Almost two fifths of those surveyed thought that Covid vaccination should be compulsory for everyone (38%, a rise of 9 percentage points on August 2021), a further 13% believed it should be compulsory only for particular groups of people, while 43% wanted it to be completely voluntary.

Every other December CBOS asks Polish people whether their family Christmas that year will be as lavish as the previous one. The results of the 2019 survey were virtually identical to those of two years earlier: a decided majority of respondents (87%) said their family Christmas would be the same as before. While this is still the dominant reply (72%), it nonetheless shows a drop of 15 percentage points. At the same time, the percentage of people anticipating a more modest Christmas has increased almost five-fold, with virtually one in four respondents giving this answer (23% as against 5% in 2019). In addition, the already small percentage expecting a more lavish Christmas has halved. These clear changes can most likely be attributed to the uncertain situation of the country’s economy.

CBOS has been measuring Polish people’s confidence in NATO since 2014. From the time of the last survey, in February 2020, there has been a significant drop in confidence, which is now at an all-time low. Almost half the respondents (49%, a drop of 19 percentage points) believe Poland can be sure of the full involvement of our allies if it proved necessary to defend our borders, while over a third (36%, a rise of 13 points) – the most so far – are of the opposite opinion. The only time that confidence in NATO’s support has been almost as low was in September 2014, during the first year of the armed conflict in eastern Ukraine (more specifically, after the Newport summit at which representatives of the allied nations condemned Russia’s military intervention in Ukraine).

Just under half of adult Poles (47%) remember the exact date martial law was brought in, 13 December 1981, while almost a fifth (19%) are completely unfamiliar with this date. More than half of respondents over the age of 44 remember the date, while only about a quarter of those aged up to 34 do so.

In the November survey respondents were asked their views on plans that would give employers the means to check which of their employees have been vaccinated. Over half of those surveyed thought that employers should have access to such information (52%) while somewhat over two fifths were of the opposite view (42%). Although the situation with the pandemic has got much worse since September, opinions on this point are relatively unchanged. The percentage of respondents allowing employers access to such information has risen by 3 percentage points, while the percentage of those who disagree with this has barely changed (a drop of 1 point).

In the opinion of over half the people asked (52%) membership of the EU does not particularly limit Poland’s independence. One third of those surveyed (34%) held the opposite view. Despite escalation of the dispute between Poland and the EU, opinions on this matter have remained fairly stable over time. What is more, the restrictions that Poland’s membership of the EU entails are less frequently seen as excessive now than they were prior to 2016.

Inflation in Poland is the highest it has been for 20 years. People have a variety of methods for coping with rising prices. A decided majority try to limit what they spend on their everyday shopping either by buying less or by seeking out cheaper products (75%). When faced with inflation many people put off major outlays or pull out of them altogether (64%), limit their usage of water, gas and electricity (63%) or their expenditure on entertainment, holidays and cultural events (57%). There are also people who do the exact opposite: concerned that prices will keep going up, they start stockpiling (18%).

In the CBOS October survey people were asked whether they followed the eighteenth International Chopin Piano Competition held in Warsaw that month. Every fourth respondent (26%) gave an affirmative reply. Compared to the survey carried out six years ago on the occasion of the competition’s previous edition, this was a decrease of 3 percentage points in audience size. Now as then, more women (30%) followed the competition, as did more people over 65 (41%), big city dwellers (38%), those with higher education (32%) and with per capita incomes of at least 3000 zloty a month (35%).

Close to half of Polish people surveyed (49%) think that the European Commission’s delay in approving Poland’s National Recovery Plan and transferring money from the EU’s recovery fund is an unacceptable form of putting pressure on the Polish government. Almost a third of respondents (31%) approve of the EC’s course of action.

The countrywide health service workers’ protest began on September 11. The protestors have drawn up eight demands; most discussion has been provoked by the one concerning minimum basic pay rates for the different health service worker groups. In the CBOS October survey, people were asked about their attitudes to the pay demands of selected groups.

During this year’s summer break from school, decidedly more schoolchildren than last year went away for at least a week. The total percentage of households organising this sort of holiday for their school-age children rose by 26 points on last year (from 46% to 72%) and there was a rise of 22 percentage points in households where all school-age children went away. It has to be stressed that 2020 was in this respect one of the worst years since CBOS records began: in the period 1993–2021 there have only been four years when a majority of families did not ensure a holiday for their children. One must also remember that last year’s drop came after a very good five-year period, during which most of the households surveyed reported that all their school-age children had been away for a summer holiday of at least a week. This year’s responses are virtually the same as in 2018, which was a record year. It would therefore seem that, in this second pandemic summer, more children and young people of school age have been away than in 2019, the summer immediately before the pandemic began.

