Demographic changes in the context of sustainable development: Poland against the background of the European Union countries: comparative analysis

Abstract

Sustainable development is one of the foundations on which the European
Union is based. For more than 20 years, it has also been a primary principle
of Poland’s social and economic development. It may be measured with
the use of a number of indicators. The demographic issues are included
in the sustainable development concept. It concerns social aspects as well
as economic and environmental ones. The main objective of the paper
is to discuss the issues of current demographic changes in the context of
sustainable social development in Poland as well as in other EU Member
States. The time perspective is set for the period from 2004 to 2014. The
analysis covers 25 Member States divided into two groups (EU-10, i.e.
Member States that joined the EU on 1 May 2004, including Poland; and
EU-15, i.e. the so-called old EU states). The theoretical part of the paper is
based on documents and literature on the discussed subject. The comparative
part applies sustainable development indicators most effectively reflecting
the demographic changes taking place (aging society issues) in the context of
sustainable social development.