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 WW2 and the subsequent migrations.
Other than the Poles, Poland is also inhabited by:
- Ukrainians, the largest minority group, are scattered in various estern amd 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, almost entirely Polonized, has been greatly reduced.
- 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 their little homeland of Pomerania, Silesia, East Prussia, and Lubus.
- Small populations of Polish Tartars 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 Tartar population reached approximately 100,000 in 1630 but is less than 5,000 in 2000.
- Armenian population is estimated at around 50 000, with tradition since 14th century. The remainders of pre-war Armenian church organizations serve for the new immigrants.
Declared nationality (Census 2002)
36,983,720 Polish
774,885 no answer
471,475 not-Polish, including:
173,153
Silesian
152,897
German
48,700
Belarussian
31,000
Ukrainian
12,900
Roma
6,103
Russian
5,863
Lemko
5,846 Lithuanian
5,062
Kashubian
4,500 Other than Polish
2,000
Slovak
1,808 Vietnamese
1,633 French
1,541 American
1,404
Greek
1,367 Italian
1,112 Bulgarian
1,100
Jewish
1,082
Armenian
831
Czech
800
English
500
Tatar
45
Karaite
Biggest cities
- Upper Silesian Metropolitan Area : population(1999): 2,930,800 including
- Warsaw metropolitan area: population(1999): 2,100,000 including
- Krakow metropolitan area: population(1999): 1,239,000 including
- Tricity metropolitan area: population(2001): 1035,400; area 1332,5 km² including
- Lodz (806,728)
- Wroclaw (650,000)
- Poznan (578,000)
- Bydgoszcz-Torun metropolitan area: population(2001): 593,000;
- Szczecin (416,988) (1905 - 224,078)
- Wloclawek (123,373)
- Koszalin (112,375)
- Slupsk (102,370)
See also: List of cities in Poland
Statistical indicators
Population:
38,191,000 (December 2003)
Age structure:
0-14 years:
17.5%
15-64 years:
69.7%
65 years and over:
12.8% (June 2003)
Population growth rate:
-0.0007% (2003)
Birth rate:
9.2 births/1,000 population (2003)
Death rate:
9.6 deaths/1,000 population (2003)
Net migration rate:
-0.49 migrant(s)/1,000 population (WF, 2004 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:
0.61 male(s)/female
total population:
0.94 male(s)/female (2003)
Infant mortality rate:
7.0 deaths/1,000 live births (2003)
Life expectancy at birth:
male:
70.5 years
female:
78.9 years (2003)
Total fertility rate:
1.22 children born/woman (2003)
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% (2002)
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% (WF, 2003 est.)
Sources: Concise Statistical Yearbook of Poland 2004, The World Factbook 2004 (WF), Population and Housing Census 2002 (Census 2002)