A clear improvement in people’s attitudes to gay men and lesbians can be seen when comparing current survey results with those of two years ago. Every third respondent (34%) now believes that they should be able to be open about their orientation in public (an increase of 6 percentage points on 2019). Likewise, a third of the people surveyed are of the opinion that lesbian and gay couples should be able to marry (an increase of 5 points on 2019). Moreover, the percentage of Poles in favour of giving gay and lesbian couples the right to adopt children has virtually doubled – from 9% in the previous survey to a current high of 16%. It is worth noting that, although these increases have mostly been at the expense of the opposite opinions, in all three areas there has also been a rise in ‘Hard to say’ answers. This means that at present about every tenth respondent has no view on these issues.

The reading preferences of Polish people are subject to constant change, as can be seen from the differing numbers of respondents indicating particular literary genres over the years. In 2007 and 2011 adventure and travel books were the most popular with readers, but by 2021 interest in them had dropped off (by 8 percentage points on 2011 and 12 points on 2007). Currently, the most frequently indicated types (25%) are crime fiction and true crime. The popularity of self-help books has also diminished with the passage of time: these are now chosen by only 12% of those surveyed (compared to 24% in 2007). The least popular books remain: poetry (5%), contemporary literary fiction (5%) and comic books or graphic novels (only 3%)

From the responses of the people surveyed, it is clear that periods of drought with an impact on both the natural world and agriculture, are a greater problem in Poland than flooding. Most respondents had experienced droughts in the areas where they lived, while for one in five this was a regular occurrence every year, or almost. On the other hand, not quite a third of respondents had been affected by flooding and very few regularly. In addition, most of those living in areas prone to droughts were certain that in recent years these had been occurring more frequently than they used to. However, respondents were much more likely to see anti-flooding measures in their areas than measures aimed at drought reduction.

News and current affairs programmes broadcast by Polsat and Polsat News were seen to be the most reliable: almost two fifths of the people surveyed (38%) considered them to be trustworthy, with 17% being of the opposite view. Positive assessments also dominated when it came to the news and current affairs programmes emitted by TVN and TVN24, with a total of 36% of respondents finding them trustworthy, but 27% questioning their reliability. Decidedly the worst assessments were gained by the news and current affairs programmes of the public broadcaster, and these have been getting progressively worse over time. This year’s survey showed trust in their reliability at a level of 25% (a drop of 6 percentage points since 2019). At the same time the percentage of respondents who saw them as untrustworthy or downright lacking in credibility rose from 38% to 49%.

According to over half of the people surveyed vaccination for Covid-19 should be completely voluntary. Three out of ten respondents were of the opinion that it should be compulsory for everyone, while a relatively small number thought it should be compulsory only for particular groups of people.

Since 2008 Polish people have completely changed their way of thinking about secondhand items. The percentage of people who associate using castoffs with poverty has plummeted (from 69% to 29%), while the belief that this is evidence of caring for the environment has become widespread (a jump of 18 points, from 65% to 83%). At the same time the opinion that making use of castoffs is a sign of resourcefulness has also increased in currency (84%, a rise of 8 points).

The European football championships, UEFA Euro 2020, finished recently, having been put back by a year. The Tokyo summer Olympic Games planned for last year were also moved back to July-August of this year. In June we asked people if they thought such international sporting events should be taking place at all this summer. Almost three quarters (72%) of adult Poles were of the opinion that it was time, in this respect, to return to a pre-Covid normality, while virtually one fifth (19%) thought the time for such events had not come yet, as there was still too high a risk of contagion at them. One in eleven (9%) of those asked did not have an opinion on the subject.

This year has seen a record percentage of Poles using the internet. Virtually three quarters (73%) of all adults go online at least once a week, which is five percentage points more than a year ago.

Respondents who had had the Covid-19 jab were asked if they had experienced any side effects. The most frequently volunteered symptom, mentioned by 14% of respondents who had had at least one dose of vaccine, was a rise in body temperature, or fever. The next most common side effect, volunteered by 13% of vaccinated respondents, was pain at the vaccination site or, more generally, in the arm. Other relatively frequently reported symptoms were aching muscles, joints or bones, and weakness or tiredness (each volunteered by 6% of those who had had the jab). The remaining side effects were mentioned less frequently.

On 1 July the European Union is bringing in the EU digital COVID certificate which allows easy travel within the EU. Until that date member states can honour this document but are not obliged to do so. In Poland the EU digital COVID certificate can be downloaded from https://pacjent.gov.pl/internetowe-konto-pacjenta or through the mObywatel app. The majority of adult Poles are pleased with the introduction of EU digital COVID certificates (60%), while one in three are not in favour of this development (32%).

In May the public were presented with the principles of the government’s socio-economic programme for the period following the pandemic. Most interest was elicited by the announced changes to be made in taxation, which the government maintain will benefit the majority of taxpayers.

