„This is an absolute exception on a European scale”

Three pillars of the fight against the demographic crisis TVN24

The Polish countryside has evolved beyond its traditional agricultural identity. A new form of suburban village is increasingly prominent, now representing one third of the rural landscape in the country, as highlighted by Monika Stanny, the director of the Institute of Rural Development and Agriculture at the Polish Academy of Sciences.

The suburban village embodies urban characteristics – serving as a bridge between concentrated urban areas (in terms of population, infrastructure, etc.) and the extensive spread found in more remote villages. These communities are part of designated urban functional zones.

A village with urban traits

– We have typically categorized areas as either urban or rural. However, it is now essential to revise this classification to include: city, peripheral village (declining and agricultural) and suburban village. The latter is gaining traction, coinciding with a significant suburbanization trend in urban centers. Individuals are relocating from cities to neighboring rural locales – noted Dr. Hab. Monika Stanny from IRWiR PAN.

She further explained: – On one hand, there is a need for urban amenities, but on the other, there is a pull towards rural life. This is why a suburban village adopts urban attributes such as well-developed road networks, public transport, educational institutions, recreational areas, retail outlets, clinics, and more. Concurrently, the population distribution is more dispersed, although rapid changes in spatial development are evident here.

Currently, suburban villages account for one third of Poland’s rural and rural-urban communities.

The growth of village populations

Due to this development, the population of Polish villages is increasing.

– This is a remarkable occurrence on a European scale. However, it is important to distinguish between the growth of suburban villages and the decline of peripheral villages, which are experiencing a persistent depopulation trend – she emphasized.

The condition of the declining agricultural village stands in contrast to the residential boom in suburban regions.

– Individuals consistently depart from these initial areas, migrating to urban centers, often commencing with educational migration, which frequently transitions into permanent relocation. There are even communities where no births have occurred for years – the researcher remarked.

The primary factor driving this is the long-standing deagrarization process, which refers to the transition of individuals from agricultural to non-agricultural sources of income.

– This shift brings about various demographic and economic transformations, but it also creates a self-perpetuating cycle, as even if efforts were made to enhance agricultural development, there would be a lack of workforce – she clarified.

The increase in village residents Shutterstock

Farmers in the Polish countryside

She noted that the villages in eastern Poland are demographically the oldest, while the former state-owned farm regions in north-western Poland are currently experiencing the fastest aging rate.

– Presently, the rural population makes up 40 percent of Poland’s total population, which translates to approximately 15 million individuals. This figure has remained relatively stable since the post-war era, although it is now primarily influenced by the increase in suburban village residents – she stated.

Out of these 15 million rural residents, only one in five, or 20 percent, earns a living through agriculture or related activities (in 2004, at the time of Poland’s accession to the European Union, this proportion was one in two).

Monika Stanny pointed out, however, that this does not equate to having 3 million farmers.

– Determining the exact number of farmers in Poland is challenging, as there is no singular criterion to identify them. Nonetheless, it is estimated that there are likely between 350,000 and 500,000 active agricultural producers in Poland – she explained.

Agriculture in Poland

She further added that agriculture constitutes less than 3 percent of the national GDP (Gross Domestic Product) and that one in ten households in Poland relies on agriculture for their livelihood.

– According to the Central Statistical Office, the agricultural sector employs 8 percent of the total workforce. This rate is twice the average in the European Union, where agriculture represents 1.6 percent of GDP and employs four percent of the population – the expert observed.

In her view, the primary issue lies in the fragmented agrarian structure, which stems from individual, or family-based farming practices.

– Data from the Agency for Restructuring and Modernization of Agriculture indicates that Polish farms average 11 hectares, with the southeast averaging 3 hectares, and the west and northwest averaging 20 hectares. Research suggests that for a farm

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