3:43 14 May 2026
Pension gap is growing as Poles have different expectations of retirement
More than half of Poles expect retirement benefits worth at least 50% of their current salary, despite forecasts from Zakład Ubezpieczeń Społecznych and the European Commission suggesting future pensions could be much lower. A study by Finax found that 55% of respondents expect pensions equal to 50–100% of their current income, while official projections indicate replacement rates may fall to around 25% in coming decades.
The Polish government plans to introduce new Individual Investment Accounts (OKI) from 2027 to encourage long-term saving. The accounts would offer tax advantages for investments up to PLN 100,000 and are modeled on Sweden’s ISK system. Experts say Poland’s biggest challenge remains low levels of investing, as many households still keep savings in cash or low-interest bank deposits instead of long-term investment products.
