Where Are Poles Most Heavily Indebted? A New Ranking of Regions and Cities

PLN 7,907 gross — according to Statistics Poland, this was the median monthly salary in Poland at the end of 2025. To obtain a fuller picture of households’ financial condition, however, another indicator should also be considered: consumer debt. Data from the National Debt Register shows that the median amount of overdue debt stood at PLN 4,931 at the end of 2025.

Comparing these two figures shows how much of a typical monthly salary would be absorbed by repaying a typical debt. The higher the percentage, the more difficult the financial situation of residents in a given region. The worst position was recorded in the Świętokrzyskie Voivodeship, where median debt exceeded median monthly net pay by more than PLN 500.

According to Statistics Poland, the median Polish employee earned 11% less at the end of 2025 than the average national salary for the whole of that year, which stood at PLN 8,904 gross. The national average is pushed upwards by a relatively small group of people with very high incomes. For this reason, the median is widely regarded as a more reliable measure of earnings across society.

The picture becomes more complete when consumer earnings are compared with debt levels. This affects a substantial group of people: according to the National Debt Register Economic Information Bureau, 1.9 million Poles have overdue liabilities totalling PLN 40.5 billion.

Because Statistics Poland presents earnings in gross terms, while the debt reported by the National Debt Register represents actual amounts that must be repaid — and therefore has to be covered from disposable income — the two measures had to be standardised. The gross median salary was therefore converted into an estimated net amount. This produced an approximate take-home income of PLN 5,720.

“Although median debt fell by nearly PLN 200 year on year, PLN 4,931 still represents a serious burden because it is equivalent to approximately 86% of a monthly salary. When this is combined with living costs — and it should be remembered that average expenditure per person exceeded PLN 2,000 a month in 2025 — the picture is far from optimistic,” said Adam Łącki, CEO of the National Debt Register Economic Information Bureau.

“For many consumers, repaying debt while continuing to cover their regular bills means, at best, living from payday to payday without any opportunity to save. In a less optimistic scenario, it means continuing to accumulate debt,” he added.

Higher earnings, but much higher debt among men

Women’s median net monthly salary is PLN 167 lower than men’s. However, the difference between men and women is substantially greater in terms of debt than earnings.

According to Eurostat, Poland’s gender pay gap is one of the lowest in the European Union, at only 4%. The remaining inequality is most likely related to women’s lower representation in managerial positions and career breaks following childbirth.

Although men earn slightly more, they are less reliable in repaying their financial obligations. Their median debt is PLN 1,255 higher than women’s — more than seven times the difference in median net earnings between the sexes.

The disparity becomes even more pronounced when debt is compared with income. Among men, median debt is equivalent to 93% of monthly net pay, while among women it amounts to 74%.

Middle-aged Poles caught in a debt trap

Using the age groups applied by Statistics Poland in its report on median earnings, the National Debt Register calculated the median debt for individual age groups.

People aged 55–64 are in the most difficult position, with debt equivalent to approximately 115% of their monthly net salary. They are closely followed by people aged 45–54, whose debt represents approximately 114% of their monthly take-home pay.

To repay the entire amount, people in these groups would have to work for approximately one month and four days, assuming that their entire salary was used to settle their liabilities.

The youngest age group, consisting of people aged up to 24, is in the best position. Their debt represents “only” 37% of their monthly salary.

“Middle-aged people, although they earn the most according to Statistics Poland’s calculations, are also responsible for the highest debts. They repay mortgages, support their children and pay for their education and healthcare, while also covering the cost of caring for ageing parents,” said Jakub Kostecki, Vice-President of debt collection company Kaczmarski Inkasso.

“In the 45-plus and 55-plus age groups, we see liabilities that have accumulated over months and sometimes years. The low median debt among the youngest consumers, those aged up to 24, is largely the result of their limited creditworthiness. Thanks to tax relief, these people receive a take-home amount close to their gross salary. Their situation changes after they turn 26,” he added.

The comparison above nevertheless describes an extremely theoretical situation in which an entire salary is allocated to debt repayment. In practice, this is highly unrealistic because consumers must also cover living costs and current expenses. The actual time needed to repay overdue liabilities would therefore be many times longer.

The riskiest combination

The positions of individual voivodeships and counties in the ranking were determined by the relationship between median debt and median earnings.

High debt combined with low net income is the riskiest combination from the perspective of residents’ financial security. This is the situation in the Świętokrzyskie Voivodeship, where median debt stands at PLN 5,818 and median net pay at PLN 5,305; the Podkarpackie Voivodeship, with debt of PLN 5,750 and earnings of PLN 5,272; the Lubuskie Voivodeship, with overdue liabilities of PLN 5,979 and income of PLN 5,511; and the Lubelskie Voivodeship, with corresponding figures of PLN 5,833 and PLN 5,414.

In these four regions, debt represents between 108% and 110% of monthly net pay. A typical debtor would therefore have to allocate more than an entire month’s earnings to repay their overdue liabilities.

An even wider gap can be seen at county level.

In Tomaszów County in the Łódzkie Voivodeship, median debt stands at PLN 7,308, compared with median net earnings of PLN 5,137. In Lubań County in the Dolnośląskie Voivodeship, the respective figures are PLN 7,409 and PLN 5,262.

