Investments in Human Capital and Savings of Polish Households

Households' investments in human capital are approximated by the private spending on education and health care. The analysis is based on household budget survey (32 000 units). Households' spending on the creation of human capital in Poland is relatively high: 2 per cent of disposable income cover education expenses and 5.3 per cent is spent on health care. The analysis reveals that these investments depend on the income level and the family composition. Households finance one fifth of the total expenditure on education and around a half of the total spent on health care. To a high extent the volume of private investment on health care is enforced by the inadequate level of the public contribution while expenditure on education is motivated by the desire to speed up the civilizational advance.