Table 1
Number of municipalities in Poland (1991–2018)
| Year | Number of municipal governments |
|---|---|
| 1991 | 2420 |
| 1994 | 2468 |
| 2000 | 2489 |
| 2002 | 2478 |
| 2010 | 2479 |
| 2014 | 2479 |
| 2018 | 2478 |
[i] Source: Main Statistical Office
Figure 1
Timing and type of municipal divorces in Poland (1995–2019)
Note: U – urban municipality, R – rural municipality, UR – urban–rural municipality; e.g. U = U + U means the division of an urban municipality into two urban local government units
Source: own calculation based on Main Statistical Office (2020) and Ministry of Interior and Administration data (2020).
Figure 2
Population size of new municipalities in Poland (data from the year of municipal splits; mean and median from 1995)
Source: own calculation based on Main Statistical Office (2020) and Ministry of Interior and Administration data (2020).
Figure 3
Ratio of population size of the 22 new (initiator) to abandoned municipalities
Source: own calculation based on Main Statistical Office (2020) and Ministry of Interior and Administration data (2020).
Figure 4
Ratio of the affluence of local budget of the 22 new (initiator) to abandoned municipalities
Source: own calculation based on Ministry of Finance (2020) and Ministry of Interior and Administration data (2020).
Table 2
Historical past of newly created municipalities after 1995 regarding their functioning as separate administrative units
| Separate municipality in 1954–1972 | Amalgamated in 1973 | Amalgamated in 1975 (separate municipality in 1973–1975) | Amalgamated after 1975 (when?) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Izabelin | + | + | ||
| Jaśliska | + | + | ||
| Kościelisko | + | + | ||
| Krościenko Wyżne | + | + | ||
| Ksawerów | + | + | ||
| Łączna | + | + | ||
| Poronin | + | + | ||
| Powidz | + | + | ||
| Regnów | + | + | ||
| Rytro | + | + | ||
| Skarżysko Kościelne | + | + | ||
| Słopnice | + | + | ||
| Spytkowice | + | + | ||
| Stoczek Łukowski | + | 1992 | ||
| Trzciana | + | + | ||
| Chełm Śląski | + | + | ||
| Imielin | + | + | ||
| Marklowice | + | + | ||
| Miasteczko Śląskie | + | + | ||
| Pszów | + | + | ||
| Radlin | + | + | ||
| Radzionków | + | + |
[i] Source: own desk research
Table 3
Comparison between the number of inhabitants of the population centres in initiator and abandoned municipalities (data from 200916)
| Number of inhabitants of the population centre (initiator municipality) | Number of inhabitants of the population centre (abandoned municipality) | Ratio of the population centre of initiator to abandoned* | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Izabelin (R) | 3 550 | Stare Babice (R) | 2 000 | 1.77 |
| Krościenko Wyżne (R) | 5 398 | Korczyna (R) | 6 047 | 0.89 |
| Ksawerów (R) | 6 550 | Pabianice (R) | 5 270 | 1.24 |
| Regnów (R) | 332 | Cielądz (R) | 806 | 0.41 |
| Skarżysko Kościelne (R) | 2 339 | Mirzec (R) | 2 121 | 1.10 |
| Słopnice (R) | 6 189 | Tymbark (R) | 2 840 | 2.18 |
| Spytkowice (R) | 4 262 | Raba Wyżna (R) | 4 243 | 1.00 |
| Trzciana (R) | 1 510 | Żegocina (R) | 1 685 | 0.90 |
| Jaśliska (R) | 413 | Dukla (UR) | 2 212 | 0.19 |
| Kościelisko (R) | 4 403 | Gmina Tatrzańska (UR) | 28 337 | 0.16 |
| Poronin (R) | 4 195 | Gmina Tatrzańska (UR) | 28 337 | 0.15 |
| Łączna (R) | 903 | Suchedniów (UR) | 9 117 | 0.10 |
| Powidz (R) | 1 313 | Witkowo (UR) | 8 151 | 0.16 |
| Rytro (R) | 2 273 | Piwniczna-Zdrój (UR) | 6 088 | 0.37 |
| Stoczek Łukowski (U) | 2 806 | Stoczek Łukowski (UR) | 2 806 | 1.00 |
Note: R – rural municipality, UR – urban–rural municipality;
Source: own calculation based on Main Statistical Office data (2020).
Table 4
Unsuccessful attempts for municipal divorce
| Municipality: initiator (name and population) | ‘Mother’ municipality (name and population size, excluding initiator) | Local referendum (date, result) | Other activities to create new local government and the dates of the initiatives | Historical past of being a separate unit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Łagiewniki c.2,000 | Łódź c.758,250 | No referendum | Social initiative and the collection of 300 signatures of residents for the creation of a new municipality but no formal proposal to the City Hall of Łódź – March 2006. | Until 1946, separate municipality |
| Chełmsko Śląskie c.3,124 | Lubawka c.8,717 and Kamienna Góra c.8,424 | No referendum | Formal proposal for the creation of a new municipality submitted to the municipal council – 2007. | 1945–1972, separate municipality |
| Komorów c.5,670 | Michałowice c.10,760 | No referendum | Establishment of a social initiative to create the municipality of Komorów; written support from over 1,000 inhabitants – March 2009. Petition of known central level politicians to the Ministry of Interior and Administration – July 2009. | Until 1972, separate municipality |
| Miasto Śląskie c.24,000 | Mysłowice c.51,300 | No referendum | Social initiative coming from the inhabitants of 8 southern districts of the city of Mysłowice – October 2012. Referendum proposal (January 2013): rejected. | |
| Szczawa c.2,000 | Kamienica c.5,750 | 22.09.2013 Invalid: turnout 13.5% | Approval of the Ministry for the creation of the new municipality but the new parliament repealed the regulation prepared by the previous government – second half of 2015. | 1954–1961, separate municipality |
| Grabówka c.7,600 | Supraśl c.7,500 | 24.05.2015 Turnout 62% (combined with presidential election) (45% for the division) | Approval of the Ministry for the creation of the new municipality but the new parliament repealed the regulation prepared by the previous government – second half of 2015. | 1954–1972, separate municipality |
| Jankowice c.4,000 | Świerklany c.8,000 | 06.01.2013 Invalid: turnout 27.1% | In January 2012, the municipal council of Świerklany received a formal proposal to take statutory actions regarding the separation of a new municipality. | 1946–1972, separate municipality |
| Majdan Stary c.2,600 | Księżpol c.4,300 | 13.01.2013 Invalid: turnout 28.3% | In October 2011, a formal proposal submitted to the municipal council of Księżpol. | |
| Kamyk c.3,700 | Kłobuck c.17,000 | 19.01.2014 Invalid: turnout 15.7% | On 5 March 2013, a representative of the referendum initiators submitted an official request to the mayor of Kłobuck for a referendum. The date of the referendum was set for 14 July 2013; however, the referendum did not take place due to the lack of the timely opinion of the regional office. In December 2013, after an appeal to the Regional Administrative Court, the electoral commissioner announced a new date for the referendum. | Until 1976, separate municipality |
| Huta-Dąbrowa c.1,300 | Krzywda c.9,400 | No referendum | Establishing an association for the new municipality of Huta-Dąbrowa (2012). |
[i] Source: own desk research