1.5 thousand PLN for the birth of a child. The commune is starting with an unusual baby shower
One of the communes in Podhale is introducing new becić – 1.5 thousand. PLN for each child born. This is an attempt to encourage residents to stay in the region.
Zakopane is depopulating at the fastest rate in decades. Young people escape from high prices and crowds of tourists, looking for peace and cheaper life in nearby towns or abroad.
– We rented a house for six months and paid 600 euros a month. It’s about PLN 2,500 for the entire house. It’s absolutely impossible in Zakopane at this price – says Mateusz Mróz, a resident of Zakopane currently living in Greece.
Podhale is becoming depopulated. Alarming data
The demographic problem in the Tatra Mountains is serious. In 2024, only 152 children were born in Zakopane, while 294 people died. The number of inhabitants has decreased by over 14% in 20 years, and if the trend continues, by 2030 the city may have fewer people than in 1938.
The largest resorts in the region suffer from the phenomenon of overtourism – a city inhabited by 25,000. nearly 200,000 people can stay overnight. tourists. The lack of silence, traffic jams, expensive apartments and limited job opportunities outside tourism push more and more residents to Kościelisko, Poronin, Nowy Targ and even abroad.
Nowy Targ pays PLN 1.5 thousand. PLN per child. This is a way to deal with the depopulating Podhale region
The authorities of Nowy Targ decided to counteract depopulation. Since March, they have been introducing their own commune barrels: 1.5 thousand PLN for each child born for families living in the city. – We are looking for a way to ensure that the number of inhabitants of Nowy Targ does not decrease. Parents are the best ones to decide what to spend these funds on. The city will allocate approximately PLN 260,000 annually for this purpose. PLN – explained mayor Grzegorz Watycha.
However, experts warn that financial incentives alone will not stop migration. – Cash transfers can improve the situation of families who have already decided to have a child, but they rarely encourage the decision itself. People move for better living and working conditions, not for benefits – explains sociologist Prof. Janusz Majcherek.
Nowy Targ will be the first city in Podhale with such a service. A similar step was taken by the commune of Lipnica Wielka in Orawa, and in the country additional unemployment benefits are paid, among others, by: Szczecin, Koszalin, Suwałki or Kraków.
In Małopolska, migration traffic is mainly concentrated towards Krakow, even though the city does not offer special financial bonuses. The expert adds that the attractiveness of a place depends primarily on earnings prospects and quality of life, not on the amount of benefits.
