Historical demography of Poland shows that in the past, Poland's demography was much more diverse than at present. For many centuries, until the end of Second World War, the Polish population was composed of many significant ethnic minorities.
Demographics estimates for period before statistics and reliable data collection from censuses should be seen as giving only a rough order of magnitude, not any precise number.[1]
Changes of Poland's population through centuries.
Date Population Population densitySources: GUS, The World Factbook
Changes in the population of major Polish cities through centuries.
Note that this table contains information on some cities that are not within the borders of modern Poland, and others that have not been within those borders for many centuries. See Territorial changes of Poland for more details on that issue. Year/City Warsaw Kraków Poznań[3] Wrocław (Breslau) Gdańsk (Danzig) Toruń (Thorn) Szczecin (Settin) Vilnius (pol. Wilno) Troki (Trakai) Lwów (Lviv) Kijów (Kiev)Polish people were formed from the slow mergers and assimilations of various tribes living on what became Poland's territories in the early Middle Ages.
Around the year 1000, the population of Polish lands is estimated at about 1,000,000[7] to 1,250,000.[8]
Around 1370 Poland had 2 millions of inhabitants with a population density of 8.6 per square kilometre.[1] Poland was less affected by the Black Death than western Europe.[1]
Although the population of the Kingdom of Poland in late Middle Ages consisted mostly of Poles, influx of other cultures was significant: particularly notable were Jewish and German settlers, who often formed significant minorities or even majorities in urban centers. Sporadically migrants from other places like Scotland, Netherlands settled in Poland as well. At that time other notable minorities included various incompletely assimilated people from other Slavic tribes (some of whom would eventually merge totally into the Polish people, while others merged into neighboring nations).
Around 1490, combined population of Poland and Lithuania, in a personal union (the Polish-Lithuanian union) since the Union of Krewo a century before, is estimated at about 8 million.[9] An estimate for 1493 gives the combined population of Poland and Lithuania at 7.5 million, breaking them down by ethnicity at 3.25 million Poles, 3.75 million Ruthenians and 0.5 million Lithuanians.[10] The Ruthenians composed most of the Grand Duchy population; this is the reason why the late GDL is often called a Slavic country, alongside Poland, Russia etc. In time, the adjective "Lithuanian" came to denote a Slav of the Grand Duchy.[11] Eventually the Lithuanian speakers came to be known as Samogitians (see also Samogitian nobility), after the province in which they were the dominant majority.[11] Another estimate for the combined population at the beginning of the 16th century gives 7.5 million, roughly split evenly, due to much larger territory of the Grand Duchy (with about 10-15 people per square km in Poland and 3-5 people per square km in the Grand Duchy, and even less in the south-east Cossack borderlands).[1] [12]
By 1500, about 15% of Poland's population lived in urban centers (settlements with over 500 people).[5]
By 1600, about 25% of Poland's population lived in urban centers (settlements with over 500 people).[5] Major towns in Poland included: Gdańsk (Danzig) (70,000), Kraków (28,000), Warsaw (20,000-30,000), Poznań (20,000), Lwów (Lviv) (20,000), Elbląg (Elbing) (15,000), Toruń (Thorn) (12,000), Sandomierz (4,000-5,000), Kazimierz Dolny (4,000-5,000) and Gniezno (4,000-5,000).[5]
The population of the Commonwealth of both nations was never overwhelmingly either Roman Catholic or Polish. This resulted from Poland's possession of Ukraine and federation with Lithuania; in both these countries ethnic Poles were a distinct minority. The Commonwealth comprised primarily three nations: Poles, Ukrainians and Belarusians (the latter usually referred to as Ruthenians). Shortly after the Union of Lublin (1569), at the turn of the century, the Commonwealth population was around 7 million, with a rough breakdown of 4.5m Poles, 0.75m Lithuanians, 0.7m Jews and 2m Ruthenians.[13] In 1618, after the Truce of Deulino the Commonwealth population increased together with its territory, reaching 11,5 millions that could be roughly divided into: Poles - 4.5m, Ukrainians - 3.5m, Belarusians - 1.5m, Lithuanians - 0.75m, Prussians - 0.75m, Jews - 0.5m, Livionians - 0.5m; at that time nobility formed 10% and burghers, 15%.[14] Population losses of 1648-1667 are estimated at 4m.[14] Coupled with further population and territorial losses, in 1717 Commonwealth population had fallen to 9m, roughly 4.5m Poles, 1.5m Ukrainians, 1.2m Belarusians, 0.8m Lithuanians, 0.5m Jews, 0.5m others[14] The urban population was hit hard, falling to below 10%.[15]