How do Poles feel? Young people are still “down”. The latest CBOS survey

In the latest survey by the Public Opinion Research Center (its results were published on January 10, 2024), respondents were asked, among others, about their satisfaction with having achieved something, pride in their achievements, as well as feeling various emotions, for example anger, irritation, nervousness, excitement, curiosity, boredom, etc. See how Poles responded.

Poles’ mental condition is better, but there are still a lot of negative emotions

Respondents more often than in 2022 declared their satisfaction with having achieved something. This answer was given by 60 percent of respondents (an increase of 5 percent). More than half of respondents also repeatedly felt proud of their achievements (an increase of 4 percent). The greatest positive changes were observed in the question: “During the past year, how often did you feel confident that everything was going well?” The answer was often or very often given by 55 percent of survey participants. For comparison, in 2022 only 47 percent of respondents were so sure.

At the same time, the percentage of respondents who felt disrespected by the authorities decreased (from 48 to 44 percent). Smaller positive changes were recorded when it comes to emotions such as anger, discouragement or weariness (a decrease of 2 percentage points compared to 2022). In the published report, the authors of the survey concluded:

Compared to 2022 and more broadly – compared to the pandemic years – the well-being of Poles has improved. This is visible primarily in the increase in the frequency of feeling positive emotions.

What influences the mental condition of Poles?

The well-being of Poles is differentiated by age, as well as other factors, such as financial situation, place of residence, gender, level of education, as well as ideological orientation (with particular emphasis on aspects such as religiosity and political views). In the light of the results of the survey, young people up to 24 years of age were in the worst mental condition, and above all school and university students.

Residents of large cities, people with primary or lower secondary education, as well as farmers, unskilled workers, the unemployed and pensioners also reported a worse-than-average well-being. Similar trends were observed in the group of people with the lowest income, below PLN 1,500 per person.

Among the respondents, women declared their mental condition to be worse than men. Interestingly, the frequency of religious practices had a significant impact on the well-being of Poles. The more frequent participation in religious practices, the better it is.