Long-term illness, disability and inflation are the biggest concerns of young Poles. They rarely think about future retirement, according to a survey conducted by ZUS among 18-25 year olds. Their knowledge of the social security system is incomplete, and they mainly look for sources of information on the Internet and YouTube. Experts warn: without economic and digital education, it will be difficult to take care of health and financial security in adulthood.
Health more important than retirement. What don't young Poles know about Social Security?
Published June 4, 2025 07:47
Young Poles are much more likely to fear the effects of long-term illness and inflation than what awaits them in retirement. These are the conclusions of a survey conducted by the Social Insurance Institution among 18-25 year olds. Only a small proportion of young people link their health and future to the social insurance system, even though it is the one that is supposed to provide them with support in case of illness, accident or loss of working capacity.
The results of the survey are not encouraging - the average score in the social security knowledge test was only 3.1 points out of a possible 7. As many as 14 percent of respondents did not answer any question. This shows how much more needs to be done to make education in this area effective and engaging.
Where do young people get their knowledge about Social Security? They most often turn to websites: 889 people pointed to the official Social Security portal, and 856 to results suggested by search engines. Only 381 would ask artificial intelligence, and 430 would contact a hotline. Interestingly, as many as 992 people pointed to educational videos and animations on YouTube and television as the most attractive source of knowledge about social security. Nearly 800 respondents pointed to social media, and 588 to podcasts.
It is the way young people acquire information that has become one of the main topics of the two-day "Education 4.0" conference held at the Cracow University of Economics. Its participants - teachers, experts, employees of the Social Insurance Institution and scientists - are discussing how economic education is changing in the age of digitization and the growing influence of artificial intelligence.
- We need to talk about social security in a language that Generation Z can understand. New forms of communication are needed, such as short videos, infographics, and audio content, conference organizers emphasize.
The event also included panels on digital hygiene as a component of health-promoting behavior in the information society. In an age of constant bombardment of information, the ability to select content, take a break from screens and manage digital stress is becoming crucial to the mental well-being of young people.
Without sound economic education, it is difficult to talk about conscious care for health and financial security - today and in the future. That's why experts appeal: let's teach the young not only about how to invest or save, but also how the system works, which can help them when they get sick, lose their jobs or need support in old age.
Source: ZUS
