Sunday, 2 November 2025
Polish households are growing increasingly cautious with their money, choosing to save not for holidays or new purchases, but to protect themselves from financial shocks. A recent national study shows that for most people, saving is no longer about planning for the future but about surviving the present.
The vast majority of Poles now view their savings as a form of protection. Three out of four respondents said they put money aside mainly to cover emergencies such as unexpected expenses or the risk of losing their job. Experts note that this has been the dominant saving pattern since 2022, reflecting years of economic uncertainty, high inflation, and rising living costs.
What’s more, a large share of people are no longer able to keep their savings untouched. Nearly one in three adults admitted that in the past six months they had to dip into their own reserves simply to cover basic needs. Food, rent, and electricity bills are the main reasons households have been forced to draw from funds that were originally meant to provide financial security.
Financial analysts see this as a worrying sign. While Poles remain disciplined savers by European standards, inflation continues to erode their purchasing power. The result is a form of “forced saving,” where money set aside for peace of mind is increasingly used to fill the gaps in monthly budgets. Many families describe their savings not as a cushion for future goals, but as a temporary shield against current pressures.
Still, some goals remain intact. Around one in six Poles continue to save for retirement, while another small share sets money aside for health-related costs or leisure activities. But the ability to save for pleasure is becoming more fragile. Spending on holidays, for instance, has turned into a luxury that many are quick to postpone when finances tighten. The average household trip budget this year hovered around 4,400 złoty—an amount that, for many, requires months of planning and sacrifice.
According to researchers, these changing patterns show both prudence and strain. On one hand, Polish households have developed a culture of financial responsibility and a strong instinct to prepare for uncertainty. On the other, the continued pressure of everyday costs means that even this responsibility has limits. When food and rent consume most of the income, savings become a tool of necessity rather than long-term planning.
Experts warn that unless real wages begin to rise faster than prices, many families will struggle to rebuild their financial buffers. For now, saving in Poland has become less about comfort or growth, and more about resilience — a strategy for coping with an economy where every unexpected bill can upend a fragile balance.
Source: BIK
