An increasing number of Poles are falling behind on payments to several companies and institutions at the same time. According to data from BIG InfoMonitor, nearly one in five people with overdue liabilities now has at least three creditors. In total, so-called multi-debtors are responsible for PLN 17.5 billion in overdue non-credit obligations, accounting for around 40% of this category of consumer debt.
Polish consumers currently owe more than PLN 37 billion in overdue credit liabilities and PLN 44 billion in overdue non-credit obligations. The latter category includes unpaid utility bills, phone and internet charges, rent, insurance premiums, fines and court costs, as well as child support payments and non-bank loans.
The greatest concern, however, is the situation of people who are overdue on payments to multiple entities at once. Poland now has 347,500 consumers with liabilities to at least three creditors.
Multi-Debtors Account for PLN 17.5 Billion in Overdue Payments
BIG InfoMonitor data shows that people with liabilities to three or more creditors collectively owe PLN 17.5 billion in overdue non-credit debt. This represents nearly 40% of all consumer arrears recorded in the BIG InfoMonitor Debtors Register.
“We are seeing a clear deepening of the debt spiral phenomenon in Poland, which is no longer a marginal problem. Already one in five consumers is overdue on payments to several entities at the same time, indicating growing difficulties in maintaining financial stability,” says Dr. Waldemar Rogowski, Chief Analyst at BIG InfoMonitor.
He notes that the concentration of overdue payments within this group is particularly worrying. In the most extreme cases, the number of creditors reaches several dozen, which may indicate a complete loss of control over current financial obligations.
Most Multi-Debtors Live in Silesia and Mazovia
Men account for the majority of people with overdue liabilities to at least three creditors. There are more than 230,000 male multi-debtors, whose combined debt totals PLN 12.6 billion—more than three times the amount owed by women.
The highest number of multi-debtors live in the Silesian Voivodeship, where their number reaches approximately 46,000. Mazovia follows with 45,500 people, followed by Lower Silesia with 35,800 and Greater Poland, where around 34,000 consumers have liabilities to at least three creditors.
High numbers have also been recorded in the Pomeranian, Łódź and Kuyavian-Pomeranian voivodeships. In the remaining regions, the number of people owing money to at least three creditors does not exceed 20,000.
The Largest Group Is Aged 35–44
Multi-debtors can be found across all age groups, including minors. However, the largest group consists of consumers aged between 35 and 44.
More than 112,000 people in this age group have overdue obligations to at least three entities. The total value of their liabilities exceeds PLN 5.3 billion.
Record Holder Has 29 Creditors
The most extreme case concerns a man aged between 45 and 54 from the Lesser Poland Voivodeship. He has overdue liabilities to 29 creditors. His obligations mainly include unpaid bills owed to telecommunications operators and television service providers, as well as fines, compensation payments and court costs.
Second place is held by a man aged between 25 and 34 from the Opole Voivodeship, who has 28 creditors. His arrears relate to debt collection companies, telecommunications providers, loan companies, courts and child support payments.
The third most indebted case concerns a woman aged between 25 and 34 from Lower Silesia. She has overdue obligations to 24 entities. Her debts include fines for travelling without a valid ticket, insurance premiums, phone and internet bills, court costs and unpaid short-term loans.
“The most extreme cases of multi-debtors clearly show a loss of control over personal finances. Some of these people had already appeared in the BIG register earlier, which should have served as a warning signal. Despite this, further entities decided to enter into business relationships with them,” says Paweł Szarkowski, President of BIG InfoMonitor.
Companies Are Increasingly Checking Customers’ Financial Reliability
According to BIG InfoMonitor, banks and businesses checked 9.2 million people in the Debtors Register last year. This means that approximately one in three adult Poles was subject to a creditworthiness or payment reliability check.
According to Paweł Szarkowski, payment reliability reports are primarily preventive tools. They allow companies to assess more quickly whether a customer has experienced difficulties in settling obligations on time in the past.
“From the perspective of the market and financial institutions, this means that early risk identification and preventive measures must be strengthened consistently. At the same time, the social dimension cannot be overlooked—multiple indebtedness has a very strong impact on consumers’ mental wellbeing and life stability,” the President of BIG InfoMonitor concludes.
The growing number of people indebted to multiple creditors shows that the issue is no longer limited to isolated late payments. In the case of multi-debtors, liabilities often include loans, consumer credit, housing expenses, telecommunications charges and public-law obligations at the same time, making it significantly more difficult to regain financial balance.
