Over 25% of Polish infants were born to unmarried parents in 2019, a significant increase from the year 2000, when the corresponding figure was around 12%, the report by the Central Statistical Office (GUS) shows.
In the early 1990's, the percentage of extramarital children born in Poland was nearly four times lower than in 2019, according to the report. GUS also reported that in 2020, there were 145,000 marriages in Poland, over 38,000 less than a year earlier. The reason for the dip likely owes to epidemic restrictions.
Also, the changes in the attitudes of young people observed from the beginning of the systemic transformation in Poland caused a shift in the age of starting a family, the report said. The priorities of young people often include achieving a certain level of education and economic stabilization, it added.