This is simply a very up-to-date and painful subject in Poland – in 2025 the birth rate fell to about 1,03–1 (one of the lowest in the world, below South Korea or Ukraine), and the birth rate has been lowest since planet War II. It is not that women “do not want” in the sense of whim – it is simply a mixture of economic, social, political and cultural factors. Based on studies, surveys and discussions (including CBOS, CUS, OKO.press, Forbes Women, pastry reports and reviews on forums like Reddit) – these are the main reasons why many Poles quit children or put them indefinitely:
1. Lack of housing and financial stability
- Housing prices are cosmic, loans hard to take, and young people frequently live with parents or in rent. tiny flat = no baby space (24% of women in Ipsos polls for OKO.press indicates this as the main brake).
- Even with good earnings – everything goes to installments, bills and life. 500++/800+ helps you keep up, but not solve structural problems (habitation, nursery, unchangeable work). investigation shows that the program gave a short-term increase in births in 2017–2018, but then the fertility declined even more – it did not increase it permanently.
- Inequal sharing of household chores and childcare
- Women fear that everything will fall on them: pregnancy, childbirth, upbringing, career suspended. In Poland, fathers take parental leave in <1% of cases. pastry research: the key to higher fertility is the greater contribution of men to the home and children – we do not have that.
- After the birth of a child, a female frequently falls out of the labour market, loses promotions, earnings. Wage gap + patriarchism = “resist on your own”.
- Destructive abortion law and fear of pregnancy
- After the 2020/2021 judgment, more than half of women under 40 consider pregnancy a hazard (Ipsos/OKO.press 2025). They're afraid of foetal defects, complications, deficiency of medical attention.
- There is no refund in vitro (or unstable), mediocre access to prenatal studies. Many women say, "I'm not pregnant due to the fact that I don't feel safe in this country."
- The crisis of relationships and the “epidemia of loneliness”
- Half under 30 are singles, another 1/5 in relationships, but lives separately. Men frequently “want to have fun, passions, trips” – they are not ready for paternity. Women don't find a partner to evenly pull a wheelchair.
- Dating apps, advanced bar, migration to cities – couples form later or at all.
- Career, education and change of priorities
- Polish people are the best educated generation in past – they want to live professionally, travel, have a life for themselves. Motherhood = immense career break.
- More and more people just don't want kids (childfree) – it doesn't make sense, it prefers peace, freedom, dogs/cats/hobby. In CBOS studies, 10–18% of women aged 18–40 say directly, "I don't want any baby."
- Overall uncertainty and deficiency of hope for the future
- War abroad, climate, inflation, politics “Why bring a kid into this world?”
- Poor wellness care (porody-traumas), deficiency of nursery/preschool, stress, generation depression.
To sum up: this is not “comfort” or “selfish” – it is rational calculation in a country where the state says “dirth” but does not supply real support (habitation, equality at home, medical security). In countries with higher fertility (France, Sweden) there is inexpensive housing, equal sharing of responsibilities and a sense of security. It's all messed up here. What do you think, the reader – which is the biggest for these reasons? Or do you have another observations?
Mariusz K. Pomianowski
