This is the threshold for entering the middle class in Poland. Unexpectedly low [KWOTY]
Are you middle class? Well over half of Poles usually answer yes to this question. This is how we feel.
Okay, but is it also objectively so? We decided to say “I'm checking” and use specific numbers and amounts to show where the threshold is.
This will vary depending on where you live and the size of your household. We took all this into account in our analysis. Below you can check how much you need to earn to be middle class in your commune depending on whether you are single or have three children.
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Our calculations show that there are places in Poland where even the minimum wage entitles you to the middle class. This is, of course, the case in the smallest centers. In Warsaw or other large cities, a single person has to earn much more.
Let's get down to business. It is most difficult to enter the middle class where wages are highest. There is no surprise here. According to the latest data from the Central Statistical Office, the top earners include the Lower Silesian communes: Jerzmanowa and Lubin, as well as Podkowa Leśna near Warsaw. The capital itself is in fourth place.
See also: 4 thousand PLN is a feat here. The whole truth about Poles' earnings [MAPA]
The map below presents the income ranges that qualify one to be called middle class in each commune in Poland. Importantly, this is the total take-home income of the household.
We include all its sources: remuneration for work, rental income, pensions, 800 plus and other benefits, as well as any money that regularly flows into the household budget.
How to read a map? Just click on the local government you are interested in. After touching (on a smartphone) or hovering with the mouse (on a computer), a table with data will expand.
From it we will learn what the income range that qualifies for middle class in this particular commune looks like. Separate for singles, couples and families with one, two, three or four children. You can also select your commune from the list in the upper left corner of the graphic.
If your family's total income exceeds the ranges on the map, it means you can call yourself rich. If it is lower, then unfortunately you belong to the most poor group. And if you fall within these limits, you are middle class.
What does the map show? In Warsaw, earnings amount to PLN 5.5 thousand. PLN give the single person the name of average. But, for example, in Czajków in Greater Poland, less than 3.1 thousand is enough. PLN monthly on hand.
For a family with two children, the thresholds in these places are: PLN 6.4 thousand, respectively. and 11.4 thousand PLN net every month.
The map clearly shows which parts of the country earn the best money. The darker the color, the higher the earnings.
It is easy to see that, apart from the copper basin and Warsaw, good salaries await residents of Wrocław and the surrounding area, the Tricity, Krakow and Poznań.
The worst situation is in the north and south-east of the country. There is no shortage of communes here, with just over 3,000 PLN per hand gives the name of middle class. Let us remind you that this is even less than the minimum wage in Poland, which in 2025 was approximately PLN 3.5 thousand. PLN per hand.
See also: Poles earned German pensions. That's how many euros they get [KWOTY]
Middle class. Calculation methodology
So far, we have relied on the OECD definition when calculating middle class membership. It assumes that a representative of this group must earn from 75 to 200 percent. median salaries.
There is no problem in the case of single-person households or couples without children. The matter is simple here – two adults earn money, so qualifying them to the appropriate social class is relatively easy. Just take into account their earnings.
The stairs started for families. Well, children don't earn money, but – to put it brutally – they generate costs. In this case, the so-called median net disposable income per household member.
To make a long story short – scientists have determined that such a situation is best described by an equation in which the total household income is divided by the square root of the number of family members. Sounds complicated? Yes.
Scientists from the Institute of German Economy in Cologne have created a special calculator that The OECD definition simplifies it somewhat, but also expands it. This is what we based on in the above calculations.
See also: This is the earnings of the 1%. the richest. The tax office showed hard PIT data [KWOTY]
New calculation rules
The Germans made the following assumptions. First of all, in their opinion, single people qualify for middle class if they earn between 80 and 150 percent. median. This is a much narrower group than in the OECD definition (where it was between 75 and 200 percent).
Secondly, according to the Germans, it cannot be assumed that in the case of a couple living together, the income must automatically be doubled. This is where the so-called concept of weighing needs.
“It takes into account the fact that life becomes more profitable when several people live together and that children need less money than adults” – we read in a publication of the Institute of German Economy, which was published at the end of March. However, a 16-17-year-old child is one thing and a 4-year-old child is another.
Figuratively speaking: a larger number of people at home allows for some logical savings. After all, a two-person household doesn't use twice as much heat, and you don't have to cook two pots of soup for dinner. This is probably a pretty obvious assumption.
That is why economists from Cologne assign specific weights to each subsequent family member.
“The first adult has a factor of 1, each additional household member over the age of 14 has a factor of 0.5 and children under 14 have a factor of 0.3” – we read in the study. This is the key to our calculations.
A couple without children must therefore earn 1.5 times as much as a single person to live at the same level as him. In the case of a married couple with a preschooler, the total coefficient will be 1.8 (1 plus 0.5 plus 0.3), and in the case of a family with two small children and a 16-year-old – 2.6 (1 plus 0.5 plus 0.3 plus 0.3 and plus 0.5).
We adopted a specific model in our calculations. We estimated ranges for a single person, a married couple without children and families with one, two, three and four children. For simplicity, in each of the models mentioned above we accepted children up to 14 years of age (i.e. we gave them a weight of 0.3).
And finally: of course we are aware that Income is not the only determinant of the middle class. It's worth remembering that sometimes capital can be the key. You can earn little and still own several properties. In such cases, the definition used for calculations is imperfect.
If only capital were taken into account, we made similar estimates in Business Insider Polska in November. You can read more about this here.
Author: Jakub Ceglarz, journalist of Business Insider Polska
