Deconsumption is manifested as voluntary abandonment of behaviours aimed at satisfying the desires created by marketers in favour of conscious, rational and ethical choices to meet one's needs. This consumer trend essentially involves voluntary discontinuation of egocentric consumption behaviour that may result both from the motivation of an egocentric individual focused on the good and from concern for the welfare of social groups, future generations and the natural environment, or may ensue

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... om purely altruistic motivation. The article seeks to provide some insight into the reasons and scope of deconsumption in consumer behaviour of people aged 65+ in Poland. The study consists of two parts: theoretical and empirical. The fi rst one explains the concept and essence of deconsumption as well as its key forms and determinants, building upon a critical analysis of literature. The second, major part is empirical. The basis for conclusions is provided by research material collected by means of a questionnaire-based survey among Polish seniors. The survey clearly shows that the level of deconsumption, and thus consumer behaviour consistent with this trend, is most infl uenced by demographic and social characteristics of those aged 65+ such as: age, sex, education, income and place of residence. It turned out that the female seniors surveyed evinced more interest in deconsumption than their male counterparts. Following the analysis, it can also be concluded that young old people (65-74) who have completed higher and secondary education, earn a monthly income of above PLN 3000.00 per capita, live in Warsaw, Gdańsk, Wrocław and Poznań and actively participate in UTA courses are most strongly infl uenced by the deconsumption trend, which is becoming an increasingly common way of life for the elderly.