Population
Poland’s population at the end of the half of 2026 was lower than at the end of both June and December of 2025. In the period of January-June 2026, fewer births were registered than in the previous year, whereas the number of deaths increased. As a result of deaths outnumbering births, the natural increase remained negative. It is estimated that in the first half of 2026, as in the previous year, net international migration was positive.
Labour market
The year-on-year decrease in average paid employment in the enterprise sector was slightly lower than in previous months. In the register rolls of the unemployed, fewer persons were recorded than a year ago, whereas the number of persons removed from the registers was significantly higher. The registered unemployment rate at the end of July 2026 remained at the level from the previous month and was higher than in July 2025.
Labour market – Labour Force Survey (LFS)
According to the preliminary results of the Labour Force Survey, in the second quarter of 2026 the number of employed persons and the employment rate were slightly higher than in the corresponding period of the previous year. The number of unemployed persons and the unemployment rate also increased compared with those recorded a year earlier.
Average monthly gross wages and salaries in the enterprise sector
The annual growth in average nominal gross wages and salaries in the enterprise was the highest one recorded since the beginning of 2026. The purchasing power of wages and salaries also increased more than in the previous months, despite the acceleration of consumer prices dynamics.
NOMINAL
Average monthly gross retirement and other pensions
Average nominal gross retirement and other pensions from the non-agricultural social security system increased year-on-year to a slightly lesser extent than in the previous months. The growth rate of purchasing power of these benefits also decreased. The decline of nominal and real benefits of farmers deepened.
Consumer prices2
The dynamics of prices of consumer goods and services accelerated. It was influenced, among others, by a significant growth in prices related to transport (particularly strong for fuel prices), which resulted from the expiry of the LFP3 package. The year-on-year growth in prices related to dwelling was slightly lower than in June 2026. In the second consecutive month the annual decrease in food and non-alcoholic beverages prices was recorded.
PRICES OF CONSUMER GOODS AND SERVICES
Prices4 of sold production of industry
and construction and assembly production
The increase in prices of sold production of industry in annual terms was higher than in the previous months. In construction and assembly production, the growth rate also accelerated and was the highest in over two years.
PRICES OF SOLD PRODUCTION OF INDUSTRY
Sold production of industry5
The year-on-year growth rate of sold production of industry was lower than in the previous month. Production increased in all sections of industry, and the highest growth was in mining and quarrying. In manufacturing, the growth rate was slightly lower than that recorded for industry as a whole. Among the main industrial groupings, sales increased in the production of capital goods, intermediate goods and non-durable consumer goods. On the other hand, in the production of energy-related goods and durable consumer goods, sales were below the level recorded a year before.
SEASONALLY UNADJUSTED
Construction and assembly production6
Construction and assembly production, after four months of growth, decreased in annual terms (due to, among other factors, price changes and irregular settlements after completion of work). Production was lower than in July 2025 across all divisions of construction. The deepest decline was recorded among the entities dealing mainly with specialised construction activities. The decline continued in sales of restoration works, while sales of investment works were still at a higher level than a year earlier.
SEASONALLY UNADJUSTED
Housing construction7
More dwellings were completed than a year earlier. There was a rise in the number of dwellings for which permits have been granted8. The number of dwellings in which construction has begun increased as well.
DWELLINGS COMPLETED
DWELLINGS FOR WHICH PERMITS
HAVE BEEN GRANTED 8
DWELLINGS IN WHICH CONSTRUCTION HAS BEGUN
Retail sales
The year-on-year increase in retail sales were lower than in the previous month. In most groups, sales were higher than a year ago, including furniture, radio, TV and household appliances, motor vehicles, motorcycles, parts as well as food, beverages and tobacco products. A slight drop in sales, the first in over a year, was recorded in the group of the solid, liquid and gaseous fuels.
seasonally unadjusted
seasonally adjusted
Transport9
In July 2026, as in the previous months, the volume of goods transported by road and railway was higher than a year earlier. Growth in passenger transport also continued, though the pace slowed.
OF GOODS10
Agriculture11
Prices of most basic agricultural products in procurement were lower than in July 2025. However, procurement prices of potatoes and of poultry for slaughter increased.
