Sociological and Demographic Analysis of Features of Poland

History
Poland is a country rich with historical change. In order to understand Poland’s current culture, government and economy, it is important to look at its historical past. During the 18^th century, territories in Poland were divided and controlled by Russia, Austria, and Prussia. In 1918, Poland won independent control of its government. In 1920, Poland came under attack of the Soviet Union but in the end defeated them. In September of 1939, Nazi Germany invaded Poland setting of the start of World War II. Sixteen days later, Soviet Union soldiers invaded Poland acting a treaty which was developed between the Soviet Union and Nazi Germany. Tese two countries held control of Poland until 1945, the end of World War II. In 1948, the Soviet Union took control of Poland’s government entirely. In 1989, Poland regained independence of their country.
History has played a key role in racial affairs. During World War II, Jewish residents in Poland were forced in concentration camps by Nazi Germany. Poland is home to one of the most famous of these concentration camps, Auschwitz. Auschwitz was liberated in 1945 by Soviet Union Troops at the end of World War II. A museum was made on the grounds of Auschwitz in 1947 honoring those who lost their lives during this terrible time. The museum is widely visited by an array of different cultures, serving as one of Poland's largest tourist attraction. The picture below shows the main entrance of the camp.
Euro 2012
In 2012, Poland hosted the UEFA European Football Championship, often referred to as Euro 2012. This is the first time in history that Poland has hosted this event. Due to this, Poland saw a large increase on the number of travelers they experienced. In order to fit these football fans, Poland made changes to public transportation and an increase in the number of hotels they have. The match was held in four different venues throughout Poland.

Pictured Above: Fans outside a Warsaw stadium for Euro 2012.

Economy
Poland has a growing economy which is projected to the 24th largest economy in the world by 2050. Poland, only gaining independent control of their country in 1989, has had the task of building an economy from scratch. Remarkably, in the 2008-2009 economic crisis which hit Europe, Poland was the only country to experience growth in terms of their economy. Poland has a wide variety of natural resources and growing industries. Poland is the 3rd largest sulfur producer in the world. In Western Poland, in the city of Lubin, cooper is mined and produced. Poland is also home to the world's oldest salt mines, being a leader in the production of sodium chloride (salt) for most of their history. Poland is one of the world's leading producers of rye,potatoes, apples, pork and milk. Poland also has a growing auto industry since the 1990s. Large auto producers, such as GM, have plants located in Poland.

Gender Inequality
The rights of women in Poland have been increasing since the country's independent takeover in 1989.  Rates of schooling for females and males are beginning to even out with a large focus on universal education by the UN. However, they are still not on par with the rest of the developed world. It was reported that there were 18,659 domestic violence offenses against women in 2010. However, it is speculated that many of these cases go unreported by women who fear the social stigma. Abuse of women is historically prominent in Poland and will not change till social opinion changes. Yet, Poland is taking a step in the right direction. Future development of child abuse prevention projects target abuse as a moral issue. This extends to the rights of women.


Religion
Poland is home to a primary Roman-Catholic population with 89.3% of the population claiming it as their religion. However, as with much of the world, a rate in church attendance has been dropping. Some speculate that strong reliance on the Roman-Catholic faith may decrease as time continues. Yet, with the rates as they are it can be assumed that it will take quite some time for anther religion to be predominant in Poland.

