Recently a fellow blogger shared his thoughts on Poland’s development, or lack thereof.
At first I was so surprised, it really confused me. It’s contradictory with common beliefs and my personal experience. I decided to check up some statistics. All figures come from Central Statistical Office and Eurostat.
LIFE EXPECTANCY
1989 for zero-year-olds (men): 66.76 – (women): 75.45
2006 for zero-year-olds (men): 70.93 – (women): 79.62
GROSS DOMESTIC PRODUCT PER CAPITA – current prices
1995: 8,541 zł
2004: 23,189 zł
2007: 32,938 zł
INDICES OF GROSS DOMESTIC PRODUCT PER CAPITA – constant prices
(when 1990 is 100)
1998: 130
2004: 160
INDEX OF AVERAGE MONTHLY GROSS REAL WAGES AND SALARIES
(when 1992 is 100)
1995 – 104.2
2000 – 127.2
2004 – 137.7
RETAIL SALES – CONSTANT PRICES
(when 1990 is 100)
1995 – 126.1
2000 – 151.8
2004 – 164.6
DISTRIBUTION NETWORK
water lines in thous. km
1990: 93.2
2004: 239
sewerage (inc. collectors) in thous. km
1990: 26.5
2004: 73.9
DWELLING STOCKS
1990: 11,022,000
2004: 12,683,000
STUDENTS OF HIGHER EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS
1990: 394,000
2004: 1,926,000
TELEPHONE MAIN LINES
1990: 3,293,000
2004: 12,479,000
CONSUMPTION OF FRUIT in kilograms per person per year
fruit: 1990 – 28.9; 2004 – 55.0
It seems ordinary people’s observations not always reflect the whole reality. The road network not keeping up with constant stream of new vehicles and increasing traffic is not everything. Nor is it the bureaucracy or the many structural problems Polish economy still needs to overcome. All these should be seen in perspective of entrepreneurship and increasing standards of living.
My personal experience and therefore common sense also suggest something contradicting with Scatts’s observations. 16 years ago my family used to live in a tiny 2-room apartment. Now we live in a four-times larger house (which doubled in value within last 4 years). Public transport vehicles in my town are all shining and new. City’s sewer no longer drops the city’s poo to the Vistula – now it all goes to treatment plant to protect the environment. Drinking water is now provided through a new plant, and is no longer purified with chlorine, but with use of more advanced and ecological technologies. The police are being more and more friendly and generally more up to standards. City centre has been revitalised, most historic buildings, whole blocks, renovated, as most of the historic city streets. Mayor transit roads leading through the city have been widened and redone. Kilometres of new bike lanes have been added, following a plan to create a comprehensive city-wide network. Part of the city ringroad is ready, together with a new bridge (part of the future A1 (Rome-Helsinki) motorway). New city districts that were developed in recent years are tidy and pleasant, some areas are even pretty. New civil society movements have emerged: political, social, artistic, hobbyist. Soon a new Modern Art Museum will be opened. Local largest university, UMK, ranked 4-6th, is undergoing constant development. Recent invention of an optical eye-diagnosis machine will probably help many people around the world keep their sight. Unemployment is very low, around 6% (probably lower, as many people work in grey zone, being registered as unemployed to maintain free access to health insurance). Wherever you turn your head there’s progress – people even drink in a more cultured way or bravely bring capitalism to the wild East. 
)
Today I read in Przekrój that in 2007 UNICEF ranked Poland 14th in terms of providing welfare for children – while Britain was 21st. Mhhhm.
Paweł, the saying goes: there are lies, big lies, and stats.
Talking if life gets better, we have to find things / services that cannot be given away even when the price is too high. The way I see:
PHYSIOLOGY: price of potable water, price of access to potable water
SURVIVAL: price of living space (own [not rented] flat / house)
SAFETY: price of energy, price of access to energy
FREEDOM: price of personal means of transport, price of fuel(s)
REPRODUCTION: price of upbringing / educating a child
INFO-COMMUNITY: price of means of communication (web, phone)
PROTECTION: price of police, army, racketeers, local mobsters who take care that your neighbour does not kill you for your vegs. Price of arms (weapon) would be a nice addition.
Only against these I’d make attempts with average salaries. (And I think I’d prefer using medians to [arithmetic] means.)
I didn’t write “food” because when you have water and your own living area (including land, that’s why no rentals), you can grow something and not starve to death. Or, with your own transport and fuel for it (that’s why I find them indispensable) you can go to places where you do some huge shopping / barter trade.
As to work (source of income) own transport, fuel are needed (you can’t take risks of public transport going on strike). Alternatively, source of income <= web access + energy.
The stuff should be taken in its given time’s reality. Phones, for example, were quite unusual in XVth c., but there’s no point giving their stats today UNLESS they’re still something desired in XXI cent. Poland. (Myself, I managed to have my landline in 2000, fank you, you monopoly fruckers.) A given reality may include necessities. It’s more necessary today to be educated that 200 years back, so increase in numbers of students could be noted, but is it too much, too little or just right? And which disciplines are favoured?
Said that, I find your statistician’s effort very commendable. [Why did you choose various years for base / reference values?] I’d really enjoy seeing more, including changes within post-1989 period.
[For let's contrast your stats [wages]:
1995 – 104.2
2000 – 127.2
2004 – 137.7
with some imaginary stats I’m making up now:
1995 – 104.2
1997 – 143.0
1999 – 133.0
2000 – 127.2
2004 – 137.7
There would be a difference, no?]
good point(s) Darth
but: I used convenient stats that prove my chosen point of view;) You shouldn’t be surprised doubts were set aside;) Of course stats don’t say everything. But they say much, and if they say what I want – then good for the stats;) lol
answering your question Why did you choose various years for base / reference values?
—> most stats I came across (mainly the yearbook of statistics 2005) featured only figures for chosen years. In other instances, where data was available, I chose to cut the middle years off
The figures were rising continuously. Apart from the GDP, which I remember went down just after our switch to capitalism).
Darth said what I was coming back to say – Lies, Damned Lies and Statistics! You can make them say whatever you like.
No matter. Even if progress is, according to the statistics, being made, I’m of the opinion that it could be (and could HAVE BEEN) a lot better.
So there!
I totally agree it could be better. But what can I do about this silly nation electing silly politicians making silly decisions… (or not making the needed decisions)