Every fourth child born out of wedlock in Poland
The percentage of children born out of wedlock is systematically growing, in Poland it is already over 25 percent, according to the Central Statistical Office (GUS) report. The changes in the attitudes of young people observed from the beginning of the systemic transformation caused a shift in the age of starting a family. As indicated in the report, the priorities of young people often include achieving a certain level of education and economic stabilization.
The GUS pointed out that in the past year the number of marriages and divorces and separations has significantly decreased. It is estimated that in 2020 over 145,000 marriages, i.e. by over 38,000 less than a year earlier. The frequency of marriages in towns and villages is similar. In the last dozen or so years, the age of the newlyweds has increased significantly. In 2019, the median age of a man getting married was over 30, and women over 28, and for both sexes, it was over 4 years more than in 2000. Urban newlyweds are on average 2 years older than those living in the countryside.
According to preliminary estimates, about 51,000 married couples divorced last year, i.e. by approx. 14,000 less than a year earlier. In cities, the divorce rate is almost three times higher than in the countryside.
