Aim. The paper explores changes within the population of the elderly in Poland, in particular: changes in their number and educational structure. Educational advancement of the Polish population, observed since the beginning of the systemic transformation in the last decade of the 20th century, sheds new light on population ageing. The latter is also strongly influenced by international migrations and other demographic processes; therefore, the aim of the analysis is to also address their role for the ageing of Poland’s population. Methods and materials. Research is based on statistical data gathered by Statistics Poland. The first part discusses population ageing across the world. Set against this backdrop, the second part explores these processes in Poland, both those contributing to ageing (fertility decline and rise in life expectancy), and those potentially slowing it down (the COVID-19 pandemic and the influx of refugees, mostly women and children, after the onset of the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine). Conclusion. Immigration from Ukraine, and — to a certain extent — the COVID-19 pandemic, contributed to a decline in the share of the elderly among the Polish population. Moreover, analysis points to a changing definition of old age and changes within the population of the elderly, such as rising level of education and improved health. These processes paint a more nuanced picture of ageing than when the focus is solely on the data on changes in the number of the elderly and their share in the general population.