Banks and credit unions in Poland significantly increased their sales of mortgage, instalment and cash loans in May 2026. The strongest growth was recorded in the mortgage segment, where the value of newly granted loans once again exceeded PLN 13 billion. At the same time, the number of credit cards issued and the value of newly granted card limits declined.
In May 2026, banks and credit unions granted 46.9% more mortgage loans than a year earlier. The number of instalment loans increased by 26.4%, while cash loans rose by 8.8%. During the same period, the number of credit cards issued fell by 11.3%.
The value of new lending increased mainly in the housing segment. The value of granted mortgage loans rose by 58.8% year on year. The value of instalment loans also increased, by 13.3%, as did the value of cash loans. The decline concerned credit-card limits, whose value fell by 7.3%.
Mortgage loans reach a record average amount
In May, banks granted 46.9% more mortgage loans than in May 2025. Compared with April, however, the number of granted mortgages was 5.3% lower. The value of mortgage lending rose by 58.8% year on year, while declining by 4.2% month on month.
The average mortgage amount reached PLN 476,140. This represented an 8.1% annual increase and the highest level in the history of BIK data.
“The value of mortgage loans granted in May once again exceeded PLN 13 billion. The average value of a newly granted mortgage reached PLN 476,140, the highest level in history. The main reason for such high activity in this segment is rising creditworthiness, resulting both from the lower cost of borrowing compared with a year earlier and continued wage growth,” says Dr. Waldemar Rogowski, Chief Analyst at the BIK Group.
According to BIK, stronger borrowing capacity is supporting both new home purchases and the refinancing of previously taken-out mortgages. Refinancing is estimated to account for around one-third of current mortgage lending activity.
Demand is also being supported by conditions in the housing market, which, according to the analyst, has entered a phase of a mild upward trend.
Instalment lending maintains its growth trend
The instalment loan market continued the growth seen in previous months. In May, the number of newly granted instalment loans was more than 13% higher than a year earlier, while their value increased by 13.3%.
Compared with April, the number of instalment loans granted fell by 1.1%, but their value rose by 1.4%. The average value of an individual instalment loan amounted to PLN 1,982 and was 10.4% lower than in May 2025.
“Activity in instalment lending may continue to be driven by wage growth and the still favourable labour-market situation. Interest rates that are lower than a year ago create more room for credit within household budgets,” Rogowski says.
He adds that improving conditions in the mortgage segment may also support instalment lending. Purchases of household appliances and consumer electronics for newly acquired properties are often financed through instalment loans.
Cash loans are getting larger
In May, both the number and value of cash loans granted increased. The number of new loans was 8.8% higher than a year earlier, while their value rose by 18.8%.
The average cash loan amount reached PLN 28,370, up 9.2% compared with May 2025.
“Cash loans are being taken out for increasingly higher amounts, with loans exceeding PLN 50,000 becoming more common. There is therefore a strong likelihood that the average loan amount will exceed PLN 30,000 in the coming months,” says the Chief Analyst at the BIK Group.
According to BIK, three main factors are driving higher borrowing capacity: longer repayment periods, lower interest rates on new loans and real wage growth. These factors also support the consolidation of earlier liabilities.
Consolidation loans are currently estimated to account for around 60% of the value of newly granted cash loans.
Mortgage lending up more than 49% since the start of the year
Between January and May 2026, banks and credit unions granted 49.5% more mortgage loans than in the corresponding period of 2025. The number of instalment loans increased by 27.5%, while the number of cash loans rose by 6%. At the same time, the number of credit cards issued was 7.5% lower.
During the first five months of the year, the value of lending increased by 61.5% in the mortgage segment, 14.4% for cash loans and 13.7% for instalment loans. In the credit-card segment, the value of newly granted limits fell by 2.6%.
BIK also notes that the repayment quality of bank loans remains safe. Year on year, credit-quality indicators improved for mortgage loans, cash loans and credit cards, indicating that credit risk in household debt portfolios remains relatively low.