Other counties facing a particularly difficult situation include Kamienna Góra County in the Dolnośląskie Voivodeship, where median debt amounts to PLN 6,941 and earnings to PLN 5,038, and Olecko County in the Warmińsko-Mazurskie Voivodeship, where debt stands at PLN 7,057 and income at PLN 5,131.

In these counties, median debt exceeds monthly net pay by as much as 42%. The highest ratios were recorded in Tomaszów County, at 142% of monthly net earnings, and Lubań County, at 141%.

In such regions, a greater proportion of household income must be allocated to servicing financial obligations, limiting households’ ability to consume and invest. Over the longer term, this may contribute to slower local economic development and greater vulnerability to changes in economic conditions.

“Debtors from these regions are in an extremely difficult position. Their salaries are not sufficient to cover their liabilities, let alone their monthly living expenses,” Łącki said.

“Employment conditions are often worse than in larger urban centres located nearby. In Tomaszów County, for example, the unemployment rate stood at 8.5% in November 2025, compared with 6.2% in Łódź, approximately 70 kilometres away. These counties are also areas where employment is based mainly on smaller, often family-owned businesses, which is also reflected in salary levels,” he explained.

Wałbrzych and Świętochłowice record the highest ratios among cities

Among cities with county status, the most difficult financial conditions are found where high debt coincides with relatively low net income.

Limited earnings make it more difficult to repay financial obligations, while the cost of living in a large city absorbs a substantial share of household income.

This group includes Wałbrzych in the Dolnośląskie Voivodeship, where median debt stands at PLN 8,059 and median net earnings at PLN 5,552; Świętochłowice in the Śląskie Voivodeship, where the respective figures are PLN 8,168 and PLN 5,635; and Siemianowice Śląskie, with debt of PLN 8,017 and income of PLN 5,696.

In Wałbrzych and Świętochłowice, median debt is equivalent to 145% of residents’ monthly net salary — the highest result in the entire ranking.

In such cities, the risk of difficulties with timely debt repayment is greater, as is residents’ vulnerability to a deterioration in economic conditions caused by shocks such as rising living costs or job losses.

Where high earnings coincide with low debt

At the opposite end of the ranking are regions where residents combine relatively high median net incomes with low levels of debt.

These include the Mazowieckie Voivodeship, where median net earnings stand at PLN 6,457 and median debt at PLN 4,636; the Łódzkie Voivodeship, with income of PLN 5,476 and debt of PLN 4,164; the Wielkopolskie Voivodeship, with earnings of PLN 5,448 and liabilities of PLN 4,508; and the Pomorskie Voivodeship, where the respective figures are PLN 5,805 and PLN 4,843.

In these regions, median debt represents only 72% to 83% of monthly net pay. The Mazowieckie Voivodeship performs best, with debt equivalent to just 72% of a monthly salary.

These are the regions with the most stable household financial position.

The leading counties include Warsaw West County in the Mazowieckie Voivodeship, where median net earnings stand at PLN 6,818 and median debt at PLN 3,492; Pruszków County, also in the Mazowieckie Voivodeship, where the respective figures are PLN 6,695 and PLN 3,640; and Wrocław County in the Dolnośląskie Voivodeship, with income of PLN 6,679 and debt of PLN 3,792.

In Warsaw West County, median debt represents only 51% of monthly net pay, while in Pruszków County it amounts to 54%.

This combination suggests not only a stronger labour market but also a more cautious approach to taking on financial obligations. As a result, residents of these counties are less exposed to the risk of excessive debt and have a greater capacity to absorb potential economic shocks.

“Warsaw West and Pruszków counties have a concentration of well-paid jobs in the immediate vicinity of Warsaw. These are typical suburban counties whose residents often commute to work in the capital and benefit from the high salaries offered by Warsaw’s services, business and public administration sectors, while facing lower living costs than those found in Warsaw itself,” Łącki said.

“This contributes to their favourable income-to-debt ratio,” he added.

Among cities with county status, the best results were recorded in Sopot, where the median salary stands at PLN 6,357 and median debt at PLN 2,984; Poznań, with corresponding figures of PLN 6,242 and PLN 3,209; and Wrocław, where median earnings amount to PLN 6,651 and debt to PLN 3,451.

Thanks to their higher earnings, residents of these cities have greater opportunities to build savings and are less exposed to the risk of falling into a debt spiral.

In Sopot, median debt represents only 47% of residents’ monthly net salary — the lowest ratio in the entire city ranking.

Methodology

The calculations were conducted in accordance with the tax regulations applicable in 2025. They took into account employee social security contributions, the health insurance contribution, tax-deductible employment costs and an advance personal income tax payment calculated at the 12% rate.

On this basis, a median gross salary of PLN 7,907 corresponds to approximately PLN 5,720 net.

The full youth income tax exemption was applied only to the Statistics Poland age group covering people aged up to 24.

This conversion made it possible to compare the scale of debt more realistically with households’ actual disposable income, rather than with gross salary figures that do not reflect consumers’ real ability to repay their financial obligations.

Source: Managerplus.pl