Biecz - Demographics

Demographics

With a population of approximately 5,000, Biecz ranks as the 44th most populous city in Lesser Poland Voivodeship. As the city prospered and grew, so did the population. In the 14th century, the district of Biecz, including the surrounding villages, had a total population of 522. By the mid-16th century, this number was 3,700, and by the early 17th century had fallen back down to approximately 1,800.

During the first half of the 16th century, Biecz was one of the largest Polish cities both in size and population. The wars with Sweden as well as numerous fires caused the population to begin to decrease. In 1721, a great plague struck Biecz. The thirty survivors built a memorial chapel to St. Michael the Archangel in memory of the victims. Nazi occupation during World War II resulted in significant population losses. A number of smaller villages were resettled into Biecz during this time, resulting, in 1944, in a population of 5,973, the highest recorded population in history.

In recent years, Biecz has slowly begun to decrease in population once more. There exists a migration trend that moves populations from cities to larger cities and abroad, mostly due to high unemployment and lack of higher education institutions. According to census records, in 2007 the city had 4,575 inhabitants, about 73 fewer than in the previous year.

In Biecz there are 107 women for every 100 men. The number of women in an age group is greater than the number of men for all age groups except the following: 5-19, 30-34, and 40-44.