Childless women may work until 65 in Poland

15 May 2026 Poland Radar 0 Comments

An anonymous petition urges childless women retire at 65 in Poland, sparking debate over pension fairness and system sustainability.

Bezdzietne kobiety będą pracowały do 65 roku życia? Jest oficjalna propozycja. The anonymous petition filed to the President’s Office on 7 October 2025 ignited one of Poland’s fiercest pension debates in years.

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Bezdzietne kobiety będą pracowały do 65 roku życia? Jest oficjalna propozycja

The petition asks two changes. First, it proposes childless women retire at 65, equal with men. Second, it asks to phase the rule to other groups later. Consequently, the author cites demographic data and calls the current system unsustainable. ZUS (Social Insurance Institution) data show women live 7.5 years longer than men. Moreover, women still retire five years earlier. Therefore the petition argues this imbalance drains public finances and demands a correction.

What the numbers say and why ZUS warns

ZUS reports reveal steep gaps. Men received an average gross pension of 4,980 zł in March 2025. Women received about 3,420 zł. In addition, the monthly gap reached roughly 1,560 zł. Also, ZUS counts more than 860,000 working pensioners. Moreover, pension spending rose toward 500 billion zł in 2026. Therefore economists say demographic decline will squeeze the system. Consequently, some experts call for structural reform beyond symbolic moves.

Politics, Europe and the controversy

Political views split sharply. President Karol Nawrocki rejected raising retirement ages during his inauguration speech. The government officially opposes changes for now. However, some coalition ministers signalled openness. In addition, Katarzyna Pełczyńska-Nałęcz publicly supports equalisation as a fairness issue. Critics warn the petition penalises private life choices. Thus they point out many women lack children for medical or social reasons. Furthermore, the petition groups all childless women together. In contrast, supporters argue raising ages recognises child-rearing as a public contribution. Therefore the debate mixes fairness, fiscal math and politics. In Europe most countries equalised retirement ages. For example Germany, France and Italy now set the same age for men and women. However, Poland and Austria remain exceptions, though Austria plans to equalise by 2033.

The issue matters to voters and residents. Moreover, it especially affects women below 50. Therefore follow announcements from ZUS and the President’s Office. Also check your pension forecast and consider voluntary contributions if you plan to retire here.

💡 GOOD TO KNOW: If you pay into ZUS (Social Insurance Institution) you should check your account on the ZUS platform. As an expat, you need a PESEL number to access many services. PESEL is Poland’s national ID number. Moreover, confirm your pension rights if you worked abroad. In addition, consider voluntary top-ups or occupational pensions. If you rely on state pensions, note every extra working year raises your pension by about 8-10 percent according to ZUS. Finally, seek advice from an accountant or social security lawyer if you face cross-border records issues.

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