Minister of Funds and Regional Policy Katarzyna Pełczyńska-Nałęcz has voiced support for equalizing the retirement age for women and men. Speaking during the Impact’26 conference in Poznań, she argued that the demographic crisis requires “intergenerational solidarity,” while the current system is placing an increasing burden on younger workers. She also pointed to problems related to housing availability and growing inequalities in education.
“Retirement age in Poland should be equalized,” Pełczyńska-Nałęcz said on Thursday. She stressed that the pension system is one of the key areas that must be viewed through the lens of intergenerational solidarity in the face of the demographic crisis.
During her speech at the Impact’26 conference in Poznań, the minister emphasized that the demographic crisis requires a wise policy of intergenerational solidarity in which solidarity works both ways — young people support seniors, while seniors also show solidarity with younger generations. She warned that democracy in times of demographic decline creates the risk of a “senior democracy,” which could lead overburdened young people to leave the country. She argued that only through mutual solidarity can Poland create both a sensible senior policy and effective policies for young people.
She identified three areas that should now be examined “in the spirit of two-way intergenerational solidarity.”
The first is the pension system. Pełczyńska-Nałęcz noted that last year the state budget contributed 130 billion złoty to the pension system, while this year the subsidy will reach 160 billion złoty. She stressed that the figure will continue to grow, meaning younger generations will face increasingly heavy contribution burdens in order to guarantee decent pensions for seniors.
“Personally, I believe that the retirement age in Poland should be equalized. At what level, under what rules, with what incentives and safeguards — all of that remains a matter for discussion. But it is also worth saying clearly that a smart approach to the pension system may be one of the most important reforms we will make, or should make, for younger generations. This is a reform for the young, also in the name of mutual responsibility and intergenerational solidarity,” she said.
The second and third areas she highlighted were housing and education.
According to Poland’s Central Statistical Office (GUS), by 2060 the median age of the population could exceed 50.25 years — around seven years higher than in 2024. Under this scenario, half of Poland’s population would be over the age of 50. Meanwhile, the United Nations projects that Poland’s population could decline to around 19 million by 2100. The retirement age in Poland currently stands at 60 for women and 65 for men.