Changes in rural poverty after Poland’s accession to the European Union

The purpose of this paper is to assess changes in the risk of poverty in European Union Member States and the extent of poverty in rural areas and farming households after Poland’s accession to the EU. The above aspect was considered against the background of urban residents and other socioeconomic groups of households. The study was based on EU-SILC, Eurostat and CSO data. For a comparative assessment across EU countries, the poverty and/or social exclusion risk index was used. For a comparative assessment of rural and urban areas, the following basic poverty thresholds (as estimated by the Central Statistical Office), were used: extreme poverty (subsistence minimum), relative poverty and statutory poverty. Despite the high level of socioeconomic development in the European Union, the risk of poverty or social exclusion is widespread and varies strongly across countries, regions and social groups. In Poland, rural areas are more affected by poverty than urban areas, mainly because rural households have lower incomes than urban households. The risk of poverty in the EU has declined. After the accession to the EU, Poland has experienced a decrease in the extent of poverty. This positive change was the combined result of many factors, mainly including an increase in incomes of the farming and rural population. In Poland, income disparities between rural and urban residents and between farm and landless families have decreased. Reducing poverty and social exclusion is one of the most important goals of the EU social policy.