Disposable income and consumption expenses in pensioners’ households in Poland in the years 2010-2019 – the analysis of changes in view of demographic transformations

Abstract

Purpose – The aim of the article is to study the changes of disposable income and consumption expenses in pensioners’ households in the years 2010-2019 and the attempt to draw conclusions corresponding to the deepening process of society ageing.Research method – Categories of disposable income and consumption expenses as well as selected issues from the field of demographic transformations were presented in the theoretical considerations, using the descriptive analysis method. The basis of empirical considerations were secondary data from the Central Statistical Office. Conclusions – The average amount of pension benefits in the common occupational system is generally lower than the average work income and it can be claimed that it gets lower systematically. Disposable incomes in pensioners’ households in 2019 were about 50% higher than in 2010. This tendency was reflected in the increase (of about 3% a year on average) of real expenses on con-sumption produce and services per capita in households. The increase was comparable to the general increase of consumption expenses of households in Poland. In the years 2010-2019 expenses related to food, house maintenance and energy carriers were increasing more slowly than the rise of income.Originality / value / implications / recommendations – Conducted considerations constitute a point of view in the evaluation of the changes in the income situation of pensioners’ households in view of the deepening process of ageing of the Polish society. In times of extensive demographic changes related to the ongoing process of society ageing, the elderly constitute a numerous and important consumer group on the market.