Housing market
Housing deficit
Poland faces a significant structural housing deficit, particularly in large metropolitan areas.
The country's relatively low level of urbanisation compared to the EU average, combined with decades of limited housing construction dating back to the 1940s, has contributed to this shortage.
As a result, major cities are struggling to meet the growing demand for housing driven by demographic shifts and changing population structures.
Poland’s 6 largest cities: Warszawa, Kraków, Łódź, Wrocław, Poznań, Trójmiasto
See the ‘Data sources & dates’ tab below for more information.
Low quality housing
A large percentage of the existing housing stock is of low quality.
(before World War II)
(mostly pre-fabricated panel construction)
(after 1989)
Poland’s 6 largest cities: Warszawa, Kraków, Łódź, Wrocław, Poznań, Trójmiasto
See the ‘Data sources & dates’ tab below for more information.
Subpar living conditions
Poles have some of the least favourable living conditions in the EU.
Poland lags behind the EU average on key housing indicators.
Poland’s 6 largest cities: Warszawa, Kraków, Łódź, Wrocław, Poznań, Trójmiasto
See the ‘Data sources & dates’ tab below for more information.
Housing challenges for young adults
Contrarian investing
Young adults (aged 18–34) have recently faced challenging housing conditions in Poland.
Factors such as a significant housing shortage, escalating sale prices, a rapid increase in interest rates and reduced mortgage availability (due to tighter regulatory requirements on banks for calculating the creditworthiness of mortgage applicants) have made it difficult for young adults to purchase their own homes.
Additionally, the limited supply of rental housing, especially units of suitable size, along with a notable surge in rents, has further hindered many young adults from renting independently.
As a result, a high percentage of young adults continue to live with their parents.
Share of young adults (aged 18 – 34) living with their parents:
Poland’s 6 largest cities: Warszawa, Kraków, Łódź, Wrocław, Poznań, Trójmiasto
See the ‘Data sources & dates’ tab below for more information.
Housing market
In 2023, 221,000 new residential units for sale were completed in Poland.
Poland ranks third in Europe in terms of newly constructed homes, reflecting an active and well-functioning developer market.
Despite the rising supply, a significant supply-demand imbalance remains – demand for housing continues to far exceed available housing stock.
Prices in the residential sales market
Prices in the residential sales market continue to rise, reflecting strong demand and limited new supply.
See the ‘Data sources & dates’ tab below for more information