Plans of Secondary School Graduates from Southeastern Poland Regarding Their Future Place of Residence

Abstract

This article analyzes the plans for the future place of residence of young people from southeastern Poland, finishing high school conducted among high school graduates in 2024. In the survey, answers to questions were provided by students from 87 high schools from 44 towns in 8 voivodeships, and 3819 questionnaires were qualified for analysis. The method used to collect data was a combination of an auditorium survey with an online survey. The article aims to present the plans of young people regarding the choice of their future place of residence and variables influencing these decisions. The influence of variables such as gender, type of school, region of origin, status, level of mental stress and living environment was analyzed. The conducted research reveals the diverse preferences of young people from southeastern Poland. Most of the respondents aspire to live in large cities or abroad, while small towns and villages are chosen less often. Women, high school students, residents of small towns and the eastern region show the highest propensity to migrate to metropolises. The desire to emigrate abroad occurs among people with high levels of stress and from families with a high economic status.