The Polish non-banking loan market is divided into two key product segments, each with distinct characteristics.
1. Purpose-Specific Loans
The first segment comprises purpose-specific loans, typically granted for the purchase of specific goods or services. These loans are not disbursed in cash directly to the client; instead, the financing goes toward a designated purchase. They are usually for small amounts – in March 2025, the average value of a newly granted purpose-specific loan was PLN 685, representing a 4.2% decrease year-on-year.
Despite the drop in average value, the number of new purpose-specific loans issued in March increased by 20.9% compared to March 2024. However, in terms of value, the increase was more modest at +15.9%. This suggests a higher volume of lower-value loans, which also explains the year-on-year drop in average loan size.
Importantly, March 2024 already included complete loan reporting, meaning that the strong growth observed in March 2025 reflects real market trends and is not distorted by previous underreporting.
2. Cash Loans
The second segment includes cash loans, which are transferred directly to the borrower’s account and can be used for any purpose. Within this category, there are two sub-types:
- Short-term loans (up to 60 days)
- Long-term loans (over 60 days)
Short-Term Cash Loans (≤ 60 days)
In March 2025, the average value of short-term cash loans was PLN 2,340, up 12.4% year-on-year. The total value of short-term loans granted during the month reached PLN 1.040 billion, marking a +29.3% increase compared to March 2024.
The number of short-term loans also rose by +15.0%. These loans accounted for 85.7% of the number and 70.5% of the total value of all cash loans granted in March 2025.
Long-Term Cash Loans (> 60 days)
In March 2025, 74,000 long-term cash loans were granted, totaling PLN 436 million. Compared to the same month in 2024, this reflects a 14.2% increase in volume and a 30.7% increase in value.
The average long-term loan amount was PLN 5,903, which is 14.5% higher than the average for March 2024.
As with purpose-specific loans, all loans were fully reported in March 2024, so the observed growth in March 2025 accurately reflects the current market situation.
Market Structure and Trends
As in previous months, the number of loans was dominated by purpose-specific products, while cash loans accounted for the majority of the total loan value.
Q1 2025 vs. Q1 2024 – Market Summary
In the first quarter of 2025, compared to the same period in 2024, the non-bank lending sector recorded strong year-on-year growth across all product types:
- Purpose-specific loans:
- Volume: +21.7%
- Value: +14.5%
- Short-term cash loans (≤ 60 days):
- Volume: +17.3%
- Value: +31.3%
- Long-term cash loans (> 60 days):
- Volume: +17.5%
- Value: +33.8%
This performance reflects a strong and healthy start to the year for the non-banking loan market, with rising demand and increased lending activity across all key segments.
Source: ManagerPlus
