The group estimates about 1.9 million people now live below the minimum viable subsistence level, a threshold that marks spending so low that longer than two months at this level endangers physical health.
In 2023, that line was estimated at PLN 913 (EUR 215, USD 250) for a single person and PLN 2,465 for a family of four.
The authors say the drop reflects a higher minimum wage, easing inflation, and the 2024 increase of the child benefit, a universal payment of PLN 800 per month per child.
Rise in relative poverty
At the same time, the report flags a rise in relative poverty, defined as spending below 50 percent of the national average, from 12.2 percent to 13.3 percent, or roughly 5 million people.
“The jump in the child allowance, combined with favorable economic conditions, brought an immediate improvement in the extreme poverty figures, especially among children,” said EAPN Poland head Ryszard Szarfenberg.
“But rising relative poverty is a warning that ignoring the problem will end badly. In a recovery, poor households’ consumption is not keeping pace with the rest of society," he added.
EAPN Poland argues that many of the poorest are still locked out of the welfare safety net because official income thresholds lag behind living costs.
Although extreme poverty affects 5.2 percent of the population, only 2.6 percent qualify as poor under legal income criteria, leaving an estimated 975,000 people in extreme poverty outside social assistance.
The government raised eligibility thresholds in January, but the report criticizes the three-year review cycle and calls the increase insufficient, noting the family allowance and its income test have not changed since 2016.
The report also points to “underestimated” social problems that remain off the policy radar, including transport poverty, which it says affects about 2.5 million people, food poverty, and homelessness, estimated at more than 53,000.
(rt/gs)
Source: PAP