Poland vs. Eastern Europe vs. the World

    In terms of development and population, Poland is quite similar to its region of Eastern Europe. Being that Poland has the third largest population in Eastern Europe; it is not surprising that they would be adding to the average statistics. However, Poland does stand out in interesting areas of health and size. Unlike most developed countries, Poland has a large number of population in a concentrated area. For example, Poland has an average of 122 people per square kilometer. In Europe, there is an average of 30 people per square kilometer. In the world, this number is 51 people per square kilometer. HIV/AIDS is a disease which continues to increase in infection rate in areas of Europe and Central Asia. However, this is not a problem which greatly plagues Poland. In the region of Eastern Europe, 0.7% of male adults aged 15-49 are living with HIV/AIDS. For females, this number is lower at 0.5%. However, in Poland, infection rates are much lower. Only 0.1% of males and less than 0.1% of females aged 15-49 suffer from this disease. Family planning methods are worldwide used in order to limit fertility to the woman’s choice number of children. These methods have increased in use in almost every country as the years continue. However, the percentage of Polish women using family planning methods remains low. In Europe, 70% of women of reproductive age in the population use any family planning method and 56% of women use modern methods. In Poland, 49% of women use any method of family planning and 19% of women use modern methods. Explanations for Poland’s low use of family planning methods may be attributed to their main religious beliefs, of Roman Catholic, which discourages the use of family planning methods.

Resource: World Population Data Sheet 2010. C,Haub 

Demographics of Poland

Poland is beautiful, lively country located in Eastern Europe. It currently holds a population of 38.2 million people. However, the population is projected to decrease within the next decade. By 2025, the population is suspected to decrease to 37.4 million people. In 2050, this number will shrink to 31.8 million people. Fertility and mortality rates stay close to each other with 11 births and 10 deaths per 1,000 people in their population. Infant mortality is lower now than ever before with the rate at only 5.6. The rate of natural increase of the population is 0.1. In order for their population to double in size, it will take 690 years. Poland’s shrinking population may be due to the fact that there is a shrinking fertility rate, as well. The fertility rate is 1.4, below replacement level. Replacement level refers to when a couple has two children enough to replace their role in society for future generations. Poland is home to a diverse population in terms of age ranges currently. The percent of the population under age 15 is 15% and the percent of the population aged 65 and older is 13%. Their net migration rate (immigration minus emigration) is -0 per 1,000 people in the population.  Life expectancy is 76 years old for both sexes, 71 years old for males and 80 years old for females. In terms of areas of residence, 61% of the population is considered to be urban. Based on HIV/AIDS rates in 2007 and 2009, only 0.1% of the population of males in Poland, were infected with the disease. Based on the same statistics, less than 0.1% of the female population is infected in Poland. While these rates are higher than some regions of the world, they are still quite low for Eastern Europe.

Resource: World Population Data Sheet 2010. 

Top 5 Population Problems Currently Facing Poland

1. Dependence on Coal-Mining in Poland

Poland is a country rich with natural resources and is currently a large producer in this area globally. However, in order to keep these resources environmentally conscious and plentiful, Poland must work now to protect them. Poland's largest natural resources are coal, sulfur, cooper, natural gas, silver, lead, salt and amber. Currently, Poland's coal mining industry employs 100,000 people in their country. 93% of Poland's electricity comes from coal fired power plants. Historically, Poland has been a center for coal mining for the last 300 years. Workers in coal mines were considered to be a landmark in the Polish economy. However, in joining the EU, Poland faces a need to meet environmental standards.In order to meet EU demands, Poland agreed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 20% in 2015. In order to do this, Poland must cut back on greenhouse gas emission for coal-mining factories. 

 In December of 2002, Poland officials worked to provide incentive in the decrease of coal mining employees. As part of this plan, the Polish government offers early retirement for coal mine workers. In addition, the government is offering grants for current workers to study in other areas of industry. Polish citizens are resistant to this change, seeing coal mining as a historical form of industry. Protests have been formed but have not proved to make an impact on the government's decision. Alternate sources of power, such as environment-friendly gasoline, are being investigated by the Polish government to replace the coal mining industry. Developments in these areas will allow for Poland to protect its environment and economy.

BBC Video on Coal Mining in Poland

BBC Article on Poland's coal industry

2. Rising Unemployment Rates in Poland
A current issue facing Poland is their rising unemployment rates, specifically of the younger population. In January of 2012, Warsaw Business Journal published an article detailing Poland's rise in unemployment rates. It states that Poland's unemployment reached 12.5%. This number of Poland citizens without jobs reached 1.98 million people by the end of 2011. While unemployment rates are still much lower then form 2000-2006, there has been a growing increase in the last couple years.

