Public sentiment in Poland is deteriorating, and concerns about further price increases are clearly on the rise, according to the latest “Consumer Sentiment” survey conducted by CBOS. Fewer people believe their financial situation will improve, while nearly half expect inflation to accelerate.
A sharp rise in concerns about prices
The strongest signal from the survey is a rapid increase in inflation fears. As many as 45 percent of respondents believe that prices will rise faster over the next year than they have so far. That is more than double the figure recorded in February, when 22 percent shared this view.
At the same time, the share of those expecting price growth to slow has declined (from 13 percent to 8 percent), as has the number of people who believe prices will stabilize (from 7 percent to 4 percent).
Declining confidence in income growth
Expectations regarding household finances are also worsening. The proportion of respondents anticipating higher incomes has fallen from 37 percent to 31 percent.
Meanwhile, the number of those expecting no change has increased (from 43 percent to 47 percent). The share of people fearing a drop in income remains unchanged at 18 percent.
Spending and savings fail to lift sentiment
Although there are some signs of stabilization in financial behavior, this has not translated into improved sentiment. More people report having savings (53 percent, up from 50 percent), while fewer are cutting back on spending (down from 41 percent to 37 percent) or taking out loans (from 12 percent to 9 percent).
Consumer activity has also increased—both in terms of major purchases already made (from 26 percent to 29 percent) and those planned (from 19 percent to 24 percent).
Despite these figures, overall sentiment remains subdued. Concerns about the future still outweigh hopes (36 percent versus 33 percent), and as many as 48 percent of respondents expect the economic situation to worsen.
Although the share of those expecting improvement has risen slightly (from 24 percent to 26 percent), this does not change the overall picture—uncertainty and caution continue to dominate.
The “Consumer Sentiment” survey was conducted on April 13–15, 2026, on a sample of 1,000 adult residents of Poland using CATI and CAWI methods.