For a number of years, Poland has been facing demographic challenges related to the issue of low fertility and ageing population. At the end of 2017, one in four Polish citizens was over 60 years of age. By 2050, the age group will already make up more than 40% of the total population.  Despite the positive developments in fertility which have occurred within the last three years, the fertility rates still remain below the demographic renewal.

- The government interprets the data as a signal to step up the efforts to curb negative trends. We have been making such efforts for four years now, and the programmes we have launched have led us to change the way we look at the directions of the state's policy towards the family. This is followed, of course, by increased funding for families, which will reach the level of 4% of the Gross Domestic Product by next year. Said the Minister of Family, Labour and Social Policy, Bożena Borys-Szopa during the demographic summit in Budapest on Thursday.

From the moment the programme was launched in April 2016 until the end of August this year, over PLN 80 billion was transferred to families. The billions of transferred funds constitute an investment in families, contribute to the improvement of material situation, increase in disposable income in households and contribute to the reduction of poverty.

The “Family 500+” programme, which is a pillar of financial support for families, turned out to be an important step towards improving the demographic situation in Poland. In 2016-2018, both the birth rate and the birth rate exceeded the most optimistic scenario of the forecast made by the Central Statistical Office.

- The challenges posed by demographic processes require the government to take a horizontal perspective. We should not, or rather, we must not restrict the measures aimed at supporting families to just a set of narrowly defined areas, i.e. care services, but should also take into account the fiscal or housing policy, for instance. Reforms carried out by the Law and Justice Government are heading in that direction - stressed Minister Bożena Borys-Szopa.