase immigration. The second - larger investments in capital, which could gradually replace labor.”