Wednesday, 18 February 2026
Consumer sentiment improved slightly in February compared with the previous month, although expectations for the coming months became more cautious, according to the latest consumer tendency survey published by Statistics Poland. The overall indicator measuring current confidence rose modestly, while the forward-looking measure slipped marginally.
The index reflecting households’ assessment of their present situation moved to minus 9.1 points, an increase of 0.5 points from January. Despite the improvement, the value remains in negative territory, indicating that pessimistic views still outweigh optimistic ones. Compared with February last year, however, the indicator shows a noticeable improvement.
Among the elements shaping the current reading, the most significant positive shift was recorded in assessments of the country’s economic prospects. Households also expressed slightly better opinions about their own expected financial position and about recent economic conditions. At the same time, perceptions of the ability to make major purchases and evaluations of current household finances weakened compared with January.
The survey’s forward-looking indicator, which captures expectations for consumption trends in the coming months, declined by 0.3 points to minus 7.0. The drop was mainly linked to reduced optimism about future savings and concerns related to employment prospects. Offsetting these declines were more favourable expectations regarding the broader economy and household financial conditions. Year on year, the forward indicator still shows an improvement.
The study was conducted in early February through more than 1,300 interviews. Both consumer confidence indicators are measured on a scale from minus 100 to plus 100, with negative values signalling a predominance of pessimistic responses.
Additional questions in the survey addressed the perceived impact of the situation in Ukraine on consumer attitudes. Just over half of respondents said current events have a moderate or significant influence on their answers, while nearly 46 percent reported no effect. Among working respondents, roughly half indicated they did not fear losing their job or closing a business due to the situation.
When asked about broader economic implications, around one quarter of respondents described the situation as a major risk to Poland’s economy, while the largest share viewed it as an average threat. Perceived risks to personal finances were lower, with most respondents classifying the impact as small or moderate. Concerns about national sovereignty and independence were more pronounced, with nearly a third identifying a high level of threat, although this share declined slightly from the previous month.
