Abstrakt EN:

Purpose: The publication discusses the problems of poverty and income inequalities in Poland against the background of the European Union in terms of the possibility of the influence of social policy on reducing the size of these negative phenomena. Design/methodology/approach: Three basic indicators were used: the number of people at risk of poverty or social exclusion, the rate of material deprivation and the Gini coefficient of income inequality. In addition, the development of three basic categories of poverty was presented for Poland: extreme (subsistence minimum), relative and statutory. Findings: As for the categories of poverty in Poland in the period under review, it can be concluded that two of them (extreme poverty (subsistence minimum) and statutory poverty) were characterized by a relatively high level of stability (except for the case of a significant increase in statutory poverty in 2013), while the third one (relative poverty) demonstrated a fairly clear downward trend. With regard to the three indicators characterizing the effects of the EU governments' social policies, it should be noted that the situation of Poland is relatively good/average as compared to the other 25 EU member states. Research limitations/implications: Limited comparability due to methodological differences in the measurement of the basic categories examined in the study. In addition, no data for the UK and Italy. Practical implications: Material for the analysis of the effectiveness of social policy and the basis for its development by the governments of the EU countries in the future. Social implications: The basis for conducting inclusive social policy leading to the improvement of the quality of life of EU citizens. Originality/value: Combining theoretical aspects with the practical comparative analysis of social policy effectiveness indicators. The article is aimed in particular at economic analysts and politicians. (original abstract)

Język:

eng