[On population policy in Poland]

The authors regard population policy to be a system of conscious actions aimed at causing desirable changes in shaping demographic processes and in consequence achieving the desired number, structure, and settlement of the population. Such policy should lead to minimization of perturbative role of population factor in socioeconomic development. The authors carried out a review of methods applied in Polish social policy during 40 post-war years which had effect on the demographic situation in the country. The review led them to the conclusion that actions taken for population policy quite often did not meet demographic trends and resulted in deepening irregularities in the demographic development of the country. The authors seek to answer the question whether there is a need for population policy in Poland and to determine the most crucial points of that policy.