Wednesday, 19 August 2026
Demand for housing finance in Poland remained substantially above last year’s level in July 2026, with the value of mortgage enquiries submitted to banks and credit unions increasing by 22% year on year, according to the latest BIK Housing Loan Demand Index.
The increase was supported by both a larger number of prospective borrowers and higher amounts being requested. The number of people applying for housing loans was 11.6% higher than in July 2025, although activity eased slightly compared with June, with the number of applicants falling by 2.1% month on month.
At the same time, borrowers continued to seek larger loans. The average amount requested reached PLN 538,500 in July, setting another record. This was 9.3% higher than a year earlier and 2% above the June level.
The combination of more applicants and larger financing requirements explains much of the annual increase in BIK’s demand indicator. It also suggests that Poland’s mortgage market continues to recover from the weaker financing environment experienced when high borrowing costs significantly reduced household purchasing capacity.
The figures need to be interpreted carefully, however. The BIK index measures enquiries made by banks and SKOK credit unions in connection with individual mortgage applications. It does not represent the value of loans subsequently approved or property transactions completed.
There is also an additional factor influencing applicant numbers. BIK chief analyst Waldemar Rogowski noted that not every mortgage application relates directly to the purchase of a property on the primary or secondary market. Some applications concern borrowers who already have housing finance, meaning mortgage-market activity cannot be translated directly into residential sales volumes.
Annual growth in applicant numbers is also likely to moderate as comparisons become more demanding. Mortgage demand was already strengthening during the second half of 2025, meaning forthcoming 2026 figures will increasingly be measured against months in which borrower activity had begun recovering.
Nevertheless, the July figures provide another positive signal for Poland’s residential market. An 11.6% increase in applicants indicates that more households are exploring mortgage financing than a year earlier, while the record average requested amount points to the growing financial scale of residential purchases.
The increase in average borrowing is particularly relevant for developers. At PLN 538,500, the typical requested mortgage was almost 10% larger than a year earlier. This may reflect a combination of property prices, buyers seeking larger or higher-quality homes and greater borrowing capacity, although the BIK data alone does not establish how much each factor contributed.
For the primary residential market, improving access to mortgage finance is important because owner-occupiers have become a central source of demand. Stronger credit availability can broaden the pool of potential buyers beyond cash purchasers and investors, particularly for two- and three-bedroom apartments aimed at households buying their first home or improving their existing living conditions.
The month-on-month decline in applicant numbers nevertheless indicates that the recovery is unlikely to progress in a straight line. July produced fewer prospective borrowers than June even as the amount of financing requested increased.
This creates a more nuanced picture of the market. Mortgage demand remains considerably stronger than a year ago, but the pace of annual growth should gradually become less pronounced as the comparison base strengthens.
For developers and residential investors, the more important question will therefore be whether stronger mortgage interest continues to convert into completed transactions during the second half of 2026. If borrowing conditions remain supportive, the combination of higher household credit capacity and sustained owner-occupier demand could provide further support for new-home sales.
The July BIK figures show that Poland’s housing finance market entered the summer with considerably stronger demand than a year earlier. However, with the average requested mortgage reaching a record PLN 538,500, the recovery is increasingly being driven not only by the number of people seeking finance, but also by the growing amount each borrower needs.
