Demographics of Poland
Encyclopedia : D : DE : DEM : Demographics of Poland
History
Nationalities
96.7% of the people of Poland claim Polish nationality and 97.8% declare to speak Polish at home (Census 2002). The population of Poland became one of the most ethnically homogeneous in the world as a result of the radically altered borders after World War II and the subsequent migrations.Other than the Poles, Poland is also inhabited by:
- Ukrainians, the largest minority group, are scattered in various eastern and northern districts. There is new wave of Ukrainian immigration, now temporary with tendency to settle down in larger cities.
- Lesser numbers of Belarusians and Lithuanians live in areas adjoining Belarus and Lithuania.
- The Jewish community, once numbering 3,474,000, has been almost entirely eradicated due to the German occupation and subsequent emigration. If not for these factors, Jews would likely be Poland's largest minority group, rather than the tiny minority they are today. (See History of Jews in Poland)
- In Silesia a significant segment of the population, of mixed Polish and German ancestry, tends to declare itself as Polish or German according to political circumstances.
- Minorities of Germans remain in Pomerania, Silesia, East Prussia, and Lubusz Land.
- Small populations of Polish Tatars still exist and still practice Islam. Some Polish towns, mainly in northeastern Poland have mosques. Tartar arrived as mercenary soldiers beginning in the late 1300s. The Tatar population reached approximately 100,000 in 1630 but was less than 5,000 in 2000.
- Armenian population is estimated at around 8, 000, with tradition since 14th century. The remainders of pre-war Armenian church organizations serve for the community.
- Russians are scattered around the territory of Poland.
- Czechs live in town of Zelów and near the Czech border.
- Slovaks live in some areas in southern Poland.
- some Greeks live in southeast Poland.
Information from Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights
According to Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights (the Polish Helsinki Committee for Human Rights) there are many numerous autochthonous ethnic groups in Poland. Specifically they estimate the presence of:
- 450,000 to 1,100,000 Germans living mainly in the region of Opole, Katowice and Częstochowa (south-west part of Poland).
- 250,000 to 500,000 Ukrainians At present, their most numerous concentrations are in the north-eastern part of Poland (Olsztyn and Elbląg), north-west (Słupsk and Koszalin) and south-west of Poland (Legnica and Wrocław).
- *Including: 50,000 to 60,000 Lemko-Rusyns.
- 200,000-250,000 Belarusians. They live in close concentrations on south and east area of Białystok.
- 50,000-60,000 Roma. They are dispersed and live on the area of the whole country although their more numerous concentrations are in the south of Poland.
- 15,000 - 25,000 Lithuanians in close concentrations, Suwałki in the north-east of Poland. They prevail on the territory of Puńsk commune where they constitute 80% of inhabitants.
- 15,000 - 25,000 Slovaks. They inhabit two small frontier regions in the Spisz and Orawa (south of Poland, near Polish-Slovak border). Larger concentrations of Slovaks are in Kraków and Silesia region.
- 13,000-15,000 Russians. This society includes also Old Believers who are members of the Eastern Old Believers' Church and account for 2-3 thousand persons living in south-east of Poland.
- 8,000-15,000 Armenians.
- 7,000-15,000 Jews. Its representatives live mainly in large cities like Warsaw, Wrocław and Kraków. They avoid often to consider themselves as "national minority", since they are a religious and cultural minority, not an ethnic one. The pre-Holocaust Jewish population was about 3,474,000.
- 4,000-5,000 Polish-Tatars
- 4,000-5,000 Greeks
- 4,000-5,000 Macedonians.
- 2,000 Czech. Their representatives inhabit south of Poland (region of Opole and Wałbrzych) and town of Zelów (central part of Poland)
Interreg and Eurominority estimates
Estimates by INTEREG and Eurominority, present a similar demographics picture of Poland but they provide estimates only for the most numerous of the autochthonous ethnic groups.According to INTEREG (1994), in Poland there are:
- 900,000 Germans,
- 400,000 Ukrainians,
- 500,000 Kashubians.
- 400,000 - 5,720,000 Ukrainians,
- 900,000 - 1,560,000 Germans,
- 500,000 - 1,500,000 Kashubians,
- 20,000 Lithuanians,
- 19,000 Russians,
- 17,000 Slovaks.
Declared nationality (Census 2002)
36,983,720 Polish 774,885 Not specified 471,475 Non-Polish, or multi-racial, including: 173,153 Silesian 152,897 German 48,700 Belarusian 31,000 Ukrainian 12,900 Roma 6,103 Russian 5,863 Lemko 5,846 Lithuanian 5,062 Kashubian 4,500 Other (including Africans) 2,000 Slovak 1,808 Vietnamese 1,633 French 1,541 American 1,404 Greek 1,367 Italian 1,112 Bulgarian 1,100 Israeli Jews 1,082 Armenian 831 Czech 800 English 500 Tatar 45 Karaite
Biggest cities
- Upper Silesian Metropolitan Area : population(1999): 2,930,800 including
- *Katowice (345,934)
- Warsaw metropolitan area: population(1999): 2,100,000 including
- *Warsaw (1,618,468)
- Kraków metropolitan area: population(1999): 1,239,000 including
- *Kraków (740,666)
- Tricity metropolitan area: population(2001): 1,035,400; including
- *Gdańsk (458,988) (1905 - 159,685)
- *Gdynia (253,521)
- *Sopot (46,000)
- Łódź (806,728)
- Wrocław (650,000)
- Poznań (578,000)
- Bydgoszcz-Toruń metropolitan area: population(2001): 593,000;
- *Bydgoszcz (386,855)
- *Toruń (206,158)
- Szczecin (416,988)
- Opole (128,800)
- Gorzów Wielkopolski (124,445)
- Włocławek (123,373)
- Koszalin (112,375)
- Słupsk (102,370)
Statistical indicators
Population: 38,635,144 (July 2005 est.)
Population growth rate: 0.03% (2005 est.)
Birth rate: 10.78 births/1,000 population (2005 est.)
Death rate: 10.01 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.)
Total immigration: 7,000 migrants (2004)
Total emigration: -20,800 migrants (2004)
Total net migration: -13,800 migrants (2004)
Net migration rate: -0.49 migrants/1,000 population (2004 est.)
Total asylum seekers admited: 4,500 (2004)
Age structure:
0-14 years:
16.7%
15-64 years:
70.3%
65 years and over:
13.0% (2005 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth:
1.06 male(s)/female
under 15 years:
1.05 male(s)/female
15-64 years:
0.99 male(s)/female
65 years and over:
0.62 male(s)/female
total population:
0.94 male(s)/female (2005 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 8.51 deaths/1,000 live births (2005 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
male:
70.3 years
female:
78.8 years (2004 est.)
Total fertility rate: 1.39 children born/woman (2004 est.)
Ethnic groups: Polish 96.7%, German 0.4%, Byelorussian 0.1%, Ukrainian 0.1%, other 0.7%, not declared 2.0% (Census 2002)
Religions: Roman Catholic 89.8% (baptized), Eastern Orthodox 1.3%, Protestant 0.4%, Jehovah's Witnesses 0.3%, Greek Catholic 0.2% (2003 [CSO])
Languages: Polish 97.8% (Census 2002)
Literacy:
definition:
age 15 and over can read and write
total population:
99.8%
male:
99.8%
female:
99.7% (2004 est.)
External links
- [Central Statistical Office for the Republic of Poland]
- [CIA World Factbook 2004]
- [Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights]
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