Demographic Changes in Functional Urban Areas in Poland

Slawomir Kurek , Pedagogical University of Krakow

At the turn of the 21st century, Poland experienced major demographic transformations, unparalleled in its post-war history. They mainly included a slowdown in demographic dynamics resulting from a sharp drop in fertility, and a loss of population associated with foreign emigration after Poland’s accession to the European Union, which is difficult to estimate. An increase in average life expectancy and a reduction in the fertility rate well below the replacement threshold were also observed. As a consequence of the above changes, the demographic age increased and the dynamics of population aging accelerated. The aim of the paper is to investigate the spatial patterns and trends in demographic processes in Functional Urban Areas (FUAs) in Poland in the context of second demographic transition and suburbanisation. In particular, population growth, fertility, migration and age composition were studied in the years 1990-2016. The trends of population change in FUAs by size types were differentiated when seen in terms of division into the core and the commuting zone.

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 Presented in Session P3. Poster Session Migration, Economics, Environment, Methods, History and Policy