Poland faces rapid population decline and aging, GUS reports

New data from Statistics Poland (GUS) reveals a significant demographic decline in the country. By the end of 2025, Poland's population fell to approximately 37.33 million, representing a decrease of over 157,000 people compared to the previous year. This real rate of decline stands at -0.42 percent.

The population shrinkage is driven by a persistent negative natural increase, a trend continuing since 2013. In 2025, there were approximately 406,000 deaths compared to fewer than 240,000 births. The fertility rate has dropped to 1.068 children per woman, significantly below the replacement level of 2.1 to 2.15.

As the population shrinks, the society is also aging rapidly. The median age has risen to approximately 44 years, while the proportion of children and youth (ages 0-17) has decreased to 17.7 percent. The working-age population has also declined to 21.7 million, or 58.2 percent of the total population, with a growing number of residents falling into the non-mobile elderly age group. These shifts present long-term challenges for the labor market, healthcare systems, and public institutions.