Polish courts declared 12,255 people bankrupt in the first half of 2026. June alone brought 2,245 new rulings, and if the current pace continues, the annual number of consumer bankruptcies could exceed 24,000. People aged between 40 and 49 are the most likely to enter bankruptcy, although more than one in five cases involve people aged 60 or over.
Data published by Poland’s Central Economic Information Centre, or COIG, show that the number of consumer bankruptcies has returned to a clear upward trend. Between January and the end of June 2026, a total of 12,255 consumer bankruptcy rulings were issued, compared with 9,837 in the corresponding period of the previous year.
This represents a year-on-year increase of approximately 24.6%.
It is worth noting that COIG’s accompanying report puts the increase at 19.73%. However, the figures presented in the organisation’s published table indicate a higher growth rate.
The first-half result was also approximately 13% higher than in the corresponding period of 2024, when 10,835 consumer bankruptcies were recorded.
June Among the Strongest Months
In June 2026 alone, courts declared 2,245 individuals bankrupt. This was more than 28% higher than in June of the previous year, when 1,751 cases were recorded.
The only month to produce a higher result in 2026 was March, when 2,305 consumer bankruptcies were announced.
Courts issued 1,891 bankruptcy rulings in January, 1,707 in February, 2,078 in April and 2,029 in May. On average, therefore, more than 2,000 people entered consumer bankruptcy each month during the first half of the year.
Should a similar pace continue during the second half, the annual number of bankruptcies could exceed 24,000.
COIG notes that this would represent another exceptionally high annual result following the record levels observed after Poland liberalised its rules governing debt relief for individuals.
People in Their Forties Most Frequently Affected
The largest group of bankrupt consumers consisted of people aged between 40 and 49. There were 3,336 such cases in the first half of the year, accounting for 27.25% of the total.
A further 2,981 bankruptcies involved people aged from 30 to 39, representing 24.35% of all rulings.
The average age of a person declared bankrupt was 47. The youngest individual included in the data was 16 years old, while the oldest was 96.
Senior citizens also accounted for a significant share of the cases. People aged 60 or over represented 21.18% of all consumer bankruptcies.
This group included 1,634 people aged between 60 and 69, 881 aged from 70 to 79 and 78 individuals aged 80 or over.
Men were slightly more likely than women to enter consumer bankruptcy. In the first half of the year, 6,685 men were declared bankrupt, accounting for 54.55% of all cases. Women were involved in 5,570 rulings, representing 45.45% of the total.
Silesia and Mazovia Record the Highest Numbers
The largest number of consumer bankruptcies was recorded in the Silesian province, where 1,825 cases were announced.
Mazovia produced an almost identical result, with 1,820 bankruptcies. Greater Poland ranked third, with 1,258 cases.
Relatively high figures were also reported in Lower Silesia, with 960 bankruptcies, Lesser Poland, with 949, and the Kuyavian-Pomeranian province, with 915.
The lowest numbers were recorded in the Świętokrzyskie province, with 266 cases, Opole province, with 282, and Lubuskie province, with 329.
However, these figures have not been adjusted for population size and therefore do not show the actual incidence of consumer bankruptcy in individual regions.
Among Polish cities, Warsaw was clearly in the lead, with 687 consumer bankruptcies. It was followed by Kraków with 356, Łódź with 327, Poznań with 258 and Bydgoszcz with 232.
More Than 1,400 Bankrupt Consumers Had Previously Run Businesses
COIG also found that 1,424 individuals had operated a business that was closed no more than 12 months before their consumer bankruptcy ruling was issued.
They accounted for approximately 11.6% of all bankrupt consumers.
The largest group of former entrepreneurs consisted of owners of road freight transport businesses, with 139 cases. Other frequently represented activities included electrical installation work, retail trade, online sales, food services and construction.
COIG associates these cases with the earlier failure of business activity. However, registry data alone do not make it possible to conclude that the closure of a business was the sole or direct cause of the individual’s subsequent insolvency.
Easier Access to Debt Relief Has Increased the Number of Cases
Since the beginning of 2015, when access to consumer bankruptcy was significantly broadened, 149,214 people had been declared bankrupt by the end of June 2026.
Another major reform came into force on 24 March 2020. It simplified access to proceedings and moved the assessment of the circumstances that led to insolvency mainly to the later stage of the process, when the conditions of debt relief and the duration of a repayment plan are determined.
Consumer bankruptcy does not automatically cancel all liabilities.
The proceedings may involve the liquidation of the debtor’s assets and the establishment of a repayment plan adjusted to the individual’s earning capacity and living costs. Only after the conditions imposed during the proceedings have been met can the remaining portion of the debt be discharged.
The growing number of cases reflects both the scale of household debt repayment problems and the increasingly widespread use of consumer bankruptcy as a legal mechanism for restructuring personal finances.
The figures for the first half of the year indicate that 2026 could end with the highest number of consumer bankruptcy proceedings recorded in Poland to date.