On 11 June, after a year’s delay caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, the men's football championship of Europe (EURO 2020) organised by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) began. In a survey that started before the start of the tournament and continued into the first week of play, Polish people were asked about their interest in TV broadcasts of EURO 2020 and their rating of the Polish team’s chances.

The European Green Deal commits the European Union to becoming climate neutral by 2050. Some EU states have announced that they aim to be net-zero emitters of greenhouse gases sooner than that.

Aiming towards environmentally neutral energy production, Poland is gradually to move away from a reliance on coal and make greater use of renewable energy sources which are carbon-neutral, and also of what is seen as ‘clean’ electricity from nuclear generators, which have yet to be built. At least two such plants are planned. It is assumed that by the mid 2040s they will account for 20-25% of electricity production in Poland. The first reactor is to be ready in 2033. The 2011 Fukushima disaster reinforced Polish scepticism towards nuclear power, and since then this attitude has prevailed over support for it. However, currently this prevalence is not as great as in previous years. Two fifths of respondents are in favour of building nuclear power stations in Poland (39%, a rise of five percentage points since the previous survey in 2018), while 45% are against (a drop of 5 points).

A decided majority of the people surveyed consider Poland to be a safe country. However, after last year’s slight fall in positive opinions, this year has seen another small drop in the percentage of those who find Poland safe. This applies only to the country as a whole, with assessments of safety in people’s places of residence remaining stable. This slightly diminished feeling of safety on a national level is reflected in an increase in anxiety about crime, in particular anxiety about the threat to those the respondents hold dear. Since June last year, the number of people worried that they may become victims of crime has risen by five percentage points to 41%, and is the highest for five years. Correspondingly, the percentage of those who are unworried about this has dropped five points to 57%. Currently, in contrast to last year, over a half of Polish people are afraid that someone from their immediate family could become a victim of crime (53%, an increase of 8 points), while a smaller part (45%, a drop of 7 points) has no such worries. Interestingly, this rise in anxiety that they or their close family members may become victims of crime, is not corroborated by their actual experiences of the past year: none of the crimes people were asked about has become more widespread than in 2020.

Almost two thirds of Polish adults have a positive attitude towards Covid-19 vaccination. Over a third have already received at least one dose, while another third say they want to be vaccinated. However, a quarter of those surveyed are currently not intending to have the jab, and the main reason for this reluctance is anxiety about side effects (61%), with doubts about the vaccine’s effectiveness in second place (31%). It should be noted, though, that both these reasons are less frequently given now, than when people were asked previously, in March. On the other hand, more respondents than two months ago express a general mistrust of vaccination as justification of their attitude towards this one (18%). Relatively few of those asked are declining the vaccination because they believe Covid-19 is not a serious illness (13%) or because they have already had it (13%).

The years 2018–2020 were among those most highly rated in terms of how democracy in Poland was functioning, with the percentage of people happy about the state of Polish democracy surpassing the percentage of its critics. Between July 2020 and April of this year these ratings have clearly deteriorated: the proportion of those who are satisfied with the functioning of democracy has plummeted by 11 percentage points (from 49% to 38%), while the proportion of those who are not happy has jumped by 8 points (from 44% to 52%). The current assessments of democracy in Poland are similar to those of 2016–2017.

Almost two thirds of Polish adults (65%) have a positive attitude towards Covid-19 vaccination. Of these, 21% have already received at least one dose while 44% want to be vaccinated. Improving attitudes have been observed for several months, with a surge in interest in January, after Covid-19 vaccination began in Poland. Over the following months, particularly during the third wave of the pandemic, the percentage of positively inclined people has steadily risen and is currently the highest since November, when monitoring began.

Recently in Poland there has been an intensification of anti-smog measures, with particular emphasis on household emissions caused by the use of low-grade fuel and inefficient heating systems.

After a hundred years since the Silesian Uprisings, 69% of Poles have heard about them, with 20% declaring they have heard a lot, while almost every third person in the survey (31%) has heard nothing about them at all. On average, more men than women know about these uprisings (77% compared to 63%, a difference of 14 percentage points), as do better­‑educated people. Among the respondents with knowledge of them, one in four (25%) has a personal connection with Upper Silesia: either they live there now or have done so in the past, have family members who used to live there or still do. Of these, 4% said they had a family member who took part.

Virtually half of Polish people (46%) say that smog is a serious problem in their area, while about a sixth (16%) see it as a very serious problem. For fewer than a third of respondents (30%) the severity of this phenomenon is not great and one in five (21%) do not notice the problem at all.

The term ‘autism’ is widely known; 96% of Polish adults have heard about autism, 13 percentage points more than in 2017.

