In 2025, a total of 26 million household appliances rolled off production lines in Polish factories, down 4% compared to 2024, according to the “Household Appliance Market Report 2025/2026” prepared by the Association of Home Appliance Employers – APPLiA Poland. Experts emphasize that the decline is the result of weaker demand as well as the closure of additional factories. Polish manufacturers are finding it increasingly difficult to compete with companies from outside the European Union, particularly from China. Industry representatives warn that within a few years Poland may lose its position as the EU’s leading producer.
“The home appliance market in Poland is subject to various fluctuations. At present, we are in a phase of slight stagnation, or even regression. For several years we have recorded declines in consumption, partly linked to the high sales volumes seen during the pandemic. At that time, consumers renovating homes and apartments bought more appliances than usual, so this downturn was expected. We believe consumption should start to recover slightly from this year,” Wojciech Konecki, President of APPLiA Poland, told Newseria news agency.
In 2025, 6.65 million large household appliances were sold in Poland, 1% fewer than a year earlier. At the same time, this result was better than in 2019, before the pandemic, when 6.4 million large appliances were sold. The value of this segment fell by 2% year-on-year to PLN 9.5 billion net. Meanwhile, the value of the small appliance market increased. In 2025 it was worth approximately PLN 6 billion net, 9% more than in 2024. Around 15 million small appliances were sold, with air fryers emerging as the sales hit, exceeding 1 million units.
“If consumption and sales decline, we also see production decreases. These were linked to the fact that five factories were closed just last year. They were relocated to Turkey and Romania. Competition is not sleeping — not only from China, but also local European competitors. That is why we are talking with the ministry and members of parliament about support for the industry,” Konecki stressed.
There are currently 30 large appliance factories operating in Poland. According to analysts in the APPLiA report, maintaining competitiveness against plants outside the European Union is becoming increasingly difficult. This is largely due to EU regulations and related burdens, including costs associated with the Emissions Trading System (ETS), which affect not only electricity but also steel and aluminum — key raw materials for the sector.
Poland remains the largest producer of large household appliances in the EU, accounting for 39% of total production volume. In categories such as dishwashers, washing machines, and dryers, the share exceeds 50%. Despite the decline in production, Poland’s relative position within the EU has strengthened, largely because overall EU production is shrinking. Over the past five years, large appliance production in the EU has fallen from 67 million units to 52 million units in 2024. Last year, EU production covered 56% of sales of these appliances within the common market, down from 59% in 2024. Imported large appliances have overtaken European products in categories including refrigeration, washing machines, and clothes dryers.
In terms of volume, China holds the largest share of large appliance deliveries to EU countries — both intra-EU and from outside the EU — at 43% in 2025. By comparison, Poland, the second-largest supplier, accounts for 15%. Export volumes from Poland increased by 2% year-on-year, while exports from China rose by 13% year-on-year and are 90% higher than in 2019. In the case of small appliance deliveries to the EU, 60% come from China.
“There is always a risk that more factories in Poland could be closed. Of course, we are defending ourselves and persuading decision-makers that we should be supported in some way,” said the head of APPLiA Poland.
Industry representatives stress that without necessary changes, Poland may cease to be the EU’s leading appliance producer within a few years.
“We also foresee certain trends, particularly in demographics, which are not favorable — in fact, they are alarming. We will need tens of thousands of workers each year, and Poland’s birth rate is under threat,” Konecki noted.
The report shows that in 2025 the entire household appliance sector employed around 30,000 people, compared with 35,500 three years earlier. Of these, 24,200 were factory workers, whose numbers fell by 8% over the year. Including component and service suppliers, retailers, and repair service employees, the sector generates around 100,000 jobs in total.
Although most production facilities are located in or near large cities, companies are struggling with labor shortages, especially in production roles. Industry estimates suggest that approximately 100,000 people may leave the labor market each year.
“This will be a very serious problem that cannot be covered up or solved simply by increasing automation and robotics — especially since automation is not at the best level either. That is why, together with the Łódź Special Economic Zone and the Łukasiewicz Research Network, we established a Sectoral Skills Council to train new workers. We try to respond to market questions in advance, anticipate problems, and create solutions,” explained the APPLiA Poland president.
According to the latest data from Statistics Poland (GUS), the average age of employees in the national economy reached 43.1 years at the end of September 2025, up from 42.8 a year earlier. Furthermore, forecasts by the Polish Economic Institute from October 2024 indicate that if demographic trends continue, the number of workers will decline by 2.1 million by 2035. The industrial sector alone is expected to lose 805,000 workers, with new entrants to the labor market offsetting only about half of these losses (404,500).
“We need to open a very unpopular topic — immigration. We should attract immigrants, of course in a very smart way, preparing them for work and life in Poland. This is one of the key factors,” Konecki emphasized. “We are talking with the Minister of Economy and other decision-makers to do something about ensuring an adequate labor supply and supporting the labor market. However, opening up to well-qualified immigrants who are properly culturally integrated is unfortunately a very difficult political issue. It is time for representatives of various sectors, not only ours, to exert some pressure on decision-makers. At present we see politicians exchanging negative arguments, and that will not be good for Poland or for the national interest.”
The expert also pointed to changes that may soon affect the appliance distribution market.
“It is currently based on two main players responsible for three-quarters of total sales. Now a Chinese company will join, having acquired the largest European distributor,” Konecki said.
He was referring to the planned acquisition of the owner of MediaMarkt stores by the Chinese company JD.com.
“After the takeover, certain changes may occur. New products and technologies, particularly from the Far East, may appear on store shelves. This will certainly motivate Polish and European distributors to become more active. Ultimately, this could be beneficial for consumers. We will see whether that is indeed the case and whether market competition remains within the framework of fair competition,” concluded the President of APPLiA Poland.