PROCUREMENT PRICES OF WHEAT
PROCUREMENT PRICES
OF PIGS FOR SLAUGHTER
Foreign trade12
The value of foreign trade in goods (in PLN) was higher than in the corresponding period of the previous year. The exchange closed with a negative balance, which was larger than a year earlier. The turnover of goods increased with most groups of countries; only imports from Central and Eastern European countries fell significantly. The terms of trade index in January–May 2026 was at an unfavourable level, similar to that recorded in the corresponding period of the previous year.
EXPORTS
(in PLN)
Financial results of non-financial enterprises
Surveyed enterprises recorded better financial results than in the first half of 2025, and their economic and financial ratios also improved. Revenues from export sales increased. The basic indicators for exporters were more favourable than a year earlier and better than those recorded for all surveyed enterprises.
NET FINANCIAL RESULT
GROSS TURNOVER
PROFITABILITY INDICATOR
NET TURNOVER
PROFITABILITY INDICATOR
Investment outlays of non-financial enterprises
Investment outlays of the surveyed non-financial enterprises grew, after a decline a year before. Expenditure on buildings and structures, as well as on purchases, increased. Entities with foreign capital showed greater investment activity than a year earlier. The number and estimated value of new investments were lower than in the first half of 2025.
INVESTMENT OUTLAYS
(AT CONSTANT PRICES)
Business tendency
Sentiments in most presented activities are similar as in the previous month. Entities in manufacturing negatively assess business tendency (that is the only one among the presented activities, where the pessimistic opinions maintained). In the construction, assessments are still close to neutral and in retail trade they are positive. Sentiments have slightly improved in transportation and storage and they are positive, following negative opinions a month earlier.
For entrepreneurs in manufacturing, most barriers to conducting current activity became less burdensome than a month ago (this relates mainly to unclear, inconsistent and unstable legal regulations). In retail trade, the significance of high payments to the state revenue and the uncertainty of the economic environment decreased. The intensity of other constraints, in general, is similar to that recorded in the previous month. In construction, entrepreneurs less often than in July 2026 indicate a shortage of skilled labour and unclear, inconsistent and unstable legal regulations. On the other hand, they report high payments to the state revenue as more burdensome. In transportation and storage, the burdensome of too tough competition of domestic and foreign firms declined the most, whereas more noticeable are, among others, insufficient demand and high payments to the state revenue.
Similarly to the previous round of the survey of investment activity in enterprises, conducted in May 2026, most entities declare, that in the current year the level of investment from 2025 will be maintained (this option was indicated by 46–63% of enterprises in presented activities). High investment costs, the uncertain macroeconomic situation and unclear, inconsistent and unstable legal regulations are mentioned as factors limiting investment, in general.
Consumer tendency
Consumers’ sentiments are weaker than a month before. Both the current consumer confidence indicator (which tracks current tendencies in individual consumption), as well as leading indicator (reflecting predicted tendencies) declined. The assessments on current possibility of making major purchases and on future saving money, worsened the most. However, less unfavourable are predictions concerning, among others, future level of unemployment. Among respondents, prevail opinions that in coming months the consumer prices will grew at the similar rate as before.
In general, consumers report more or slightly more than a month earlier concerns regarding the current situation in Ukraine. The percentage of respondents who consider the conflict in Ukraine as posing a serious threat to Poland’s sovereignty and independence clearly grew (from 23% a month before, to 28%). Slightly higher than in July 2026 is the percentage of surveyed consumers who believe that the situation on the Ukrainian territory poses a significant threat to the Polish economy (23% vs. 22%). The percentage of individuals who definitely fear losing their job or having to close down their business due to the situation in Ukraine also slightly increased (from 2% to 3%), while fewer respondents than in July 2026 indicate that such a situation is possible to occur (6% vs. 9%). Similarly to a month earlier, 8% of respondents consider that the conflict may pose a significant threat to their personal financial situation.
CURRENT CONSUMER
CONFIDENCE INDICATOR
Sytuacja społeczno-gospodarcza kraju
Departament Analiz i Udostępniania Informacji
e-mail:
ssgk@stat.gov.pl