There was an observable, systematic improvement in the general assessment of the situation on the labour market in Poland from 2015 to the beginning of last year. In effect, the first half of March 2020 was the best since CBOS research into this began. Comparing the results of the newest survey with that from last year clearly shows the dramatic change in perception of the Polish labour market after a year of pandemic and its associated restrictions. The percentage of respondents whose assessment of the labour market was positive fell by close to half (a drop from 64% to 33%), while the group with a negative assessment almost tripled (up from 9% to 26%). There was also a clear increase in people who judged it to be neither good nor bad (a rise from 20% to 29%).

The year 2021 marks thirty years since the founding of the Visegrad Group, of which Poland currently holds the presidency. This anniversary is a good opportunity to look at how Polish people’s attitudes to its members have changed over time. Over the last three decades there has been a clear improvement in Polish attitudes to Czechs, Slovaks and Hungarians, placing them among the nations that are currently most liked by Poles. Approximately six out of every ten people surveyed expressed liking for these nations, and relatively few expressed dislike. This year is a record year for the level of good feeling towards all the V4 members, with a correspondingly record low level of dislike. It is worth noting that 2021 has shown an improvement in attitudes to many nations, and for a large part of these this year’s results are the best ever.

A recent CBOS report showed that in 2020 the percentage of young Poles (aged 18–24) with left­-wing views had virtually doubled since the previous year, and at 30% was now the highest since records began. For the first time in almost twenty years there were more young people with left­-wing leanings than those who favoured the right. It is young women who are largely responsible for this record. A huge 40% identify with the political left, compared to 22% of young men. This is the most since records began and a jump of 20 percentage points on the previous year.

Registration of over-70s for vaccination against Covid-19 was launched halfway through January and the vaccine began being administered in the last week of that month.

In a survey of the parents of children learning remotely, just over half were of the opinion that schools coped with remote education better in the autumn of 2020 than they had in the spring. About one in four thought it was about the same, while relatively few said they managed less well.

In 2020 only one in five adult Poles went away on a week’s holiday, which is the lowest result since 1992, when records began, and shows a drop of 15 percentage points on 2019. The proportion of people going on holiday has been at a comparably low level only a few times: in 1992, 1994 and 2005.

The Covid-19 pandemic and the government restrictions associated with it have resulted in a drop in people’s activity in many areas. However, it is participation in culture that has been most dramatically affected. The proportion of Poles who went to a concert last year dropped by 28 percentage points (from 42% in 2019 to 14% in 2020), which made it the lowest since records began. Likewise, numbers of cinemagoers fell by 27 points (from 53% to 26%), reaching levels last seen in the 1990s. In 2020, 16% of Polish adults went to an exhibition, an art gallery or a museum (a drop of 17 percentage points) and 9% went to the theatre (a drop of 12 points).

Over the last two months there has been a distinct shift in Polish people’s attitude to the Covid-19 vaccination. Last November respondents declaring they wanted to be immunised were in the minority (36%) while now over half of those surveyed (56%) say they intend to be vaccinated.

At the end of 2020 Polish people were generally happy with their lives, although a little less so than a year earlier. Over three quarters of those surveyed (78%) in December declared that, overall, they were satisfied with their lives as a whole, while almost a fifth (17%) said they were moderately happy. Only four in every hundred respondents (4%) said they were unhappy. In comparison with the previous survey, in 2019, a record year as regards satisfaction with life as a whole, there was a drop in the number of those who were happy, with a rise in those who were moderately happy or not happy at all. These results are close to those of two years previously and better than all earlier ones collected between 1994 and 2017.

According to public opinion the prime minister, Mateusz Morawiecki, is the person who most deserves to be called politician of the year. He was suggested by 11% of respondents, pushing President Andrzej Duda into second place with 8%. However, over half of those surveyed (54%) either claimed they didn’t know enough about it to make a choice, or felt that there wasn’t anyone who deserved the title of politician of the year.

In 2020 Polish people in general felt clearly worse than in 2019, which can be linked to the Covid-19 pandemic. The percentages of those selecting positive emotions from the list of questions dropped in all categories, with a corresponding rise in declarations of all the negative feelings.

In the opinion of Polish people, the year 2020, dominated by the pandemic, has been much worse than last year, both in regard to their private lives and to the public sphere. When it comes to Poland and the world, this year has achieved the worst rating since CBOS records began, in 1984 and 1986 respectively. As in previous years, the ratings for Poland and the world in the year that is just ending are significantly worse than for respondents’ private and working lives.

The leaders of the EU countries have reached agreement on the subject of linking payouts of EU funds to the rule of law. Although the question of applying conditionality mechanisms and the consequences for Poland are hard for public opinion to assess, in the last few weeks Polish people have had the opportunity to hear arguments for and against in the context of fears of losing sovereignty, on the one hand, and the spectre of Polexit, on the other.

