Why are fewer and fewer children being born? What is the birth rate in Poland?.

What is the demographic situation of our country? Today, the number of births in Poland is half of what it was during the last 'baby boom' in 1983. According to a 2015 report by the Central Statistical Office (CSO)[1], one-third fewer children will be born in 2050 than now. Does this mean that we are facing a demographic crisis? Where to look for the culprits? Is it cultural change, the state's family-friendly policies, the impoverishment of society or perhaps a disease such as infertility?

Table of contents

Demographic situation - what is the current birth rate in Poland?

Demographic crisis or (r)evolution?

Declining birth rates - is IVF the future?

Changing mindsets - can it affect birth rates?

Demographic situation - what is the current birth rate in Poland?

The year 2020 was an exceptional year - due to the pandemic situation around the world, many elements of everyday life changed drastically. Despite this, some demographic experts linked the hope of another 'baby boom' to the forced stay-at-home. Ultimately, however, this did not happen - according to the CSO, 355,000 births were registered in 2020[2]. This represents a decrease from the previous year of almost 20,000 births.      

Demographic crisis or (r)evolution?

However, this is not an entirely new phenomenon - a significant demographic decline began as early as the 1990s. The problem of the 'one-child generation' emerged then. If a couple wanted to have a child, it was usually one, sometimes two, which was not without consequences for births in the next generation.

What else has affected the birth rate in Poland in recent decades? The reason for the declining fertility rate was the world-view and economic changes after 1989. The opportunities brought by the new political system led young people to change their priorities and value system.

- Particularly interesting was the emancipation of women, which was not only about their self-awareness and how they wanted to arrange and realise their life plans. Women opened themselves up to travel, education and to self-education - they started enrolling in postgraduate studies, workshops and training. This is still the case today," says Sylwia Chutnik, president of the MaMa Foundation, writer and cultural expert. - Emancipation processes take place regardless of a woman's political preferences or life values. It does not matter whether she is more liberal or conservative, she is simply a participant in the cultural changes that are taking place, adds Sylwia Chutnik.

The birth rate in Poland is also influenced by the fact that attitudes to motherhood have changed significantly. As the cultural expert points out, women's self-awareness means that they are increasingly postponing the decision to start a family because they have other priorities. They want to enjoy life, to focus on their careers - just like men. Whereas in the 1990s the average age of Polish women having their first child was 23, today it is over 27[3]. A similar trend is observed in other countries. In the USA, the average age of first-time mothers giving birth is 25 (in 1970 it was 21) and in the UK it is 30. The average age of young mothers in Western Europe is 32-33.

- Sometimes you read in the newspapers about a woman having a baby at 40 and that it's late. And yet having a baby at 34-35 is not late motherhood now, it's the norm. That boundary has shifted by 7-9 years since the 1970s. -It is very good that there are various organisations and institutions that are aware of this change and are trying to help women, says Sylwia Chutnik.

The birth rate is not only due to cultural and worldview issues. Another reason discouraging Poles from starting large families is economic anxiety, which has also persisted since the political changes. Lack of prospects for stable employment and providing children with a good start in life have become obstacles to planning early parenthood. -This tendency persists to this day, all the more so as the state's pro-family policy is not very coherent and does not encourage family enlargement,‖ adds Sylwia Chutnik. Even solutions introduced by the government, such as the 500 plus programme, do not seem to improve the situation. 

Declining birth rates - is IVF the future?

The CSO data show an increase in births to women over the age of 30. In 1990, there were 17 per cent of women who became mothers at the age of 30-34. In 2013, this percentage rose to 30 per cent. A similar situation can be observed for the 35-39 age bracket. The percentage increased from 8 per cent to 12 per cent respectively. The number of women who chose to become mothers after the age of 40 also increased, albeit slightly.

Shifting the age at which Polish women give birth may have an impact on lowering the birth rate, especially as age is one of the causes of lower fertility. According to research, the chances of having a child decrease with age - after the age of 40 even to 50%[4].

However, this does not completely rule out the chances of getting pregnant. Nowadays, medicine already provides options for fertility preservation for those who want to have children at a later age or are undergoing cancer treatment. It also provides many methods of combating infertility. Various fertilisation techniques in vitro with a high success rate allow couples who have been trying for many years to have a child and are medically unable to do so naturally to enjoy the pleasures of parenthood. Will in vitro fertilisation one day become a pillar for human reproduction and a prescription for the falling birth rate and demographic crisis? Perhaps yes.

Changing mindsets - can it affect birth rates?

If even the vision of a society augmented by assisted reproduction techniques is too futuristic for some, it is certainly not as unrealistic as it might seem. One in five couples of childbearing age is already struggling with infertility. At the same time, the problem with getting pregnant does not necessarily have to be due to the age of one of the partners[5]. Some of the most common causes include:

• the male factor (e.g. disorders associated with a decrease in parameters semen),
• endometriosis,

• idiopathic infertility,

• ovulation disorders,

• Obstruction or damage to the ovaries,

• defects in the uterine cavity.

The problem of infertility is gaining momentum and the issues surrounding it are hotly debated. Although a CBOS poll from November 2014 shows that almost 80 per cent of respondents supported the possibility of in vitro fertilisation, Polish society is quite polarised. Since 2013, when the 'In vitro fertilisation treatment' programme was launched, 22,188 children have been born thanks to this method[6]. Is there a chance that, in the face of a demographic crisis, Poles will be ready to change the way they think about IVF?

- In vitro has been performed in Poland for many years. This is happening regardless of whether any group accepts it or not. One should be aware that society as a whole will never speak with one voice 'yes' or 'no', because it is too diverse. But this should not be a problem, because it is a question of individual issues and choices. Rather, the question is how to take the debate out of the viciousness we are now seeing and how to help couples who choose IVF. - Sylwia Chutnik, President of the 'MaMa' Foundation, concludes.

Read also:

Genetic testing for couples trying for pregnancy

Does the menopause divert the chance of pregnancy?

Does a man's age matter in achieving pregnancy?

[1] https://stat.gov.pl/files/gfx/portalinformacyjny/pl/defaultaktualnosci/5468/40/3/1/sytuacja_demograficzna_polski_do_2022.pdf

[2] https://www.pap.pl/aktualnosci/news%2C807513%2Csytuacja-demograficzna-polski-do-2020-roku-urodzenia-i-dzietnosc.html

[3] https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/web/products-eurostat-news/-/ddn-20210224-1

[4] https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg22730324-100-when-should-you-get-pregnant-computer-knows-age-to-start-trying/

[5] https://invimed.pl/przyczyny-nieplodnosci

[6] https://oko.press/polski-cud-in-vitro-z-programu-tuska-i-kopacz-wciaz-rodza-sie-dziec/