A diagnosis of the level and structure of rural households’ incomes and expenditures in the context of sustainable rural development in Poland

Pursuant to the Strategy of Sustainable Development of Rural Areas, Agriculture and Fisheries 2012–2020, one of the long-term objectives of main rural development measures is to improve the standards of living in rural areas. The purpose of the paper is to diagnose the sources of income and the levels and structure of consumption expenditure in rural households in the context of sustainable development, living conditions and quality of life. Relevant data was retrieved from household budget studies, statistical yearbooks and other works. The study period was 2000–2015. Statistical, descriptive and comparative methods were used in the analyses. Structure indicators, measures of position, growth rates and variability indexes were presented. According to the analyses, the rural households’ average monthly disposable income per capita more than doubled over the 2000–2015 period. However, rural incomes continue to be only 50% of those earned in large cities. The level of income is determinant for consumption expenditures. The largest amounts of money are spent on food, beverages and housing, as well as on energy and transport, as far as services are concerned.