Figure 1: The chart above shows the percentage of population that are unemployed in Poland.

3.  Rise in Divorce Rates
Within the past 10 years, Poland has seen a large increase in the number of divorces. This is a problem for the population in terms of the sanity of marriage and the number of children produced in marriage. With a fertility rates below replacement level, Poland is in need of a rise in fertility rates to stop the decrease of their population. Divorce decreases the number of reproductive age women who are sexually active, resulting in lower fertility rates.  From 1994-2004, Poland has seen a growing increase of about 1% per year in divorce rates.

The video above looks at divorce rates in 2010 in Poland.

4. Need for improvement in Poland's health care system
In relation to other European countries, Poland has a health care system that is below par. Poland has a universal health care system where health care is available to all citizens. However, Poland has long wait times for patients to be able to see physicians. In the same respect, they have little access to most up-to-date drugs. Poland ranked 27 out of 34 countries in medical services in the recent Euro Health Consumer Index. Since the last publication of this document in 2009, Poland has not improved any.

Poland's Rank in EHI

5. Rising Food Prices
Throughout the last decade, Poland has been seeing an increase in prices of food. This number only set to increase according to the Polish Federation of Food Industry.It is projected that in 2012, food prices in Poland will raise another 6%. In the EU, Poland has third highest food price inflation.Prices of fruit since December 2011 have increased by 24.3%. 

Top 5 Population Problems Predicted to Impact Poland in 2050

1. Immigration in Poland

In recent decade, Poland has seen an increase in immigration to their country. In July of 2012, Poland created their first amnesty laws in reaction to the increase in immigration.It is approximated that there are 40,000 illegal immigrants currently living  in Poland. The largest percentage of this group is immigrants  of Vietnamese decent, the second largest being of Pakistanis decent, and third largest being of Ukrainian decent. Poland’s government gave an amnesty rule to those living Poland since December of 2007, who have not left the country for a period of longer than six months, are granted a two year residency and permit for the right to work. Opportunities for work and higher income has persuaded immigrants to consider moving to Poland.

Poland has a developing economy which is set to increase greatly by 2050. Based on the HSBC report of shifting economies in 2050, Poland  is projected to be home to the 24th largest economy in the world. With this increasing economy also comes an increase in income. In 2010, Poland had an income per capita of $6,563. By 2050, it is projected that Poland will have an income per capita of $24,547. Immigration can be expected to increase due to job opportunities and hopes for higher income. Poland's shrinking population, set to decrease by 7 million people in 2050, leaves the range of working-age citizens to drop. As a result, Poland will need more immigrant workers to support this growing economy. Growing populations in lesser developed countries are turning out a large number of working-age individuals. The increase in working-age individuals in these populations will lead to an increase in unemployment when job opportunities dwindle due to large populations. Working-age individuals from these countries will be forced to look for economic opportunities in other areas of the world, such as Poland.

 BBC Article on Poland's amnesty rule
HSBC 2050 report

2. Aging Population in Poland
Poland's shrinking population is also becoming a rapidly aging population. In 2010, 13% of Poland's population was aged 65 or over. In 2010, life expectancy for Poland was at 76 years old for both sexes. Medical advances and possible reforms in health care ensure that Poland's life expectancy will only continue to grow. With an aging population, Poland is experiencing a decrease in working-age individuals. The elderly support ratio looks at the number of working-age individuals to support an elderly person. In 2010 in Poland, there were 5 working age individuals to every one elderly person. By 2050, this number is set to drop to 2 working-age individuals for every one elderly person. Poland's growing economy may face a new problem in establishing care for elderly residents.
In response to the increase in life expectancy, Poland has been making changes to their retirement age. In May 2012, lawmakers approved an increase in retirement age for Poland residents. The age of retirement is set to increase annually. By 2020, male residents will have a retirement age of 67 years old, compared to their current age of 65. By 2040, women resident will have a retirement age of 67 years old as well, compared to their current age of 60. In response to this, protests were seen in Poland by residents unhappy with this change. Yet, Poland lawmakers passed this law to keep up with economic development and changes increased life expectancy.
Yahoo News Article: Poland's lawmakers approve retirement age hike

