The latest study1 on payment behaviour in Poland reveals a reduction in average late payments to 46.2 days thanks to the improvement in the economic situation, driven in particular by the recovery in household consumption. Although certain sectors such as transport and textiles continue to face difficulties, the outlook for 2025 is encouraging, with economic growth expected to strengthen further.
Longer payment terms, especially in the transport sector
Short payment terms still dominate the Polish business landscape, with 40% of the companies surveyed imposing average payment terms of less than 30 days. Despite this, average payment terms have increased from 42.4 days in 2023 to 46.2 days in 2024.
Sectors such as transport offer the longest payment terms, with credit periods averaging 62 days (20 days more than in 2023), compared with 28 days in the energy sector, which has the shortest terms.
Most Polish companies expect these payment terms to remain unchanged over the next six months, regardless of the size of their customers.
Late payments, a common practice that is declining
Payment delays is a common practice in Poland. 60.1% of companies surveyed said they had experienced payment delays from their counterparts in the last six months, a figure that has risen sharply compared to the 49.3% of companies that said they had experienced late payment in 2023.
On average, payments delays have fallen by 2.5 days compared to 2023, reaching 46.2 days in 2024. This improvement has been steady since 2021, when payment delays still reached 48 days.
There are wide disparities between sectors. Transport has the longest delays, with an average of 61.6 days, an increase of almost 18 days compared with 2023. Other sectors, such as textiles and clothing (58.2 days), are also experiencing significant delays. These long delays continue to affect the financial stability of companies, particularly those most exposed to foreign markets, such as Polish carriers heading for Western Europe.
Against this backdrop, managing these unpaid receivables remains a challenge for Polish companies, which rely mainly on their internal resources for these activities.
Despite strong competition, almost half of companies expect business to improve in 2025
The Polish economic outlook for 2025 is promising, with GDP growth estimated at 3.5% by Coface. This upturn in activity is mainly underpinned by household consumption and investment in fixed assets.
However, nearly 45% of companies feel that strong competition is limiting their expansion, and high operating costs, such as rising wages, continue to weigh on profit margins. While falling inflation could reduce wage pressure, rising minimum wages and competition will continue to limit margin expansion.
Despite these structural challenges, the economic recovery should lead to greater stability in payment times and a continued reduction in arrears, allowing businesses to grow.
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1 Survey of 336 Polish companies carried out in October 2024.
