The country is depopulating, the Strzelecki area is depopulating

At the end of January, the Central Statistical Office published data on the demographic situation in Poland for 2022. According to them, last year’s population was 37.8 million, looking at 2021, it is reduced by 141,000 people. – The decline has been almost continuous since 2012 – the president of the Central Statistics Office, Dominik Rozkrut, noted at a press conference, adding that that negative demographic trends are also affected by the increase in deaths caused by the pandemic.

According to the Central Bureau of Statistics, the decline in population in 2022 will be lower than in 2021, but still much larger than in pre-pandemic years.

– It is estimated that 37 people die for every 10,000 people in 2022, while in 2021 it will be 47 people, but let me remind you that there is still a pandemic – said Dominik Rozkrut. – In comparison, the last year before the pandemic, only 7 people died for every 10,000 people.

The lowest birth rate since World War II

Population change is mainly affected by natural increase. This, as the President of the Central Bureau of Statistics pointed out, has remained negative since 2013. But it is not as bad as in 2022. Only 305,000 children were born, 27,000 less than the previous year, when we welcomed 332,000. It probably wouldn’t be too alarming if it weren’t for the fact that this is the lowest number of births since World War II. The number of deaths reached 448,000, which means that compared to 2021, when 520,000 people died, it was 72,000 less.

– The number of births is 143,000 less than the number of deaths – calculated Dominik Rozkrut. – The natural rate of increase was minus 3.8 compared to minus 4.9 in the previous year, 2021, and minus 0.9 in 2019, that is, in the year before the pandemic.

Fewer of us, who are not optimistic, not only in Poland, but also in the Strzelce district, although looking at other regions, the phenomenon is not so drastic. The fact that the population is decreasing is a real trend from year to year. There may be different reasons here. Often, as in countries, the number of births is lower than the number of deaths. However, in addition to natural factors, population migration must be taken into account. Especially young people, but not only, see job prospects, higher incomes, and a higher standard of living, decided to leave their homeland.

How many people are in Strzelce Communes?

In the commune of Strzelce Opolskie, according to population records, in December 2022 there were 27,705 residents, and the year before 28,070, meaning 365 people died in twelve months. Last year 209 children were born, 25 more than the previous year which was 184. But the number of deaths in 2022 will almost double the number of births, because there were 430, yet fewer than the number of deaths in 2021 which totaled 459.

The next most numerous commune is Zawadzkie. Here, the population at the end of 2022 is 10,452, 187 less than at the end of 2021 which was 10,639. A year ago, 87 babies were born, 143 residents died. For comparison, in 2021, the number of births will be 98, and death 133.

In the commune Jemielnica as of December 2022, there are 7,279 residents, and in 2021 – 7,295. This means only 16 of them died. Last year, 54 children were born, 19 fewer than the previous year, when 73 were born. The number of deaths is higher than before, in 2022, 103 people will die, and in 2021, 78.

At the end of 2022 the Ujazd commune has a population of 6,207 people, a decrease of 41 people from 2021, then to 6,248. A year ago, 53 babies were born here, 57 people died. The number of births decreased by 11 children compared to the previous year which reached 64 children. The number of deaths is also lower of which there are 78 in 2021.

In the Kolonowskie commune, compared to 2022 to 2021, 51 residents decreased. In December last year, there were 5,599, and the year before 5,650. In 2022, 28 children will be born, 18 less than in 2021, when 46 will be born. Another 25 residents died, a year ago there were 95 deaths, and in 2021 – 70.

Another commune is Izbicko. At the end of 2022 the population will be 5,435 people, and in 2021 it will be 5,473 people, reduced by 38 people. The number of children born last year was 4 more than the previous year, which was 64, and in 2021 – 60. The number of deaths remains at a constant level. Both in 2022, and in 2021, 62 people were removed here.

The Leśnica Commune had 7,258 inhabitants in December 2022 and 7,360 in December 2021, which means 102 people died in twelve months. When we were preparing the article, the number of births and deaths is unknown.

Deepening the demographic crisis

Many scientists point out that Poland is facing a demographic crisis, if not a demographic collapse. Several years ago, the Central Statistics Office estimated that by 2050 there would be over 34 million of us, indicating that we would shrink drastically. And it’s happening. We must watch with attention what will happen in the coming years.

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