FINDINITIATIVE: Country focus

POLAND

Poland is an EU member with a growing GDP that avoided recession following the 2008 financial crisis and is known as a major recipient of the EU funds. Nevertheless, despite increasing salaries and decreasing unemployment and poverty, four of the EU's poorest regions are located in Poland (source: Eurostat) and it remains a country of contrasts, still affected by socio-economic disparities and inequalities. While many cities have significantly developed in recent years, attracting foreign companies and investors, many regions are lagging behind. It is expected to take Poland 14 more years to reach the EU average level of remuneration. Many of Poland's 38 million citizens have not benefited from the transformation - as many as 40% face scarcity. Air pollution in Poland is the worst in the EU, according to the European Air Quality Index - over 80% of Poles have been exposed to PM10 levels above the EU standards. Pollution is linked to 45,000 premature deaths per year in Poland, according to WHO.

AVERAGE SALARIES

According to the 2017 report by Statistics Poland, the average monthly gross salaries at SME's that employ 9 and more people have increased to 4347 PLN/1027 Euro in 2018, however 66.2% employees were paid less and the most common remuneration was 2074 PLN/490 Euro. 17.5% earned below 2173 PLN/514 Euro gross and 9% were paid the statutory minimum of 1850 PLN/437 Euro gross. The data analised by Statistics Poland for calculating national average concerns only SMEs that employ more than 8 people, i.e. only 4.3% of all employers and 60% of Poles. Therefore, it is not representable for the whole population.

POVERTY

According to the Statistics Poland (GUS), 5% of Poles (almost 2 million people) in 2016 were affected by extreme poverty (living on less than 550 PLN/130 Euro per month), 14% by relative poverty (less than 770 PLN/182 Euro per month) and 40% - by scarcity. According to the study, in some of Poland's 16 counties, as many as 23% of inhabitants were affected by relative poverty. In 5 counties extreme poverty affected between 7.5% and 9% of the population. Among the groups at the highest risk of extreme poverty were farmers and families with disabled children. Almost half (47%) of single parents were at risk of poverty.

The authors of the annual 'Report on Poverty' (based on surveying over 33 thousand impoverished households) found that 1 in 3 seniors could not afford to spend more than 2.60 Euro per day (including bills), 1 in 5 families lived together in one-room apartments and 1 in 6 families did not have a toilet at home. One in four single parents could not afford to buy medicines for their children or themselves and one in seven families could not afford to pay for medicines or tooth care. In 2016, 771 children were taken to foster care due to extreme poverty affecting their families and 33,400 people were homeless.

SENIORS

In 2016, pensioners constituted 35% of all Polish citizens and 82% of this group were retired. Their average disposable income (including pension and sporadic employment, which constitutes 9% of the average income) was 1475 PLN/349 Euro. According to the 2016 study by GUS, on average, pensioners were spending 50% of their monthly income on food and house bills and over 8% on health-related expenses, such as medicines. The average pension for women was 345 Euro net - but in 2016, 294,000 retired Polish women lived on 217 Euro (900 PLN) per month or less. 5% of all pensioners were affected by extreme poverty, i.e. they lived at the minimum level of existence (550 PLN/130 Euro). Over 10% of the poorest pensioners in 2016 did not have a toilet at home and over 11% did not have hot water.

UNEMPLOYMENT

While generally the unemployment has been steadily decreasing and in 2017 in Warsaw and 4 other large cities it was lower than 3%, in some regions it was as high as 29.3% (Szydłowiecki Poviat). There are many regions in Poland where job options are limited, resulting in the local population's high dependence on social security benefits (the unemployed receive support in the amount of 172 Euro per month for 12 months) and in social inequalities within the country.

