Polish housewives either use the services of seamstresses or buy ready-made clothes in fine shops. Ten years ago 60 percent of the women had a sewing machine, but today only 45 percent of them use one. So it is no surprise to anyone that Poles have ever fewer motorcycles, scooters or motorbikes, which have been replaced by cars. The statistics on bicycles are interesting. The fall and then increase in the popularity of bicycles is a result of the reviving fashion for this equipment.
Families living off social welfare are in the worst material situation.
The poorest families spend two-thirds of their income for food and shelter. More than half of the households assess their material situation as average, nearly one-third as bad, and 13 percent as good.