The war in the Middle East and the resulting changes in financial markets and the economy are already having an impact on Poles' feelings about their own finances. On Wednesday, the latest calculations of the well-being index were published by the Bureau of Investment and Economic Cycles (BIEC).
The prosperity index reflecting the economic condition of Polish society in April 2026 decreased by 0.2 points compared to the value in March and it was the second consecutive decline.
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The basic components of the indicator that determine our sense of well-being, such as: changes in the labor market, changes in incomes and changes in prices have worsened in recent months.
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“Some of these unfavorable phenomena are a short-term shock” – indicates BIEC. In this case, it is mainly about the most recent one increase in priceswhich is a consequence of global problems related to the conflict in the Middle East.
“Even though higher inflation reduces the purchasing power of citizens, we can still hope for the stabilization of the political situation in this region and the reversal of inflation trends,” BIEC emphasizes.
Labor market and wages
The report indicates that factors related to the labor market and the pace of wage growth are of a different nature. Here, systemic factors with long-term impact play a dominant role.
See also: A “new stage” on the Polish labor market. 16 percent companies are planning reductions
“It is a combination of demographic, regulatory and technological factors causing labor shortages, especially the mismatch between the competences of job seekers and the demand reported by employers, the partial supplementation of these gaps with technological solutions, the minimum wage indexation system that constantly increases labor costs and makes our economy less competitive, and finally the low age for acquiring pension rights, effectively eliminating from the labor market people with high competences capable of further professional activity,” we read.