ENVIRONMENT

Fuel poverty affects over 12% of Poles, according to the latest report by the Institute for Structural Research, meaning that 4.6 million Poles cannot afford to sufficiently heat their homes. 25% of them are retired or disabled and 20% are farmers. Pollution in Poland is the worst in the EU, according to the European Air Quality Index, which largely results from the fact that the impoverished households use poor quality fuel, often burning toxic rubbish to heat homes. Over 80% of people in Poland have been exposed to PM10 levels above the EU standards (European Environment Agency). Pollution is linked to 45,000 premature deaths per year, according to WHO.

HEALTHCARE

Meanwhile, the waiting time for state-financed medical services often exceeds 12 months (e.g. according to the 2017 report by the Watch Healthcare Foundation, patients have to wait over 10 months for a consultation with an endocrinologist and almost 6 for consultation with a neurosurgeon, children wait 4 months on average for a consultation with a cardiologist; waiting time for a hip arthroscopy exceeds 14 months, for a Spine MRI it exceeds 9 months and for cataract removal - 22 months).

DOMESTIC VIOLENCE

In 2017, there were over 92,000 victims of domestic violence, 90% of them were women and children - an increase compared to 2016 (according to Police statistics based on reported cases). Half of the incidents were caused by alcohol abuse, and, as a result, over 400 children were taken to foster care. Meanwhile, there are only 22 official shelters across Poland for single mothers and their children (in 4 out of Poland's 16 counties there are none). At the same time, mothers with young children should not be placed in shelters for the homeless except in exceptional cases, due to inappropriate conditions for children, according to the Ministry of Family, Labour and Social Policy. The lack of shelters for women and children who are victims of domestic violence results in many women being unable to leave abusive partners.

SOCIAL DISPARITIES WITHIN EUROPE: POLAND

The average* gross salary in Poland is 4347 PLN (1027 Euro), as compared to 6427 CHF in Switzerland, 2272 GBP in the United Kingdom, 3445 Euro in Belgium and 3703 Euro in Germany, according to official statistics in each country. Although the prices of goods and services in Poland are generally lower than in Western Europe, the purchasing power is significantly lower.

According to Numbeo, an "average Pole" spends 18.9% of their gross salary on utilities (electricity, heating, water, garbage). Residents of Switzerland, UK, Germany and Belgium spend on bills 3.8%, 7.8%, 9.6% and 7.1% respectively. Renting a one-room apartment in a good location consumes 55% of an average gross salary in Poland (remembering that 66.2% of Poles earn less than the average), 30% in Switzerland, 42% in the UK, 30% in Germany and 38% in Belgium. Food and clothes are also more expensive in Poland, when compared to the local wages. Poles would spend 94% of their monthly gross salary on an Iphone 7 Pro, while the prices of the phone in Switzerland, UK, Germany and Belgium correspond with 13%, 37%, 28% and 41% of average salaries in the respective countries.

NON-PARTISAN FUNDING MECHANISMS

A number of NGOs, e.g. those counteracting violence against women and providing psychological counselling to victims of violence, have faced reduced governmental support, both in terms of access to financing and the right to participate in policy-making. For example, NGOs were not allowed to voice their opinions when the Parliamentarian Committee of Justice and Human Rights was voting on strengthening the anti-abortion law in Poland in March 2018 (Poland already has one of the most restrictive abortion laws in Europe). As a consequence, many programmes have had to be stopped. In some cases, corporate donors decided to step in to fill in the gap and prevent such NGOs from closing down. However, many institutions do not have sufficient experience and capacity (e.g. facing the language barrier) to identify funding partners internationally and to launch cooperation with foreign donors.

This clearly highlights an urgent need for better access to non-partisan funding mechanisms and improved cooperation with international corporate donors and philanthropists, in order to deliver well targeted assistance to the most needy recipients.

More reading:

Worldbank data on Poland: www
Statistics Poland: www
Eurostat (EU Statistics): www
European Environmental Agency: www

Updated: 2018
* 2021 update coming soon. Meanwhile, contact us for up-to-date data on your sectors of interest.