More than one in three of the people surveyed would get vaccinated against Covid-19 if they had access to the vaccine, while almost half did not share that intention. A not inconsiderable part of those asked had no firm opinion on the subject yet.

On the basis of their answers to seven questions about whether they find abortion acceptable in various situations*, respondents were divided into the following four groups: 1) those who would make access to abortion more restrictive than the current law allows (40%); 2) those who accept termination of pregnancies in situations in line with the current law (36%); 3) those accepting abortion beyond the provisions of the current law (23%); 4) and those who gave mixed responses (1%). Compared to surveys of four years ago, there is an increase in support for the current law (known as the abortion ‘compromise’) and in the percentage of those who would liberalise it. The percentage of respondents who say they would make the law more restrictive is lower than ever.

The 17th November marks the 31st anniversary of the Velvet Revolution in Czechoslovakia. This is a good time to look back at how Polish people’s attitudes to their southern neighbours have changed over the last three decades.

At the beginning of the 2020-2021 school year there has been a clear drop (of 8 percentage points compared to the 2019-2020 school year) in parents’ interest in extra-curricular, paid activities for their school-age children. That this is likely to be connected with the pandemic that started in March is confirmed by the fact that this drop is greatest in relation to sports activities (14 percentage points: from 41% last year to 27% this year). These activities could, in the opinion of parents, carry a higher risk of contact with the new SARS-CoV-2 virus. This school year 55% of families with school-age children are paying for all kinds of extra-curricular activities, the most popular being foreign languages, which 38% of families are financing.

Four years ago, when Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump were running for the office of president of the United States, the majority of Polish people (57%) were convinced that, from a Polish perspective, it would be better for the Democratic candidate to win. Very few (6%) preferred Donald Trump. Over the last four years Polish people have, to a considerable extent, come round to the incumbent of the White House. Currently two fifths of those surveyed (41%) think that Trump would be a better president than Joe Biden, the Democratic nominee (indicated by 15%). There is a large group of respondents (29%) who have no clear opinion about this, while 15% have no preference. It would seem that, although Joe Biden served as vice president for both terms of Barack Obama’s presidency, he is not very well known in Poland.

The measures in the draft bill prepared by Law and Justice to update animal protection legislation are generally being met with approval by the public. The smallest differences of opinion concern two issues: firstly, the more rigorous supervision of animal shelters through increasing inspection frequency and giving veterinary inspectors the power to impose fines for keeping animals in bad conditions; and secondly, increasing the powers of voluntary organisations concerned with animal welfare and providing police support during the removal of mistreated animals. Both these proposals have the approval of most of the people surveyed (91% and 80% respectively), with little opposition (5% and 13% respectively). Three quarters of those asked (74%) were in favour of not allowing animals to be tethered continuously, or kept on tethers shorter than 6 metres and in spaces smaller than 20 square metres even on a temporary basis, while one in five (20%) did not support this. A ban on using animals for entertainment, e.g. in circuses, was endorsed by two thirds of respondents (69%) and opposed by a quarter (24%). Almost two thirds of people (63%) are for prohibiting the slaughter of livestock without first stunning them (with an exception made for ritual slaughter of animals intended for domestic consumption by adherents of religions registered in Poland), while a quarter (24%) question this. The greatest difference of opinion concerns attitudes to the ban on breeding animals for their fur: almost six out of ten people (59%) are in favour of the ban, while close to a third (31%) are against.

It was Teachers’ Day recently, so a good time to remember the high public regard the profession has enjoyed for so long. CBOS has been including this subject in its surveys for twenty-five years. An overwhelming majority of Polish people say they have great respect for teachers and in recent years the prestige of the profession has risen even higher. A year ago – the last time CBOS asked about this – over three quarters of respondents expressed great esteem for teachers; it was the best result for this profession since CBOS research began.

About one in ten of the people surveyed (9%) say that someone from their household has lost their job or stopped earning as a result of the pandemic and the restrictions connected with it. This number has not, however, increased since May-June.

More than half the people surveyed (57%) say that their households have money set aside as savings. However, this is a drop of four percentage points over the last six months, while from 2007, when CBOS first started asking about this, up to March 2020 the percentage of respondents with savings had been growing steadily.

This year the summer school holidays took place during the lasting Covid-19 pandemic, starting after several months of remote learning. Although some of the restrictions on movement had been lifted at this point, it was still very difficult, or actually impossible, to travel to many popular holiday destinations abroad. Within Poland and in other countries various measures to safeguard people’s health were in force.

The thirtieth anniversary of the unification of Germany passed on 3 October. This was a good occasion for a reminder of how Polish people’s attitudes to their western neighbours have changed over the three decades.

The decided majority of people in Poland (80%) support the government decision that children should go back to school. In households with school-age children this rises to 83%. Only 14% of those surveyed think it is a mistake.

