Eurostat lowers Poland’s 2100 population forecast by 4 million

Poland’s population is set to fall 32% by 2100, more than previously thought, according to a new forecast by Eurostat, the European Union’s statistics agency.

It predicts that the population, which currently stands at around 37.5 million, will drop to just 25.6 million by 2100. That is almost four million less than the figure of 29.5 million predicted by Eurostat just three years ago,

The figures highlight the scale of the demographic crisis faced by Poland, which has one of the world’s lowest fertility rates and where the number of deaths has outnumbered births for the last 13 years running.

Poland seeking to attract more foreign students to offset demographic decline

Poland is taking steps to attract more foreign students to help its universities offset lower levels of enrolment due to demographic decline, the country’s higher education minister has announced.

Marcin Kulasek told the Polish Press Agency (PAP) that Turkey, South Korea, Vietnam and Uzbekistan are among the countries where the government has been seeking to cultivate stronger academic ties.

Two million foreigners now legally resident in Poland, making up 5% of the population

The number of foreigners with residence permits in Poland has reached two million, making up just over 5% of the country’s population, new government data show. The largest national group by far are Ukrainians, followed by Belarusians and Indians.

Poland has experienced unprecedented levels of immigration over the last decade. For six years running, between 2017 and 2022, it issued more first residence permits to immigrants from outside the European Union than did any other member state.

Those numbers were bolstered further by the mass arrival of refugees from neighbouring Ukraine after Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022.