Demographic Processes Before and During the Ongoing Transition in Poland

Since 1989, most of Poland's main demographic trends have changed. These changes took place almost instantly with the introduction of basic political and economic reforms. The demographic reactions were of three types: reversal of a trend direction, substantial acceleration or deceleration of a trend, and discontinuity of a trend. In this article, three basic hypotheses are considered. The first suggests that demographic trends returned to a smooth course in the (still unfinished) demographic transition. The second hypothesis holds that the demographic change observed since 1989 has been the manifestation of a direct but temporary adaptive reaction to drastic social change. Finally, it is hypothesized that with the transition Poland has opened up to cultural change imported from the West in the form of postmodernity. The analysis suggests interpretations of the demographic change that fit all three hypotheses.