Business Debt Is Rising - PLN 150,000 in Arrears per Company

Alarming data - Polish companies are drowning in arrears

The latest BIG InfoMonitor survey from September 2026 paints a worrying picture of the financial health of Polish businesses. At the end of the first half of 2026, overdue company debts came close to PLN 47 billion, an increase of more than PLN 1.7 billion (4%) compared with the same period of the previous year. This is no longer just a statistic - it is a real threat to thousands of business owners across the country.

Particularly worrying is the fact that the average amount of overdue liabilities per business owner has reached a record level of around PLN 150,000. For comparison, a year earlier it was PLN 142,000, and two years ago PLN 137,000. The pace of growth is clearly accelerating, which points to deepening financial problems among entities that were already struggling.

More than 313,500 entities failed to pay bills and invoices to their business partners, or loan instalments, by the due date. Although the number of unreliable debtors fell slightly (by 4,400), the amount of their liabilities rose at the same time. As the chief analyst of BIG InfoMonitor, Waldemar Rogowski, aptly summarised it - overdue debt is not spread across an ever larger number of companies, but is instead accumulating in an ever smaller group of business owners.

Companies choose whom to pay - the invoice selection mechanism

One of the most interesting findings of the "SME Scanner" survey is that it reveals the mechanism by which business owners decide the order in which they settle their liabilities. It turns out that as many as 40% of companies admit to often or very often delaying payments to their business partners. A further 39% say they do so rarely - which means that almost every company in Poland delays paying invoices at least occasionally.

What is more, companies do not treat all liabilities equally. As many as 75.2% of businesses admit that when deciding which invoice to pay first, the size of the business partner and the length of the existing relationship are of key importance. In practice, this means that smaller suppliers and new trading partners are pushed to the back of the payment queue.

Only 21.4% of companies say that they make all payments according to the same, uniform rules. This kind of invoice selection creates a domino effect - an unpaid small supplier starts falling behind on payments to its own subcontractors, which destabilises entire supply chains. For many micro and small business owners, non-payment by a key customer can mean the beginning of serious financial problems, and even insolvency.

Which industries are most at risk?

Data from the BIG InfoMonitor and BIK databases make it possible to pinpoint the sectors of the economy where the debt problem is most serious. Here is a list of the industries with the largest arrears:

• Wholesale and retail trade - PLN 8.9 billion in arrears
• Industry - PLN 8.7 billion in arrears
• Construction - PLN 6.2 billion in arrears
• Transport, forwarding and logistics (TSL) - PLN 3.3 billion in arrears

These four sectors together account for 57% of the total debt of all businesses listed in debtor databases. However, it is worth looking at another indicator - the share of debtors in a given industry. The average for the whole economy is 4.4%, but in some sectors it is significantly higher:

• Transport and warehousing - 8.6% of companies with debts
• Water supply, sewerage and waste management - 7.2%
• Mining and quarrying - 6.8%
• Accommodation and food services - 5.7%

This means that in the transport industry almost one in ten companies has problems paying its liabilities on time. A volatile market, geopolitical uncertainty, slowing consumption and rising fixed costs - energy, fuel, rent and logistics - create a toxic mix that is dragging more and more businesses under.

Faster debt collection - companies are learning to react

Against the background of these worrying data, a positive sign is that business owners are reacting ever faster to payment delays. The survey showed that the first debt collection actions are taken much earlier than just a year ago. Here is how quickly companies react to non-payment:

1. Immediately (on the same day the deadline passes) - 15.5% of companies
2. After a week from the payment deadline - 27% of companies
3. After two weeks - 22% of companies

Compared with 2023, the share of businesses that wait a month or more before reacting has fallen markedly. At the same time, companies are more willing to use formal methods of reminding customers about overdue invoices. 48% make contact by telephone, 44% use emails or text messages, and 40% send formal payment demands.

As the president of BIG InfoMonitor, Paweł Szarkowski, stressed, there is a visible and growing readiness to use formal debt recovery tools. This is an important cultural change in Polish business - more and more companies understand that a quick response to overdue receivables increases the chances of recovering them and protects against a debt spiral.

When debt becomes unmanageable - consumer bankruptcy as a solution

Rising business debt has a direct impact on the finances of their owners - especially in the case of sole proprietorships (JDG), where liability for the business's debts is unlimited and covers the business owner's entire personal assets. When a business fails and the debts remain, many former business owners find themselves in a situation with no way out.

It is precisely in such cases that consumer bankruptcy can be an effective and lawful solution. It is a legal procedure that enables individuals - including former business owners after closing their business - to achieve debt relief and a fresh financial start. After the bankruptcy proceedings, the court may write off all or part of the liabilities that the debtor is unable to repay.

When is it worth considering consumer bankruptcy?

Warning signs that should prompt you to consult a lawyer include: mounting debt despite attempts to repay it, bailiff enforcement against your salary or bank account, an inability to meet basic obligations such as rent or loan instalments, and a situation in which the total amount of debt is many times your annual income. It is worth remembering that the earlier action is taken, the greater the chance of a favourable outcome.

Our law firm has specialised for years in conducting bankruptcy proceedings for individuals, including former business owners. We help clients through the whole process - from analysing their financial situation, through preparing the application, to representation before the court. Contact us today to arrange a free initial consultation and find out whether consumer bankruptcy is the right solution in your situation. Do not wait until the debt becomes unbearable - act now.