Poland records surge in foreign bond purchases as consumer debt declines

Foreign investors bought roughly 40% of Poland's new government bond issue in May 2026, increasing the value of Polish zloty bonds held abroad by 15.7 billion zł to 206.2 billion zł – the first time the foreign-held stock surpassed 200 billion zł since mid‑2017. Economists link the jump to a de‑escalation of Middle‑East tensions, falling oil prices and the attractiveness of Poland’s high‑yielding securities; Karol Pogorzelski of Bank Pekao noted that investors “returned after the April shock in emerging‑market assets.”

At the same time, Poland’s domestic debt burden improved. The number of debtors in the National Debt Register fell 7 % to 1.898 million, and total household indebtedness dropped 8.7 % to 40.4 billion zł by the end of Q1 2026. Average debt per person fell to 21,286 zł, and the average arrears period shortened from 1,312 to 1,051 days. Legal expert Adrian Parol pointed out that more people are using settlements, restructurings and consumer bankruptcies to resolve liabilities.