More than 12,000 consumer bankruptcies were declared in Poland in the first half of 2026, raising questions about household financial resilience. The number was around 24% higher than a year earlier, yet the housing market remains surprisingly calm. Average asking prices on the secondary market in Poland’s seven largest cities are still slightly higher than a year ago, while mortgage repayment quality remains broadly stable. For now, there is no evidence of a nationwide wave of forced home sales.
According to the Central Economic Information Centre, 12,255 consumer bankruptcies were declared in the first half of 2026, compared with 9,837 in the same period of 2025, an increase of around 24.6% year on year. It is the highest first-half result in the organisation’s 2019–2026 dataset.
Other databases show almost identical figures. MGBI reports 12,252 bankruptcies over the same period. The minor difference does not change the broader picture: consumer insolvencies remain at record levels.
That does not mean a similar number of homes will suddenly come onto the market. Not every bankrupt consumer owns a flat or house, and the available statistics do not show how many proceedings involve residential property that will actually be sold.
A home can be sold, but housing needs are protected
If a debtor’s property becomes part of the bankruptcy estate, it may be sold during liquidation. Polish bankruptcy law, however, includes protection for the debtor’s basic housing needs.
Under Article 342a, when a flat or house occupied by the bankrupt person is sold and the debtor and dependants need alternative housing, part of the sale proceeds may be set aside to cover average local rent for a period of 12 to 24 months. The amount is determined by the judge-commissioner, taking into account family circumstances, earning capacity, the sale price and the trustee’s opinion.
Rising bankruptcies could therefore affect the housing market in two ways: by increasing the number of properties offered for sale and by moving some former homeowners into the rental market. So far, however, there is no evidence that the scale is large enough to move national housing prices.
Today’s bankruptcy figures must be viewed in the context of legal reform
Current insolvency statistics cannot be compared mechanically with those from several years ago. On 24 March 2020, Poland introduced rules that made consumer bankruptcy significantly easier to access.
At the opening stage, courts no longer examine the causes of insolvency in the same way as before the reform. Whether the debtor deliberately caused insolvency or acted with gross negligence matters mainly at later stages and may affect the terms of debt relief.
This legal change is one reason why current records should not be interpreted solely as evidence of worsening household finances. At the same time, annual bankruptcy numbers have remained very high for several years: 21,187 cases in 2024 and 21,266 in 2025.
National Debt Register data also suggest that financial difficulties often build over a long period. Nearly 5,700 people who declared bankruptcy in the first half of 2026 had already appeared in the register three years earlier, while 7,300 were listed there by the time of bankruptcy.
The housing market is not showing a nationwide sell-off
Otodom data for the secondary market show no broad decline in second-hand home prices. In the second quarter of 2026, the aggregated average asking price across Poland’s seven largest cities was about PLN 15,500 per square metre, around 3% higher than a year earlier.
June data showed year-on-year increases in all seven major markets. The strongest growth was recorded in the Tricity at 6.9% and Poznań at 4.7%, while Warsaw was up 2.7%. Łódź and Katowice recorded only 0.2% growth, meaning prices fell in real terms when inflation is taken into account.
Buyer activity weakened in June, with the number of enquiries falling month on month in several major cities. Otodom notes, however, that part of the decline may be seasonal. So far, weaker interest has not translated into a widespread fall in nominal asking prices.
Mortgage quality remains relatively strong
There is also no broad deterioration in Poland’s mortgage portfolio. According to BIK, banks granted PLN 74 billion in housing loans in the first half of 2026, 59.7% more than a year earlier. The number of loans rose 48%, while the share of housing loans more than 90 days overdue declined to 3.4%.
Part of the strong lending activity reflects refinancing. BIK estimates that refinancing accounted for around 32% of housing-loan sales between January and May.
July data also showed continued interest in mortgage finance: the value of credit enquiries per working day was 22% higher than a year earlier, while the number of applicants increased 11.6%.
What to watch next
MGBI data show 2,018 consumer bankruptcies in July, compared with 1,853 a year earlier, an increase of around 9%. The trend is therefore still upward, although the annual growth rate was lower than in the first half.
For the housing market, the number of bankruptcies alone is best treated as a risk indicator rather than a direct price forecast. The key questions are how many properties actually enter liquidation, what share they represent of total housing supply and whether they are sold at meaningful discounts.
For now, available data do not confirm a nationwide wave of forced home sales. The broader picture remains one of relatively stable housing prices, continuing mortgage demand and no widespread deterioration in mortgage quality.
