The Supreme Council of Nurses and Midwives is calling for enrollment caps in midwifery studies. Dramatically low birth rates, the closure of maternity wards and the declining number of women of childbearing age mean that excess graduates may soon fill the ranks of the unemployed.
Local government warns: midwives risk unemployment
Published July 25, 2025 07:53
A position paper published by the Presidium of the Supreme Council of Nurses and Midwives (NRPiP) stresses that the overproduction of midwifery graduates in a situation of declining birth rates leads to a waste of public funds, the underutilization of young midwives' professional potential, and their migration to other professions or abroad.
According to data from the Central Statistical Office, only 252,000-272,000 children will be born in Poland in 2024. This is a significant decline compared to previous years. The fertility rate in 2023-2024 reached a record low of 1.11-1.16, and in 2025 it is expected to fall even further - to around 1.03. At the same time, there is a year-on-year decline in women of childbearing age, and many maternity wards across the country are closing or consolidating.
- The training of the number of midwives must be adapted to the real needs of the health care system, the presidium of the NRPiP urges. - Rationalizing the number of admissions will avoid unemployment among graduates and ensure better quality of education.
The professional self-government stresses that the current situation requires systemic solutions, one of which should be a reduction in the number of places in midwifery studies. The NRPiP declares its readiness to cooperate with universities, the Ministry of Health and other institutions to monitor the needs of the system and adapt education policies to current demographic and epidemiological trends.
Source: NIPIP
