The number of Poles living under the poverty line is steadily increasing due to unemployment, inadequate education and too many dependents.

The data comes from a Central Statistical Office (GUS) report that shows that 2.2 million Poles live below the poverty line, mainly due to unemployment in the agricultural sector. The majority of this number come from the Podlasie region (eastern Poland), the Holy Cross region (south-central Poland) and the Lubelskie region (southeastern Poland).

According to the GUS report, in 2009, 22 percent of Polish children – over 650,000 people – lived in poverty. Within the EU, only Italy, Bulgaria, Romania and Latvia have a higher percentage of children existing in poverty.

“If we are saying that the Polish economy is doing well yet the number of people living in poverty is rising, there is clearly a problem in our country’s social politics and the state is starting to cut costs on social spending,” comments Father Marian Subocz, director of the Catholic charity organization Caritas Polska.

The organization is preparing a report, together with the Catholic University of Lublin, on poverty and social demographics, to be presented in 3 months time. Meawhile, Caritas works in 44 parishes around Poland to help aid impoverished families. (mmj)

Source: IAR