The Orthodox church is arguably the liveliest place in Dubicze Cerkiewne on this freezing November morning. In this Polish town near the border with Belarus, the mass gathered about 20 elderly people, bent by devotion and the weight of their years. Inevitably, some members of this congregation would soon add to the village’s statistics: Since January, 27 deaths have already been recorded, compared with only two births. Between economically driven emigration and the absence of newborns, the municipality is emptying out. The closure of the elementary school, which averages six children per class, is being debated by the local council.
Dubicze Cerkiewne illustrates a phenomenon occurring throughout Poland: the collapse of the birthrate. In 2025, the number of children per woman of childbearing age fell to 1.03, the lowest fertility rate in all of Europe. By comparison, France stood at 1.62, Germany at 1.35 and Spain at 1.12.
During a mass at the Orthodox church in Dubicze Cerkiewne (Poland), November 21, 2025. The Municipality, located just a few kilometers from the Belarusian border, is in a predominantly Orthodox region. JEDRZEJ NOWICKI FOR LE MONDE
Eufrozyna, four months old and wide-eyed with curiosity, was one of the two babies born in the village that year. In the comfort of her house in the middle of the countryside, she babbled contentedly in her mother’s arms. Her mother, Paulina Siegien, age 39, did not hide the long hesitations she and her partner had before deciding to have a child. “It was a very hard decision.”
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