The consequences of ageing for the Polish economy

Abstract

The ageing of population, as well as the expected decline resulting from the demographic changes, may have a negative effect on the economy, burdening national budgets. Poland has been among 30 demographically old countries in the world for years, and the ageing of the population has already begun in the early 1970s (Majdzińska A., 2015). The subject of the study is the economic effects of ageing society in Poland. The aim of the article is to present the economic consequences of ageing in Poland. The data from the Central Statistical Office on the demographic situation in Poland are used in the article. The ageing of the population is perceived as the dominant demographic process reflecting changes in the age structure of the population and the growth in the general elderly population. Therefore, the task of the state policy is to ensure the most optimal development for ageing population. The ageing of society imposes many tasks for social policy, including pension deficits, increase in healthcare service costs and care for the elderly, as well as slowing down in economic growth in the context of increasing social costs (P. Błędowski, 2012). Human ageing is a natural process, and at the same time, it has become a subject of interest among researchers working in various scientific environments. Therefore, it is necessary to regularly observe changes and undertake extensive discussions in this regard. It goes without saying that the course of aging process and its consequences require increased attention from experts and politicians. It is necessary to take up-to-date actions that will mitigate the negative effects in the future.