3. Pollution and Environmental Concerns
Poland is currently facing a problem in meeting EU standards for greenhouse gas emissions. However, pollution will serve to be a large problem for Poland in 2050. Poland is facing problems in disposal of hazardous waste, sulfur dioxide emission from coal-fired power plants, and forest damage due to acid rain. In 2050, air pollution is projected to be the top environmental cause of premature mortality. If this proves to be true, Poland may see an increase in morality rates in 2050, shrinking their population further. Water quality may also be a problem if Poland does not show any improvement. In 2012, it was reported that 77% of people said they were satisfied with water quality in Poland. This number is lower then the OECD average of 85%.
OECD Environmental Life Survey

4. Health Care for Elderly Population
As previously stated, Poland is seeing the largest aging population they have ever experienced. As a result, there is going to be a need for an increase in health programs for the elderly. In 2050, when the elderly population is at its highest historically, Poland will face a population problem of providing proper care for the elder population. Poland has been developing programs encouraging the youth population and visitors from other countries to volunteer time with the elderly to provide companionship. A problem currently with Poland's health care system is the amount of wait time for an individual to see a physician. In terms of the elderly, problems presented such as combination of diseases can result in higher morality rates if the problem is not addressed in a timely fashion. However, lack of nursing homes and available physicians will serve problems for Poland's elderly population in 2050.

5. Shrinking Working Age Population
With the growing elderly population in Poland, there is a decrease in working aged individuals. A decrease in working age individuals means that Poland's workforce could slowly decrease by 2050. With Poland's growing economy, more jobs will continue to appear requiring individuals to fill the role of workers. In order to meet this need, Poland will most likely depend on immigration to fulfill economic needs. Lack of immigration could cause Poland's growing economy to reach financial troubles. Poland, not being able to keep up with their economy, will lose their economic strength and influence.

UN Millennium Development Goals and Poland's Place

There are eight UN Millennium Development Goals which were set to establish a target goal for nations on the world’s most pressing issues. These targets are meant to be met by 2015.


 1.The first goal is to end poverty and world hunger. To meet the first target for this goal, the percentage of people living, between 1990 and 2015, on less than $1 USD day should decrease by 50% by 2015. In Poland in 2009, 0.1% of the population lived on less than $1 USD a day. However, it is reported that 2.6 million Polish resident, 6.7% of the population were living in extreme poverty in 2011. A 1% rise since 2010. The second target is to achieve full and productive employment and decent work for all including women and young people. In order to investigate gender differences in work, the employment-to-population ratio by sex can be viewed to account for differences in gender equality. Poland’s employment-to-population ratio for males was 58.1 in 2010. For females, it was 43.4.The difference in ratio shows developments in gender equality but still uneven rates of employment. In looking at age, Poland had a youth unemployment rate was 22.4 for both sexes in 2012. This is calculated by the ratio of youth to adult unemployment rates. The third target for this goal states the proportion of people who suffer from hunger should be reduced by 50%. In 2007, Poland only had 5% of their population estimated as being undernourished. Reducing this number to 2.5% will be a target Poland will most likely be able to meet by 2015.

 2.The second UN Millennium Development Goal is to achieve universal primary education. This goals target is to ensure by 2015, that children of both sexes in all countries are able to complete a full course of primary schooling. Poland is coming close to reaching 100% for both genders attendance in full course primary schooling. In 2010, 96.1% of males and 95.9% of females attended a full course in primary schooling. Of the youth in Poland, 100% of children both female and male are literate. Increasing positive views on education and the opportunity for all to be schooled in Poland make it very possible to meet 100% in the next three years.

