This data was cited in today's edition of the newspaper Rzeczpospolita, which analyzed findings from the report on the implementation of the child support law for 2023 recently presented to the Polish parliament.
For the first time, the Polish government has acknowledged in an official document that the social program introduced in 2016, originally called "500+" and now known as "800+" (which offers parents 800 PLN, or over €185, for each child), has not achieved its goal of increasing birth rates. This marks a shift from the claims made by the previous government, Law and Justice (PiS), regarding the program's effectiveness.
The new administration concluded that the slight rise in birth rates immediately following the program's launch might have been influenced by individuals from the demographic bulge who decided to have children at that time.
However, this effect was short-lived and limited, indicating that the program's long-term impact on Poland's demographics is minimal.
Poland's €70 billion parental assistance initiative falls short of boosting birth rates
Recent data also shows that the current parental support program is losing its effectiveness in combating extreme poverty, which rose to 2.5 million people in 2023, the worst result since 2015.
This increase is partly due to the program only covering 6.6% of the population last year, which is higher than before its implementation.
Additionally, the extremely low birth rate is attributed to the declining number of women of childbearing age and the low fertility rate in Poland.
Source: Rzeczpospolita/PAP/EAPN
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