The world’s attention has recently been turned towards the peaceful protests in Belarus, which began in reaction to the declaration of the presidential election result. According to official pronouncements, the election was won by the incumbent, Alexander Lukashenko, who has been in office since 1994.

This year’s presidential election, like the previous one in 2015, has been a considerable focus of public attention, as made clear by the heightened interest of Poles in the election campaign. In this respect there has been a particular increase in the role of the internet, with online political activity in the run-up to the election reaching record proportions. Not only were more people making use of the internet as a source of information, but there was considerable intensification of political discussion on online forums, blogs and social media.

Successive CBOS surveys have found a correlation between the assessment of local job opportunities and the gender of the respondent. This points to persistent differences in openings on the Polish job market for men and for women. Many more men than women are of the opinion that it is possible to find a job locally, even a suitable job, and they are much less likely to point to difficulties in finding work.

Most of the internet users surveyed (79%) sometimes look for medical information online. Over half (56%) have used the internet to contact a doctor or health centre, and a third (32%) have bought medicines, supplements or medical accessories, such as physiotherapy equipment, online.

In July a smaller percentage of people than in previous months was worried about catching the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus. Anxiety over becoming infected was expressed by 59% of respondents (5 percentage points lower than June), while 40% were not concerned (5 points more than previously).

A significant proportion of the people surveyed have reported difficulties in access to medical care, caused by the coronavirus pandemic. Most frequently these involved postponed or cancelled appointments with specialists (30%) and general practitioners (24%). Diagnostic tests or outpatient procedures and planned hospital inpatient procedures were postponed much less frequently (in 12% and 4% cases respectively). Relatively few respondents (1%) reported difficulties with getting help from a hospital Accident &  Emergency Department.

CBOS investigated people’s preferences in the 2nd round of the presidential election in a survey running from 30 June to 9 July. Additionally, just before the crucial vote, for the first time in its history, CBOS conducted a telephone poll concerning people’s participation and voting intentions in the 2nd round of the presidential election.

The lengthening period of life in the shadow of the pandemic is not leading to a rise in anxiety about catching the coronavirus. Concern about becoming infected remains at a similar level to that in mid-March, when the wave of infections began. At present, over three fifths of those surveyed say they worry about catching the coronavirus (64%), and a fifth (20%) say they worry a lot. The level of anxiety was only fractionally lower on the cusp of May and June, or two and a half months ago (62% each).

Over the last weeks, opinions about the effectiveness of government measures against the pandemic have become more negative, although the view still dominates that the current government is doing well in this respect. Their efforts are appreciated by 65% of respondents overall, five percentage points lower than on the cusp of May and June. The percentage of people who rate the government poorly in its struggle with the pandemic has risen from 25% to 29%.

Despite the coronavirus pandemic and the various restrictions brought in by the authorities after the epidemic was officially announced on 20 March 2020, a significant part of Polish adults (42%) intend to go away this year for at least two days (with at least one overnight stop). At the same time, over a half of these (53%) say that the pandemic has changed this year’s holiday plans for them. Of those not intending to go away, just under a fifth (19%) have changed their previous plans. Overall, 36% of adult Poles say that they have had to change their earlier plans for this year’s summer holiday because of the pandemic.

The coronavirus pandemic has had an effect on the work lives of close to half (46%) of those Polish people who were working at its very beginning (1 March 2020).

In the judgement of close to half the people surveyed (48%) the government is easing rules and restrictions at an appropriate rate. Of the remainder, more think that restrictions are being lifted too quickly (31%) than too slowly (12%).

At the end of May and the very beginning of June, when the exact date of the presidential election was still unknown to the overwhelming majority of people in this survey, 84% of them said they wanted to vote in this election, and 72% were certain they would.

During the period of severest restrictions in connection with the epidemic, the following were indicated as the most oppressive of them: having to stay at home and being unable to go where you wanted (48%), parks and woodlands being out of bounds (45%) and having to cover your mouth and nose (44%). During the weeks of social isolation the most common feelings were, on the one hand, boredom with domestic routines (39%) and, on the other, loneliness (38%). The most frequently indicated positive aspect of isolation was a drop in living expenses (40%).

Two thirds of the internet users surveyed (59%) have indicated that they feel the current coronavirus pandemic is unprecedented, while a third (32%) are of the opinion that there have always been seasonal illnesses and epidemics, and that this one is nothing out of the ordinary.

The SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus epidemic and the restrictions connected with it are having clearly negative effects in the area of paid work. From the answers of internet users it can be seen that, of those respondents who were in paid employment before the epidemic, 7% have lost their jobs and 24% work fewer hours. In addition, of those who were self-employed before 1 March 2020, 2% have had to close their businesses and a further 4% limit them. At present one in eleven employees (9%) is looking after children at home. Just under a quarter of those working before the epidemic (23%) have noted a drop in income.

