Gross domestic product
The growth in gross domestic product in annual terms (seasonally unadjusted) in the first quarter of 2026 was lower than in the previous quarter, but slightly higher than in the first quarter of 2025. After adjusting for seasonal factors, the growth rate was weaker than in the previous period and a year before.
Population
Poland’s population at the end of the first quarter of 2026 was lower than a year ago and at the end of last year. In the period from January to March 2026, the number of live births was similar to that in the previous year, whereas the number of deaths decreased slightly. As a result of the continued excess of deaths over births, natural increase remained negative. It is estimated that in the first quarter of 2026, similarly to the corresponding period of the previous year, net international migration was positive.
Labour market
The annual decrease in average paid employment in the enterprise sector was similar to the one observed in March 2026. In the register rolls of the unemployed fewer new persons were recorded than a year ago and fewer persons were removed from the register as well. The registered unemployment rate at the end of April 2026 was slightly lower than in previous month but higher than a year before.
Labour market – Labour Force Survey (LFS)
According to the preliminary results of the Labour Force Survey, in the first quarter of 2026, the number of employed persons as well as the employment rate were higher than a year before. The number of unemployed persons and the unemployment rate decreased.
Labour market – Labour demand
According to the results of the Labour Demand Survey, in the fourth quarter of 2025 fewer new jobs were created than a year earlier. At the same time, the number of jobs liquidated also decreased.
Average monthly gross retirement and other pensions
The significant annual growth in nominal gross retirement and other pensions from the non-agricultural social security system continued, along with a slight increase in benefits of farmers. With inflation accelerating, the purchasing power of retirement and other pensions from the non-agricultural system increased less year-on-year than in previous months, while the decline in real benefits of farmers deepened.
Consumer prices2
The year-on-year increase in prices of consumer goods and services in total was higher than in previous months. The growth rate of, among others, prices related to dwelling and transport accelerated. As a result of the situation in the Middle East, fuel prices were still significantly higher than a year earlier, but their growth was slightly lower than in March 2026. The growth rate of food and non-alcoholic beverages prices slowed. The decrease in prices of clothing and footwear has maintained.
PRICES OF CONSUMER GOODS AND SERVICES
Prices3 of sold production of industry
and construction and assembly production
The prices of sold production of industry in the second consecutive month exceeded the level from the previous year(their increase was higher than in March 2026). The growth rate of construction and assembly price also accelerated and was the highest since half of 2024.
PRICES OF SOLD PRODUCTION OF INDUSTRY
Sold production of industry4
The year-on-year increase in sold production of industry was lower than in the previous month, which was influenced by a slowdown of the growth rate in manufacturing. Sold production was higher than a year before in all sections of industry and it increased the most in mining and quarrying. Among the main industrial groupings, sales increased in the production of intermediate goods, of energy and of capital goods. In turn, the production of durable and non-durable consumer goods shaped below the levels recorded a year before.
SEASONALLY UNADJUSTED
Construction and assembly production5
The year-on-year increase in construction and assembly production was higher than in the previous month. Production exceeded the April 2025 levels in all divisions of construction, with the largest increase recorded in enterprises specialising in construction of buildings, where a significant decrease in sales of works was recorded in April 2025. Sales of investment works increased, while sales of restoration works were lower than a year before.
SEASONALLY UNADJUSTED
Housing construction6
Fewer dwellings were completed than a year before. There was a significant rise in number of dwellings for which permits have been granted7 (after a steep decline in a previous year). The number of dwellings in which construction has begun increased as well.
DWELLINGS COMPLETED
DWELLINGS FOR WHICH PERMITS
HAVE BEEN GRANTED 7
DWELLINGS IN WHICH CONSTRUCTION HAS BEGUN
Retail sales
Retail sales increased year-on-year to a lesser extent than a month earlier, as a result of, among others, lesser number of trading days than in April 2025, resulting from earlier Easter date. In most groups, sales were higher than in April 2025, including the largest increase in the group of solid, liquid and gaseous fuels. Sales were lower than a year ago, among others, in food, beverages and tobacco products as well as textiles, clothing, footwear.
seasonally unadjusted
seasonally adjusted
Transport8
In April this year, an annual increase in transport of goods by railway was recorded, while transport by road slightly decreased. The scale of passenger transport was still higher than a year ago.
OF GOODS9
Agriculture10
On the agricultural market, procurement prices for basic plant products were lower than in April 2025. Prices for most basic animal products also decreased. Only cattle for slaughter prices increased.
PROCUREMENT PRICES OF WHEAT
PROCUREMENT PRICES
OF PIGS FOR SLAUGHTER
Foreign trade11
A slight increase in foreign trade turnover was recorded compared to the first quarter of 2026. Exports to all country groups increased. On the import side, growth occurred only in trade with developed countries, while imports from Central and Eastern European countries and from developing countries declined. The total exchange closed with a negative balance. The terms of trade index for January–February of 2026 was less unfavorable than a year before.
EXPORTS
(in PLN)
Financial results of non-financial enterprises
Financial results of the surveyed enterprises were higher than those obtained in the first quarter of 2025, and economic and financial relations also improved. Revenues from export sales increased. The basic indicators for exporters were better than a year before and better than for enterprises in total.
NET FINANCIAL RESULT
GROSS TURNOVER
PROFITABILITY INDICATOR
NET TURNOVER
PROFITABILITY INDICATOR
Business tendency
Entrepreneurs in manufacturing and construction assess the general business climate similarly negatively as in April 2026. Sentiments in retail trade are neutral, similar to those from the previous month, whereas in transportation and storage are less pessimistic.
Among barriers to conducting current activity, entrepreneurs in manufacturing more frequently than in April 2026 indicate an insufficient foreign demand, financial problems and shortage of labour. In construction, slightly more noticeable are high payments to state revenue and costs of labour, while in retail trade – high payments to state revenue, high bank interests and difficulties in settling accounts with contractors. Entrepreneurs in transportation and storage notice insufficient demand and too tough competition on market slightly more often than a month earlier.
As in the previous edition of the survey covering investment activity of companies (conducted in February 2026), the highest percentage of entrepreneurs declares that in 2026 will maintain the same level of investment as in the previous year (among the presented activities this response option was indicated by 45-65% of companies). Among factors limiting of investments, in general the most frequently were mentioned high costs of investments, uncertain macroeconomic situation, unclear and unstable legal regulations and insufficient demand on products or services offered by the company.
Consumer tendency
Consumer confidence indicators, monitoring current and expected tendencies in individual consumption, are less unfavourable than in April 2026. Assessments including the current economic situation of the country and the expected financial situation of households have improved. As in the previous month, respondents most often expect that the increase in consumer prices will maintain, on the other hand they predict less frequently than in April 2026 that its rate of growth will accelerate.
Consumers’ concerns related to the conflict in Ukraine are in general close to those reported in April 2026. Similar as a month earlier the percentage of respondents assess that current situation in Ukraine poses a great threat to the sovereignty and independence of Poland (24%). Slightly less respondents than a month before see the conflict in Ukraine as a great threat to the Polish economy (22% vs. 23%). In the opinion of 5% of respondents (compared to 6% a month earlier), the current situation in Ukraine significantly threatens their own financial situation. Losing their job or closing their own business, due to the conflict in Ukraine, is definitely feared by 2% of respondents (in April 2026 it was approx. 1%), while 8% indicate that such a situation may occur (compared to 7% a month earlier).
CURRENT CONSUMER
CONFIDENCE INDICATOR
Sytuacja społeczno-gospodarcza kraju
Departament Analiz i Udostępniania Informacji
e-mail:
ssgk@stat.gov.pl