Poles' savings: 14 percent have none, 26 percent would last at most three months after losing income
Fourteen percent of adult Poles hold no financial reserves, and a further 26 percent could sustain themselves for no more than three months after losing their main source of income, according to a Santander Consumer Bank survey.
The savings gap
The latest polling by Santander Consumer Bank lays bare the fragility of household finances in Poland. Twenty-six percent of respondents have savings that would cover living costs for one to three months after the loss of regular income. A further 7 percent hold just enough to last less than 30 days, while 14 percent have no savings at all. That means 47 percent of the adult population would be in serious trouble within a quarter.
At the other end of the spectrum, 18 percent have a buffer of three to six months, 13 percent can stretch funds over six to twelve months, and another 13 percent say they could live for more than a year on reserves alone.
- No savings
- 14 %
- Less than 30 days
- 7 %
- 1–3 months
- 26 %
- 3–6 months
- 18 %
- 6–12 months
- 13 %
- Over 12 months
- 13 %
Wealth shapes the safety net
Savings capacity tracks subjective material wellbeing almost perfectly. Among people who assess their situation as poor, 49 percent have put nothing aside. In the group that describes its finances as good, only 6 percent lack reserves, and almost one in four (23 percent) hold enough to last over a year.
What Poles fear most
The survey also catalogued the anxieties that keep people awake at night. Geopolitical instability and the threat of armed conflict top the list, named by 44 percent of respondents. A near-identical share, 43 percent, point to further rises in the cost of living, especially food and services. Energy and fuel prices worry 34 percent, while health costs and declining condition preoccupy 32 percent. The prospect of higher taxes strikes 20 percent, and job-market volatility 18 percent.
Further down the list sit cybersecurity and data theft (15 percent), artificial intelligence development (12 percent), recession risk (10 percent), and costly loan instalments (10 percent).
- Geopolitical conflicts
- 44 %
- Rising cost of living
- 43 %
- Energy and fuel prices
- 34 %
- Health costs and deterioration
- 32 %
- Tax increases
- 20 %
- Job market instability
- 18 %
- Cybersecurity and data theft
- 15 %
- AI development
- 12 %
- Recession risk
- 10 %
- High loan instalments
- 10 %
Generational rift in worries
The pattern shifts markedly with age. Armed conflict is the dominant fear for 64 percent of seniors but for only 23 percent of people aged 18 to 29. Younger respondents are instead more focused on rising living costs (39 percent) and the threat of tax hikes (37 percent).
The perception of threats differs by age. Armed conflicts are the main source of anxiety for 64 percent of seniors, while among 18-29 year-olds only 23 percent cite them. Younger respondents more often worry about the rising cost of living and higher taxes.
Survey background
The study was commissioned by Santander Consumer Bank and carried out by the Institute for Market and Social Research (IBRiS) using computer-assisted telephone interviews (CATI) between 27 February and 5 March 2026. The sample comprised 1,000 adults and is representative of Poland's adult population.
