The new low surpassed the previous record set in June 2024, when 19,000 children were born.
Citing data from the national statistics office (GUS), Puls Biznesu said the figure reflected a worsening demographic crisis that has been deepening for at least a decade. The paper also noted that surpassing 260,000 total births for 2024 now appears highly unlikely, as it would require 27,000 to 28,000 births in December alone.
In addition to lower births, Poland’s relatively stable death rates mean the natural population decline is accelerating. Over the last 12 months, deaths have exceeded births by 156,500, according to the report, indicating a continued depopulation trend that policymakers have yet to reverse.
Previous efforts to stimulate birth rates through family-support programs have failed to produce lasting improvements, the daily said, and suggested two potential solutions to avert a more severe population shock: increasing immigration and making greater investments in technology and capital that could gradually replace labor shortages.
(jh)
Source: PAP, Puls Biznesu