Demographics of Poland.html



The demographics of Poland describe the make-up of the country of Poland. A number of censuses have assessed this data, including a national census in 2002, and a survey by the Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights (HFHR), which confirmed there are numerous autochthonous ethnic groups in Poland. 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.

Historical

For more details on this topic, see Historical demography of Poland.

Nationalities

96.7% of the people of Poland claim Polish nationality, and 97.8% declare that they 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. This homogeneity is a result of post-World War II deportations ordered by the Soviet authorities, who wished to remove the sizable Polish minorities from Lithuania, Belarus and Ukraine.

Other than the Poles, Poland is also inhabited by:

Armenians

Armenian population is estimated at between 8,000 to 15,000, with tradition since 14th century, when around 50,000 Armenians settled down in Poland.^[1] The remains of pre-war Armenian church organizations serve for the community. The Armenian-orthodox community converted to Catholicism in the 18th century. There is still an Armenian church in formerly Polish Lwow (now Lviv in Ukraine) with clergy that preach in the Armenian language. Through successive immigrations, the Armenians in Poland gradually formed a colony.

Belarusians

For more details on this topic, see Belarusian minority in Poland.

In the Polish census of 2002, 48,700 people declared they belong to this group.^[2]

They live in close concentrations on south and east area of Białystok, near and in areas adjoining Belarus and Lithuania.

Czechs

According to the Polish census of 2002, 386 Czechs live in Poland,^[2] many of them in Zelów or near the Czech border. Arguably, the most famous Pole with Czech roots is painter Jan Matejko.

Germans

For more details on this topic, see German minority in Poland.

Germans remain in Pomerania, Silesia, East Prussia and Lubusz Land. The current estimates based on the 2002 census gives 147 094 Germans living mainly in the region of Opole, Katowice and Częstochowa (south-west part of Poland).^[2]

Greeks

Some 4 - 5,000 Greeks live in central and southeast Poland, most of whom came in 1949, after the Greek Civil War. It is estimated that after this conflict, some 14 000 Greeks came to Poland, settling mainly in the town of Zgorzelec in Lower Silesia. In the course of the time, most of them returned to their homeland or moved to Germany. Among famous Poles of Greek origin, are a popular pop singer Eleni Tzoka, drummer Milo Kurtis (who played in such bands as Maanam and Voo Voo), and guitar virtuoso Apostolis Anthimos from the legendary progressive rock band SBB.^{citation needed}

Jews

For more details on this topic, see History of the Jews in Poland.

The Jewish community, once numbering 3,474,000, was almost entirely eradicated, due to the Holocaust, in which the Nazis murdered most of the Jewish population of Poland during WW2, and subsequent forced emigration. If not for the Holocaust, they would probably constitute Poland's largest minority group (see History of the Jews in Poland). The current estimated Jewish population of Poland is about 1,000 (according to the 2002 census).^[2] Its representatives live mainly in large cities like Warsaw, Wrocław, Kraków and Lublin. Many Polish Jews often avoid referring to themselves as members of a "national minority", as they consider Jews in Poland to be a religious and cultural minority, not an ethnic one.

Kashubians

INTEREG estimated there are up to 500,000 Kashubians in Poland.^{citation needed} In the Polish census of 2002, however, only 5,100 people declared Kashubian nationality, although 51,000 declared Kashubian as their native language.^{citation needed}

Lithuanians

For more details on this topic, see Lithuanian minority in Poland.

There are 5,639 Lithuanians in Poland, according to the 2002 census.^[2] They live in close concentrations, in Suwałki in the north-east of Poland, and in the territory of Puńsk commune where they constitute 80% of inhabitants.

Macedonians

There are 4,000 to 5,000 Macedonians in central and southern Poland.^{citation needed}

Roma

There are 12,731 Roma in Poland, according to the 2002 census.^[2] They are dispersed and live on the area of the whole country, although their more numerous concentrations are in the south of Poland.

Russians

Russians are scattered around the territory of Poland but mostly reside in eastern Poland. There are 3244 Russians in Poland, according to the 2002 census.^[2] The HFHR estimated around 13,000-15,000 Russians are in Poland.^{citation needed} This society includes also Old Believers who are members of the Eastern Old Believers' Church and account for 2,000–3,000 persons living in the south-east of Poland.

Slovaks

Slovaks live in some areas in southern Poland, to the number of 1710 according to the Polish 2002 census.^[2] Polish Slovaks inhabit two small frontier regions in the Spisz and Orawa (south of Poland, near Polish-Slovak border). Larger groups of Slovaks are in Kraków and Silesia region.

Tatars

Small populations of Polish Lipka Tatars still exist and still practice Islam. Some Polish towns, mainly in northeastern Poland (in Podlaskie Voivodeship) have mosques. Tartars arrived as mercenary soldiers beginning in the late 1300s. The Tatar population reached approximately 100,000 in 1630 but the 2002 census showed only 447 people declaring this nationality.^[2]

Ukrainians

For more details on this topic, see Ukrainian minority in Poland.

Ukrainians are scattered in various eastern and northern districts. In the Polish census of 2002 27,172 people declared they belong to this group.^[2]

Additional

There are also national groups of Americans, Turks, Hungarians, French, Italians, Serbs, Croats, Bulgarians, Romanians, Georgians, Africans, Palestinians, other Arabs, Kurds and Vietnamese, who constitute small ethnic communities within major cities such as Warsaw, Kraków, and Gdańsk.

Slavic peoples are the majority of the Polish nation, but Poland isn't entirely Slavic when one considers the historic presence of Germanic peoples into the region. Past migrations and settlement of Danish, Swedish, Dutch and Flemings in the Baltic sea coasts under Prussian rule from the 12th to the 17th centuries left a Germanic influence in Kashubian, Pomeranian and Silesian cultures.

Declared nationality (Census 2002)

See also: Polish census of 2002

• 36,983,720 Polish
• 774,885 Not specified
• 471,475 Non-Polish, or multi-racial, including:
  • 173,153 alleged 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

Statistical indicators

Demographics of Poland, Data of FAO, year 2005 ; Number of inhabitants in thousands.

Population: 38,116,000 (Dec 2007 est.)

Population growth rate: -0.05% (2007 est.)

Birth rate: 10.20 births/1,000 population (2007 est.)

There were 389,000 births in 2007 compared to 374,244 in 2006. [1]

Death rate: 9.90 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.)

There were 372,000 deaths in 2007 compared to 369,000 in 2006. [2]

Total immigration: +70,300 migrants (2006)

Total emigration: -322,200 migrants (2006)

Total net migration: -251,100 migrants (2006)

Net migration rate: -6.90 migrants/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Total asylum seekers admitted: 94,500 (2006)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 21.7%
15-64 years: 65.3%
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.)

• TFR was 1.267 in 2006. [3]

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 88%, Eastern Orthodox 1.3%, Jehovah's Witnesses 0.6%, Protestant 0.4%, Greek Catholic 0.2% (2006)

• see Religion in Poland and Catholic Church in Poland

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.)

Urban demographics

Notes

External links

• Central Statistical Office for the Republic of Poland
• Commonwealth of Diverse Cultures: Poland's Heritage
• CIA World Factbook 2004
• Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights
• Poland - Population and ethnic composition
• Armenians in Poland
• Poland's president expresses regret over 1947 Akcja Wisla
• INTEREG