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ZUS President Zbigniew Derdziuk: this burden will be big
„Migrants play a crucial role in stabilizing the economic landscape,” stated Zbigniew Derdziuk, the president of the Social Insurance Institution (ZUS), during an interview with TVN24 BiS. He emphasized that foreign workers contribute to the pension system and impact economic growth.
In a discussion at the European Economic Congress in Katowice, the ZUS President remarked that „the pension system is heavily influenced by the demographic situation, which is quite challenging.”
– Another factor is our increasing life expectancy. The strain on the system is rising for two reasons: people are living longer, the retiree population is expanding, there are fewer children, and the number of working individuals is persistently declining,” Derdziuk elaborated.
ZUS President discusses the strain on the pension system
He noted that „in the 1950s, the fertility rate was over three children per woman of childbearing age.”
– As we transitioned in the early 1990s, it was still at 2.1, but now, as we continue to develop, the birth rate is falling, with a fertility rate of 1.6 a decade ago, and currently at 1.16 from the previous year,” he stated.
– This naturally indicates that the burden on the pension system will be significant, but we must keep in mind that pensions are contingent on each individual’s contribution payments, employment status, and demographics play a role in balancing the overall liquidity of the system,” he commented.
Zbigniew Derdziuk on migration
– This equilibrium and supply are also influenced by migration, as Poland is an appealing destination for job seekers, with many individuals arriving for political reasons, such as Ukrainians and Belarusians. Currently, there are 1.2 million foreigners working in Poland and contributing to ZUS,” he added.
– The number of foreign workers in Poland has been on the rise, especially since 2014, and Poland has had a mutual pension calculation agreement with Ukraine since 2012,” he noted.
– We have less than 800 thousand Ukrainians, 130 thousand Belarusians, and around 20 thousand Georgians. Additionally, we have nationals from Colombia, Sri Lanka, essentially from every continent. In total, as mentioned, it amounts to 1.2 million, which constitutes seven percent of the 16 million insured in total,” he pointed out.
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– The system is structured so that every contributor has an account where their contributions are recorded. If such a foreigner reaches retirement age in Poland, they will receive benefits from Poland once they qualify for retirement rights. If they come from a country with which we have an agreement, or from the European Union, this period counts towards the minimum requirement of 20 and 25 years,” he explained.
– Naturally, the capital they have will still be disbursed to them. This is why some individuals who worked briefly may end up with minimal pensions,” he clarified.
Zbigniew Derdziuk on migrants TVN24 BiS„A very significant factor”
He remarked that migrants „represent a very significant factor in stabilizing the economic situation.”
– By engaging in work, they not only pay contributions, securing their future, but also contribute to economic advancement. As the economy grows, we also have resources for subsidies to the Social Insurance Fund,” he explained.
– Overall, contributions account for approximately 85 percent of our total expenditures. The planned expenditures for 2025 are set at PLN 471 billion, meaning that the remaining 15 percent equates to around PLN 60-80 billion. I mention this because it is challenging to predict with such precision. Last year, we spent PLN 8 billion less than anticipated, which was a result of favorable economic growth,” he stated.
