Geographia Polonica (2018) vol. 91, iss. 3

Demographic processes in Poland in the years 1946-2016 and their consequences for local development: Current state and research perspectives

Przemysław Śleszyński, Rafał Wiśniewski, Barbara Szejgiec-Kolenda

Geographia Polonica (2018) vol. 91, iss. 3, pp. 317-334 | Full text
doi: https://doi.org/10.7163/GPol.0123

Abstract

The article presents the main topics and evolution of scholars' views on the impact of demographic phenomena and processes on broadly understood local development in Poland. The seventy-year post-war period (1946‑2016) was examined. First, three categories of demographic changes were identified and analysed: (1) demographic development and population concentration (2) depopulation processes and (3) population ageing. Next, the impact of these changes on socio-economic development, mainly on a local scale, was established. The following topics were taken into account: social insurance system, labour markets, consumer demand, demand for public services, impact of population change on local spatial development and planning,and local government public finance.

Keywords: demographic processes, local development, urbanisation, depopulation, population ageing

Przemysław Śleszyński [psleszyn@twarda.pan.pl], Instytut Geografii i Przestrzennego Zagospodarowania PAN
Rafał Wiśniewski [rafwis@twarda.pan.pl], Instytut Geografii i Przestrzennego Zagospodarowania PAN
Barbara Szejgiec-Kolenda [b.szejgiec@twarda.pan.pl], Institute of Geography and Spatial Organization Polish Academy of Sciences, Twarda 51/55, 00‑818 Warszawa, Poland