Output in Poland’s services sector increased by 6.6% year on year in April 2026, almost twice as fast as a year earlier, when growth stood at 3.7%. The strong headline result, however, concealed considerable differences between industries. Real estate services and telecommunications recorded double-digit growth, while film and recording production fell by more than one-third compared with March.
According to preliminary data from Statistics Poland, overall services output declined by 1.8% compared with March 2026. Such a decrease is typical for this particular month-on-month comparison and was largely attributable to seasonal factors.
After seasonal adjustment, services output increased by 6.4% year on year and declined by 1.3% month on month. Compared with the average monthly level of services output in 2021, which serves as the reference base of 100, seasonally adjusted output in April 2026 was 30.1% higher.
Real estate and information services drive growth, while administrative services lag behind
Among the sections with the largest weight in the overall index, the fastest growth in April 2026 was recorded in Section J — information and communication — where output increased by 9.7% year on year. Section H, covering transportation and storage, grew by 6.8%.
The strongest increase across all sections was recorded in real estate activities, where output rose by 11.9% year on year.
Administrative and support service activities were the only section to record an annual decline, with output falling by 0.4%.
Winners and losers: the full year-on-year industry ranking
At the level of individual divisions of the Polish Classification of Activities, the strongest year-on-year increases in services output were recorded in publishing activities, up 23.8%, telecommunications, up 15.4%, and accommodation, up 15.3%.
At the opposite end of the ranking were programming and broadcasting activities, where output declined by 15.3%, travel agency and tour operator activities, down 9.8%, and employment activities, which fell by 5.6%.
Film industry records a sharp monthly downturn
Compared with March 2026, the largest decline in services output was recorded in motion picture, video and television programme production, sound recording and music publishing activities, where output fell by 36.7%.
Output in computer programming, consultancy and related activities declined by 12.2%, while management consultancy activities recorded an 8.8% decrease.
Month-on-month growth was recorded in legal, accounting, bookkeeping and tax consultancy activities, where output increased by 8.3%. Publishing activities grew by 8%, while accommodation services rose by 5.4%.
Services output by PKD 2007 section, April 2026
| Section | Year on year, April 2025 = 100 | Month on month, March 2026 = 100 |
|---|---|---|
| Total services | +6.6% | -1.8% |
| Transportation and storage | +6.8% | -0.6% |
| Accommodation and food service activities | +5.5% | +3.4% |
| Information and communication | +9.7% | -5.6% |
| Real estate activities | +11.9% | +0.8% |
| Professional, scientific and technical activities | +6.0% | -1.2% |
| Administrative and support service activities | -0.4% | +0.4% |
Source: Statistics Poland.
Double-digit growth in real estate services and telecommunications, combined with weaker performance in administrative services, suggests that the recovery in Poland’s services sector remained selective in April 2026. Growth was driven by several specific industries rather than by a broad and evenly distributed improvement in economic conditions.
The preliminary data for April 2026 may be revised in future publications by Statistics Poland. Some indicators for March 2026 have already been adjusted compared with previously published figures.
The index covers service-sector enterprises employing at least 10 people in Sections H, I, J, L, M, subject to certain exclusions, and N of the Polish Classification of Activities 2007.
Data source: Statistics Poland. Author’s calculations based on Statistics Poland data.
