Kraków Statistics
Kraków in April 2026: record housing completions, strong industry and higher unemployment
Data for April 2026 present a mixed picture of Kraków’s economy. Housing construction recorded a very sharp increase in the number of dwellings completed — 1,287, up 91.8% year on year. Sold industrial output rose by 19.0% y/y, while average gross wages increased by 8.8% y/y to PLN 12,509, the highest result among the cities compared. At the same time, the number of registered unemployed people increased (+28.7% y/y), while retail sales remained under pressure.
Unemployment rate
2,8%
2.2% a year earlier | 2.7% a month earlier
Gross wage
PLN 12,509
+8.8% y/y | –6.9% m/m
Industrial output y/y
+19,0%
PLN 4,596.9m at current prices
Dwellings completed
1 287
+91.8% y/y | cumulative: 3,450 (+79.3%)
Construction output y/y
+9,4%
PLN 376m | Jan–Apr 2026: +25.0% y/y
Retail sales y/y
–2,7%
cumulative Jan–Apr: –4.8%
ⓘ
Methodological note: Since 1 June 2025, a new act on the labour market and employment services has been in force. It changed the rules for registering unemployed people, so some data may not be fully comparable with earlier periods.
Labour market — more registered unemployed people and fewer job offers
Registered unemployed people (thousand) — 2025 vs 2026 trend
2025
2026
Unemployed people per job offer
2025
2026
| Indicator | Apr 2025 | Mar 2026 | Apr 2026 | Y/y change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Registered unemployed people (thousand) | 11,5 | 14,4 | 14,8 | +28,7% |
| Unemployment rate (%) | 2,2% | 2,7% | 2,8% | +0,6 pp |
| Job offers (during the month) | 1 701 | 955 | 1 141 | –32,9% |
| Unemployed people per offer | 5 | 9 | 7 | +2 people |
| Employment (thousand FTEs) | 248,8 | 244,8 | 244,1 | –1,9% |
Wages — Kraków with the highest average among compared cities
Average gross wage (PLN) — April 2026, selected cities
Sector wage deviation from Kraków’s average (PLN 12,509)
Employment structure — IT, industry and trade have the largest shares
Share in total employment — April 2026
Y/y change in employment by section (%)
Housing construction — very high number of dwellings completed
Dwellings completed — monthly, Kraków 2025 vs 2026
2025
2026
Completed in Apr 2026
1 287
+91,8% y/y
Cumulative Jan–Apr 2026
3 450
+79.3% vs Jan–Apr 2025 (1,924)
Permits Jan–Apr 2026
3 146
–3.0% y/y — weaker inflow of new projects
Industry and trade — strong production growth and weaker retail sales
Industrial output — y/y growth (constant prices)
2025
2026
Retail sales — y/y growth (current prices)
2025
2026
Companies — more entities overall, fewer registrations in April
Newly registered and deregistered entities — Kraków
Newly registered
Deregistered
Entities total
196 589
+4,5% y/y | +0,3% m/m
Commercial companies
43 173
+5,7% y/y | +0,5% m/m
Sole proprietorships
125 269
+4,7% y/y | +0,2% m/m
Kraków compared with the largest cities in April 2026
| City | Unemployment | Wage | Employment (thousand) | Industry y/y | Dwellings Jan–Apr |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Warsaw | 1,6% | 11 787 PLN | 1 110,1 | +1,7% | 3 795 |
| Kraków ★ | 2,8% | PLN 12,509 | 244,1 | +19,0% | 3 450 |
| Wrocław | 2,5% | 10 198 PLN | 195,2 | +18,0% | 2 592 |
| Gdańsk | 3,4% | 11 321 PLN | 121,8 | +11,6% | 873 |
| Łódź | 5,8% | 8 859 PLN | 127,6 | –18,4% | 1 840 |
| Katowice | 1,8% | 10 044 PLN | 128,4 | +3,3% | 1 124 |
| Poznań | 1,6% | 10 420 PLN | 166,5 | –0,9% | 864 |
Key takeaways from the data
- 1Housing construction accelerated clearly. In January–April 2026, 3,450 dwellings were completed, 79.3% more than a year earlier. This was one of the strongest results among large cities. At the same time, the number of permits was 3.0% lower y/y, which may signal a slower inflow of new projects in the coming quarters.
- 2Industry maintained strong momentum. Sold industrial output rose by 19.0% y/y in April. The strongest performers included the manufacture of electrical equipment as well as the repair, maintenance and installation of machinery. The data show that industry remains an important part of Kraków’s economy despite the city’s strong image as a services and IT hub.
- 3Unemployment rose by 28.7% y/y. At the end of April, 14,825 unemployed people were registered in Kraków. The number of job offers was lower than a year earlier (1,141 versus 1,701). The unemployment rate of 2.8% remains low by national standards, but the direction of change points to a deterioration in the local labour market.
- 4Wages in Kraków were the highest in the comparison. The average gross wage was PLN 12,509, higher than in Warsaw (PLN 11,787) and Gdańsk (PLN 11,321). The figure was driven mainly by information and communication as well as professional activities. Accommodation and food services ranked lowest relative to the average.
- 5Retail sales remained weaker than a year earlier. In April, retail sales fell by 2.7% y/y, and after four months they were 4.8% lower y/y on a cumulative basis. The largest declines concerned, among other categories, food as well as motor vehicles, motorcycles and parts. Some of the changes may reflect a shift of purchases to online channels or outside the city limits.
Data: Statistical Office in Kraków, “Kraków Statistics 4/2026”, data generated on 1 June 2026. When citing the data, please state: “Source: Statistics Poland (GUS)”. Own compilation based on GUS data.