3. The third UN Millennium Development Goal is to promote gender inequality and empower women. The target is to demolish gender disparity in all levels of education. Enrollment in secondary schooling in Poland was 92% for males and 94% for females. Since gender inequality is more of a problem in Poland, than in other European nations, it is promising to see higher rates of female enrollment in secondary school. With growing education of woman, education of females will only continue to enhance as knowledge is shared about benefits of education.

 4. The forth UN Millennium Development Goal is to reduce child morality. The target for this goal is to reduce by two-thirds the mortality rate of children under five years old. In Poland, of children under-five years old, there were 6 deaths per 1,000 live births in 2010. For children 0-1 years old, there are 5 deaths per 1,000 live births in 2010. Available health care in Poland allows for prevention and treatment in many diseases which cause mortality of children in other areas of the world. In Poland, 98% of children were vaccinated for measles by age one in 2010. Similarly, 96% of children in were vaccinated for polio by age one in 2010. In 2010, there were also no deaths due to either of these diseases in children under 5 years old.

5. The fifth UN Millennium Development Goal is to improve maternal health which states that the Maternal Morality Ratio should be decreased by three quarters by 2015. In addition, it strives to achieve universal access to reproductive health. In Poland in 2010, there were 5 maternal deaths per 100,000 live births. Maternal health is protected by Poland’s medical providers and access to health care. Of births in Poland, 99.9% of them were performed by skilled health professionals in 2005. Having a medical staff after birth ensures the safety of the mother and child. As a result, Poland’s maternal mortality will continue to stay low or even decrease.

            The sixth UN Millennium Development Goal is to combat HIV/AIDS, Malaria and other life-threatening diseases. The first target of this goal is to halt and reverse the spread of HIV/AIDS. Poland has some of the lowest rates of HIV/AIDS in Europe, with only 0.1% of the population for males and less than 0.1% for females. The second target is to achieve by 2010 universal care of HIV/AIDS. Poland has universal health care for resident, including the treatment of HIV/AIDS. This goal also encompasses halting and reversing the spread of malaria and other diseases. TB has a prevalence rate of 29.0 per 100,000 population. The death rate from TB is only 2.0 per 100,000 population. Prevalent diseases in Poland range from the mumps and measles to rubella. Diseases such as malaria and yellow fever are not seen in Poland. Decreases the spread of disease and keeping HIV/AIDS low in Poland will continue with these rates to meet their 2015 projection goals.


7. The seventh UN Millennium Development Goal is to ensure environmental stability. The first goal is to integrate the principles of sustainable development into country policies and programs and reverse the loss of environmental resources. Poland has a large number of natural resources which is not set to diminish in the next 50 years.  It also looks to reduce biodiversity loss and lower the percentage of population without safe drinking water and sanitation by 50%.  In urban areas, 96% of the population is using improved sanitation. In rural areas, 80% of the population is using improved sanitation. By 2020, to have achieved a significant improvement in the lives of at least 100 million slum dwellers. Poland has not offered much economic help from slum dwellers and has no population in an area designated slum.

8. The eighth and last UN Millennium Development Goal is to develop a global partnership for development. Nations should develop further an open, rule-based, predictable, non-discriminatory trading and financial system. In doing this, the partnership would address the special needs of least developed countries. In joining the EU in 2004, Poland united with nations in order to meet goals of development. They would also address the special needs of landlocked developing countries and small island developing states. In addition, they would deal comprehensively with the debt problems of developing countries and, in cooperation with pharmaceutical companies, provide access to affordable essential drugs in developing countries. Poland is currently facing a medical issue of not having access to up-to-date drugs. As a result, they will need to increase their accessibility before helping other nations. In cooperation with the private sector, they would also make available benefits of new technologies, especially information and communications. Poland is not a lead in technological advances but is placing more emphasis on its development. They recently received money from China in order to start this development.