Changes and Differences in Poles’ Hierarchy of Values – on Basis of the European Social Survey

The purpose of this paper is to present the changes that have place with regard to Poles’ value system over the last 12 years, as well as to demonstrate differences based on sex, level of education and household income level. The analysis was based on the results of the European Social Survey (ESS). The research results indicate that the hierarchy of values cherished by Poles does not undergo significant changes. The most important values are security, universalism and benevolence. The least significant values include hedonism, stimulation and power. There are no identifiable differences in the hierarchies of values of women and men. However, there are noticeable differences depending on the level of education, household income level and age of surveyed respondents.