Almost three quarters of Poles (73%) say that today you should be sensitive to other people and ready to help them. One fifth (20%), on the other hand, believe you should focus on your own business and not pay attention to anyone else. The percentage of those tending towards altruism is not only higher than two years ago, when CBOS last conducted a survey on this issue, but is the highest since research began. At the same time the number of respondents with an egoistical approach is the lowest since research began.

The Katyn massacre is something that virtually all Polish people (97%) have at least some knowledge about. In the collective memory responsibility is ascribed chiefly to the Russians. Most of the people surveyed felt that the Russian side has not done enough to investigate this crime, which continues to weigh on relations between the two countries

CBOS has been monitoring the level of trust in various institutions and organisations for close to twenty years.

The CBOS March survey began just after the first officially diagnosed case of coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 was confirmed in Poland (on 4 March), and ended not long after (however bad that may sound) the first recorded death (on 12 March). Because of the dynamically changing situation, the data presented below have to be treated as historical, documenting perceptions of the situation and people’s behaviour right at the very beginning of the epidemic.

In connection with the Day of Polish-Hungarian Friendship, which falls on 23 March, it is worth emphasising that Hungarians are among the several nations that Polish people like best. Almost a half of those surveyed (48%) expressed liking for them, while dislike was declared by relatively few people (12%). It should be noted that the percentage of people with a positive attitude towards this nation has stayed relatively stable in surveys over almost three decades.

Most adult Poles (57%) are of the opinion that there is no threat at present to Polish independence, while 30% are of the opposite opinion. In February of this year, there was a significant improvement on May 2018 in the public perception of the country’s security. Generally, however, survey results from the last six years are negative compared to surveys from 1992-2013, which were carried out before the Russian Federation annexed Crimea.

The public assessment of the changes to the judicial system brought in by Law and Justice governments before and since the 2019 elections is not unequivocal. Among those surveyed, three virtually equal groups can be identified: those in favour of the changes (30%), those against (31%) and those in favour of some changes and against others (30%).

The way Polish people feel about themselves has undergone some improvement since the previous, 2018, survey. In 2019 there was a rise to record levels in the percentage of respondents who experienced positive emotions, such as confidence that everything is going well, and pride in their achievements. At the same time there has been a slight drop in those who repeatedly felt ignored or put down by those in power, or were depressed. The percentages of respondents declaring that they frequently experienced states such as depression or rage are the lowest noted over the past thirty years. In general, it can be said that over this period the way Polish people feel about themselves has undergone a visible improvement. There has been an increase in respondents who experience positive emotions, with a simultaneous drop in the number of those reporting they often feel upset, irritated, sad, discouraged, bored, or angry.

In 2019, 55% of adult Poles went away for at least two days, so virtually the same number as in 2017. This is 5 percentage points fewer than in 2018, which was a record year for the period since 2012, when research on the subject began. Compared to 2018, there were decidedly fewer adults holidaying within Poland (a drop from 51% to 44%), though trips abroad also fell from 24% to 23%.

The Auschwitz death camp stands as a symbol of the genocide committed by Nazi Germany during World War II. In 2005 the United Nations General Assembly established International Holocaust Remembrance Day, with the date set as 27 January – the day on which Soviet soldiers opened the gates of the camp. Soon 75 years will have passed since that day.

Poland is currently seen as substantially more egalitarian than in the 1990s. For the first time since research on this began, the most frequently chosen model to describe social structure is the one with the most middle levels. Over the last six years the percentage of people who see Polish society this way has doubled (from 14% to 28%). In the 1990s only a relatively small number of those surveyed (8-10%) had seen society in this way.

After a gap of six years, people were again asked about the values they consider most important in their lives. Each respondent was presented with a list of values from which they could choose three. As in 2013, over four fifths of people put a happy family life in first place, with good health being in second place for 69%. In 2019 peace and quiet was in third place, chosen by 27% of respondents, and in fourth was integrity, indicated by 19% of those asked. In 2013 integrity had been in third place with peace and quiet in fifth. The significance of religious faith as one of the three most important values has grown in comparison to the previous survey, as have the prosperity of the nation and freedom to express one’s own opinion. At the same time, the importance of being respected and of work have dropped. In 2019, just as before, few people selected education, friends or wealth, and even fewer chose participation in democratic political and social affairs, access to culture, adventure or achievement and fame.

In the opinion of the public, last year was a good year for Poland, and the years 2018-2019 were seen by Polish people as the best period the country has had since the change of system in 1989. By comparison, forecasts for 2020 are less optimistic than in the last two years, though still better than those from the 2016 and 2017 surveys. A majority of people are likely to be looking to the future with optimism: 38% believe that 2020 will be better for the country than 2019, while 21% think it will be worse. Almost one in three of those surveyed (30%) do not expect any change in this respect, while 11% did not make any forecast.

