Only 12% of students in Poland say they do not save money, while the vast majority — regardless of their financial situation — are actively trying to build a financial safety cushion, according to the latest report “Student Wallet 2025” by the Warsaw Institute of Banking (WIB). This indicates a growing sense of financial responsibility, even though students still rate their own economic knowledge the lowest among all surveyed age groups.
“Most students are aware that they both should and can save. Only about 10% of people aged 18–24 admitted they don’t save at all. The rest try to do so — setting aside smaller or larger amounts depending on their means and mindset,” says Michał Polak, Vice President of the Warsaw Institute of Banking Foundation, in an interview with Newseria.
Students Are Saving More Despite Financial Pressures
According to WIB’s study “The Financial Situation of Young Poles 2025,” 23% of savers put away more than PLN 500 per month, while a similar percentage save between PLN 251 and 500. Nearly one in five (19%) students have accumulated more than PLN 10,000, and 14% have between PLN 5,000 and 10,000 in savings. Only 12% report having no savings at all.
“The past few years have clearly shown young people what inflation or rising loan repayments mean in practice. This has made them approach financial matters more responsibly,” Polak notes.
Still, students are self-critical. In the WIB report “Financial Literacy Level 2025,” they rated their financial knowledge at 2.6 out of 5 — the lowest of all age groups and below the national average of 2.92.
Financial Education Still Lags Behind
“There are two main reasons for this,” explains Polak.
“First, the formal education system still doesn’t adequately teach financial literacy. While the National Financial Education Strategy and new curricula like ‘Business and Management’ in secondary schools are steps forward, there’s still too little engaging, practical economics teaching in schools.”
The second factor, he says, is cultural — money remains a taboo topic in many households.
“If young people don’t learn about money management at home and don’t receive formal education on it, they enter adulthood with limited financial awareness. Only later — when they take a loan or start thinking about retirement — do they begin to seek financial knowledge,” Polak explains.
The WIB report confirms that young Poles feel a clear lack of economic education, suggesting that awareness is improving, but more educational programs are needed to prepare students for informed financial decision-making.
“As a foundation, we try to reach the youngest audiences possible so that they understand concepts like digital finance, saving, and investing early on,” says Polak.
“That way, their first financial decisions carry a lower risk of mistakes.”
Balancing Studies, Work, and Savings
According to the study, 41% of students feel their financial situation has improved compared with last year, while 20% report a decline and 30% say it remains stable. However, 17% admit they are considering dropping out of university due to financial difficulties.
Rather than giving up, most students seek alternative coping strategies:
- 33% plan to keep their expenses steady,
- 43% intend to take on a new or additional job,
- and the average monthly student expenditure has nearly doubled over the past decade, increasing by about PLN 2,000, though growth has slowed in the past two years.
“Students try to supplement their income — not relying solely on family support or scholarships but also earning money themselves,” Polak says.
“That shows a strong entrepreneurial spirit, even if their position on the labor market remains uneven.”
Students Struggle on the Labor Market
WIB and the Polish Bank Association (ZBP) data show that over half of students consider their age group’s position on the labor market to be poor. The gap between income levels and living costs continues to widen.
Only 12% describe the current job situation as good — taking into account availability of offers, wages, work conditions, and the possibility of balancing work with studies. This may explain why 41% of respondents (+6 pp year-on-year) are not working at all.
“Students’ financial independence is growing, but structural challenges — such as rising living costs and limited access to well-paid part-time jobs — still hold many back,” Polak concludes.
Key Findings – Student Wallet 2025
| Indicator | Result |
|---|---|
| Students who don’t save | 12% |
| Save over PLN 500/month | 23% |
| Have > PLN 10,000 saved | 19% |
| Rate financial knowledge (1–5 scale) | 2.6 |
| Feel better off than last year | 41% |
| Considering dropping out for financial reasons | 17% |
| Not working (2025) | 41% |
| See labor market as good | 12% |
