Social Inequalities in Poland

Abstract

Social inequality is a multidimensional issue, difficult to quantify. Usually inequality is un-derstood as income inequality. However, income alone is not a sufficient factor in determining the quality of life. Analysis of the level of poverty and social exclusion is part of the research on social inequalities. The aim of the paper was to analyze the regional differentiation of poverty and social exclusion as symptoms of social inequalities in Poland. The analysis was made for counties in Poland. The empirical data from the Local Data Bank Central Statistical Office for 2013 was used. In order to determine the strength of the risk of poverty and social exclusion multivariate analysis was used taking into account monetary and non-monetary determinants of analyzed problems. The synthetic index for counties was elaborated using the method of standardized sums. Studies have shown large differences in the risk of poverty and social exclusion in the districts. The worst situation occurred in 5% of counties located mostly in the kujawsko-pomorskie and mazowieckie regions. Counties located in the west and south-west part of the country and bordering with Warsaw and Lodz were in a relatively good condition. Results of the analysis showed that the study of social inequalities at the level of provinces does not show the actual diversity of the problem in Poland.