Most people say that they are spending a similar amount on Christmas in 2019 as they did in 2018. The most stable predicted costs are the Christmas tree (72%) and decorations for the home (71%); somewhat less stable are the amounts allocated to presents (64%) and festive food (63%).

Just as six years ago, firefighters today earn the greatest respect from the public. Other highly-ranked jobs are nurse, skilled worker, miner, university professor and doctor.

In October Poland elected new members to both houses of Parliament, the Sejm and the Senate. As part of the CBOS November survey, people were asked why they thought someone might want to stand for Parliament. This question has been asked before, most recently in 2011.

Since 2010 there has been a significant decrease in the consumption of beer as the most popular alcoholic beverage. Back then, every other drinker (52%) said they were most likely to choose beer, while at present only 39% of drinkers select this option. Wine is in second place (25%) and vodka in third (16%). The percentage of people choosing wine in preference to other kinds of alcohol has been growing since 2007, although the greatest increase has been in the consumption of quality spirits such as cognac or whisky: currently one in nine of all drinkers surveyed (11%) states that when they fancy a drink this is what they choose.

Although the subject of economic migration is much less in the forefront of public concern than it was only a few years ago, it continues to be an important social phenomenon. Polish people still look for work abroad fairly frequently. In the October survey just over one in ten respondents (12%) said that they had gone to work abroad at least once in the previous ten years.

People in Poland are much more likely to say that trade unions are ineffective rather than effective in their defence of workers’ interests (40% as against 27%). Moreover, decidedly negative assessments are much more frequent than decidedly positive ones (7% as against 1%).

The Polish custom of visiting graves and memorials on All Saints and All Souls Days can be conducive to thinking about death, also one’s own. While one in five Poles (21%) say they would like time to prepare for death, the majority of those surveyed (68%) would wish for death to surprise them.

Parents say they have spent more than they did a year ago to cover their children’s needs at the start of the new school year. These expenses cover such things as textbooks, exercise books, writing and maths equipment, uniforms and non-optional payments such as insurance, tuition fees, boarding or lodgings. On average, parents of schoolchildren paid out 1120 zloty at the start of this school year, an average rise of 69 zloty on last year (107% of last year’s expenditure).

2018 was a record year as regards the percentage of households that arranged for their school-age children to go away for at least a week during the summer holidays. Since then there has been a return to the levels observed in 2016–2017. This year a little over two thirds (68%) of households with school-age children arranged for them to go away for at least a week during the summer holidays. This is 6 percentage points less than last year. The decrease in households where all the children went away was even more marked, from 65% to 57%. Compared to 2018, there was a clear increase in households with school-age children which declared that none of the children went away for at least a week’s holiday (a rise of 6 percentage points to 32%) and a slight increase in those saying that not all their children went away (a rise from 9% to 11%). It is worth noting that for the fifth year running, the majority of households with school-age children were able to give all of them at least a week away. In the period 1993–2013 this percentage was considerably lower.

Almost a half of the people surveyed (46%) know somebody elderly who has problems with carrying out everyday activities by themselves. These are things such as dealing with officialdom, shopping, cleaning, cooking, dressing and washing. Six percent of respondents said they experienced these problems themselves.

Over the last year, just like five years ago, almost every fourth person (24%) excluded or limited some item from their diet. Of those restricting their diets, by far the greatest number (57%) were trying to limit sugar, including sweets and cakes. Fatty food was in second place (28%) and alcohol in third (20%). Ready meals, coffee and gluten were also avoided fairly frequently (14% each).

The 1^st of September 2019 marks the eightieth anniversary of the outbreak of World War II. In the days immediately leading up to this date, people were again asked about their attitude to those tragic events, which overturned the established order and to a large extent determined the nature of the world today. Despite the passage of time and the diminishing number of people who experienced World War II directly, the overwhelming majority of Polish adults think that this is still a live part of Polish history, which people need to be reminded of all the time. What is interesting is that the number of people expressing this view is considerably higher now than five years ago. Concurrently, fewer people now think that World War II is a historical event from the past, which is not worth dwelling on. Over the period 2004 – 20014 no significant changes had been noted in the relative size of these two groups.

Over the last three years there have been two jumps in the percentage of responses indicating that regular exercise is the key to good health. Currently this is the top answer, while up to and including 2016 it was in third or fourth place. A healthy diet comes a very close second to regular exercise. Here the percentage of responses has not changed significantly, with around a half of the people surveyed from 2012 onwards being of the opinion that a healthy diet is the most crucial thing for your health. The view that regular appointments with the doctor are the key is becoming less common; earlier around 30% of respondents chose this answer, but over the last three years this has diminished by 11 percentage points.