Single-person households now account for more than one-third of all households in Poland, marking a dramatic shift in the country's living arrangements over the past two decades, according to new data cited by the Polish Economic Institute (PIE).
At the end of 2025, single-person households represented 35% of all households in Poland, up from 22% in 2006, while the share of households with children fell to 25% from 37%, the institute said, citing Eurostat data.
The findings reflect broader demographic and social changes, including lower birth rates, longer life expectancy, migration, and growing aspirations among young adults to live independently.
The total number of households in Poland increased to 15.5 million in 2025 from 12.7 million in 2006. Alongside the rise in people living alone, households formed by couples also became more common, accounting for 40% of all households compared with 36% nearly two decades earlier.
"The structure of households has shifted primarily towards single-person households, but also towards couples," PIE analyst Iga Rozbicka said.
At the same time, larger household arrangements have become less frequent. The share of households consisting of multiple adults who are not a couple, as well as households with more than two adults, dropped to 24% in 2025 from 42% in 2006.
Children are also present in a shrinking proportion of households. While 37% of households included children in 2006, the figure fell to 25% in 2025.
However, among households with children, family size has changed relatively little. Households with one child remained the most common, accounting for just over half of such households, while the share of families with two children increased slightly. Larger families with three or more children became less common.
Young adults are increasingly setting up households of their own. Among people aged 18-24, the proportion living alone rose to 9% in 2025 from 3.5% in 2006, while those living with a partner increased to 11% from 6%.
(aj)
SOURCE: IAR; PAP; PIE