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INTRODUCTION
Theagingofthepopulationisalsomoreexplicitlyreferredtointheliteratureas
“agingcrisis”.Ithasbeenprogressingsystematicallyineconomicallydeveloped
countries,includingPoland.Ithasexertedandwillcontinuetoexertstrongerinflu-
enceonfinancingandthelevelofsocialsecurityinthefuture–especiallyinrela-
tiontopensionsandhealthcare.Hence,the“agingcrisis”isconsideredinconjunc-
tionwith“pensioncrisis”and“healthcarecrisis”.
Thissocialprocessistheresultoflong-termdemographictrends,mostofwhich
canberegardedastheeffectoftheprogressofcivilization(betterhealthcare,re-
ducedinfantmortality,improvedworkingconditions,morerationalandhygienic
lifestyle,etc.).Thesepositivetrendsofpopulationgrowthincludeadecreasein
mortalityrateandlongerlifeexpectancy,andinmostcountriespeoplearenow
livinglongerthaninthepast,andinthefuturetheywillliveevenlonger,whichis
obviouslyagoodthing.Oneshouldalsoenjoythefactthatmoreandmorepeople
reachretirementageandalotofpeoplelivelongafterretirement.Callingthispro-
cessacrisiswouldnotmakemuchsense.Theproblemofpopulationagingisasso-
ciatedwiththefactthattheextensionoftheaveragelifeexpectancy(andfurther
lifeexpectancyafterretirement)isaccompaniedineconomicallydevelopedcoun-
triesbyotherlong-termprocesses,namelyadeclineinfertilityratesandchangein
therelationshipbetweenthepopulationofworkingageandthepopulationofpeo-
pleofretirementage.InPoland,forexample,theso-calledtotalfertilityrate(aver-
agenumberofchildrenperwomanofchildbearingage)accordingtoEurostatin
2011amountedtoonly1.3,whiletheratioprovidingasimplereproductionofgen-
erationsshouldbeequalto2.1.Atthesametime,theaveragefertilityratecalculat-
edforallEuropeancountrieswas1.58.Interestingly,thefactordeterminingthe
numberoffamilymembersisnotthelevelofprosperitythatcanestimatetherela-
tionofgrossdomesticproducttothenumberofinhabitants.Germany,forinstance,
farmorewealthythanPoland,alsorecorded(inthecorrespondingperiod)low
fertilityrate(1.36),whileFrancewasinamuchbettersituationinthisrespect(the
fertilityrateof2.01).Althoughinmanycountriesthepro-familypolicieshavebeen
implementedtoamuchgreaterextentthaninPoland,demographicprocessesare
hardlycontrollableandsofarmostcountriesdonotseeprospectsforabreak-
throughinthisfield.Thetrendtowardsanincreaseinlifeexpectancyanddeclining
fertilityhasoccurrednotonlyinEuropebutalsoaroundothercontinents,suchas
theU.S.,ChinaorIndia.
Asaresultoftheselong-termdemographictrendstheratiobetweentheabun-
danceofpeopleofworkingandthoseofpost-productionageischanging.Inmost
countriestherehasbeenanincreaseintherateofdependence(old-agedependence
ratio),alsoknownasdemographicdependencyrate,i.e.therelationshipbetweenthe
numberofolderpeople(retirementage)andthenumberofpeopleofworkingage.
