Only a quarter of Poles rate their finances as good, savings cushions stay thin

Most Poles say they hold savings, but the cushions are thin

A BIG InfoMonitor survey, conducted by Quality Watch with 1,040 adult Poles between 2 and 5 October 2026, found that 83% declare they have savings. The same survey put the share with no money set aside at 58%, and respondents who did save said those funds would last three months at most. Regular saving, or at least an attempt at it, was reported by 53% of respondents, while 7% said they see no need to save. The share holding more than 100,000 zloty rose to 21%, which is 11 percentage points above the 2023 figure. Respondents were also asked how much they could cover from savings or by selling belongings rather than borrowing: 23% said up to 1,000 zloty, 16% said 1,001 to 3,000 zloty, and 10% said more than 100,000 zloty.

Purposes and obstacles

Unforeseen situations are the most common reason for saving, cited by 43% of respondents. Some 29% save against a loss of income, and 21% put money aside for retirement. High living costs and bills are the most frequently named obstacle, mentioned by 32%, while 28% point to low incomes together with high prices of basic goods and services. Over the past six months, 28% used savings for essential needs, most often medical services (35%), groceries (30%) and fixed bills (29%). The survey shows that the money kept in reserve is drawn on quickly once everyday costs rise.

Unforeseen situations43%

Loss of income29%

Retirement21%

Unforeseen situations

43 %

Loss of income

29 %

Retirement

21 %

Data from the article text

Material situation and saving habits

A separate report, Finanse Polaków 2026 from Bank Millennium, is based on an online survey of 1,050 people aged 18 and over, run through the Ariadna research panel in July and August. It found that 25% rate their material situation as good, down from 30% a year earlier. Some 68% said their income had not changed over the past six months. 76% say they try to put money aside, and 32% of savers set aside less than 5% of their monthly income. The report's authors describe the trend this way:

“The consequences are visible in how people save. More and more people set aside small amounts.”

Savings had shrunk since the start of the year for 28% of respondents, mainly because of unplanned spending or the need to use funds for current needs.

A year earlier30%

2026 report25%

A year earlier

30 %

2026 report

25 %

Data from the article text

Overdue debts

Late payments are a separate concern in the BIG InfoMonitor data. Waldemar Rogowski, the chief analyst at BIG InfoMonitor, said overdue liabilities recorded in the BIG InfoMonitor and BIK databases total 78 billion zloty and involve more than 2 million Poles. He noted that non-credit obligations make up more than half of that sum. Rogowski argued the problem stems as much from missing financial cushions and weak household budgeting as from excessive debt. He put it in these words:

“More than half of this amount is non-credit liabilities, and relatively small arrears, not exceeding 5,000 zloty, dominate.”

Investing and financial skills

The Millennium report describes a cautious approach to investing. More than half of respondents say investing requires specialist knowledge, and 11% rate their own investment skills as good. The main motivations are securing the future and protecting money from inflation, while the pursuit of high returns ranks further behind. More than half say they care more about safety than about maximising returns, and only a small group would accept more risk for a potentially higher gain. On financial management, 48% would like to manage their money better, 42% rate their skills as average and 20% report no gaps. This is the fifth edition of the project.