The state child benefit in Poland has been losing purchasing power since the payment was raised to 800 zloty in January 2024. With prices rising, the real value of the payment has already fallen, and experts warn of further erosion.
How the real value of the payments has changed
After the increase from 500 to 800 zloty in January 2024, the payment’s purchasing power equated to almost 537 zloty in April 2016 prices. Subsequent price rises gradually eroded that gain: by September 2026 the real value had fallen to the equivalent of 485 zloty in prices at the programme’s launch.
Analysts warn that if the 2026 rate of price growth persists, by the end of 2027 the purchasing power of the benefit could fall to a level equivalent to less than 456 zloty in April 2016 prices.
Share of the payment in wages
The ratio of the benefit to the minimum wage is declining: forecasts indicate that in 2027 the share of the payment relative to the minimum wage will fall to 16.2%. This indicates the payment will represent a smaller share of the incomes of the lowest-paid workers.
Compared with the average wage in Poland’s corporate sector, the payment currently amounts to about 8.5% of that income, which likewise signals a shrinking share of the benefit in household incomes.
Cost issues and possible changes to the programme’s terms
Despite the decline in real value, the programme remains a large item of public spending: in 2026 more than 60 billion zloty was allocated to the 800+ benefit, and spending on the programme in 2027 is expected to be at 61 billion zloty. This continues to exert substantial budgetary pressure.
There may be renewed discussion in the country about changing the eligibility conditions for the benefit, in particular about restricting payments for higher-income families, but for now this is a return to debate rather than a decided policy.
