In these places, few struggle with debts. “Weave of many factors”

The data provided by the National Debt Register (KRD) shows that almost 2 million Poles have difficulty repayment of their obligations. They have a total of nearly PLN 45 billion in total.

KRD draws attention to the relatively low arrears of the inhabitants of the village up to 5,000. residents. Although nearly 16 million people live in them (about 40 percent of the population), the percentage of debtors is only 4.7 percent.

Small towns, small debts

In small towns, Długa has 94,000 people. The total amount of arrears is less than PLN 2 billion, and the average debt per person is 21.9 thousand. zloty. – Compared to the total population of indebted Poles, this is a very low percentage. Inhabitants of small towns constitute only less than 5 percent of all indebted. It is probably a weave of many factors – lower maintenance costs, lower creditworthiness due to lower salaries, less availability of financial services, but also reluctance to incur liabilities. However, this medal has two sides. Less access to loans and loans is also a limitation of the economic development opportunities for these areas – comments Adam Łącki, President of the National Board of the Debt Register of the Economic Information Bureau.

KRD points out that while the debt of the inhabitants of small towns has been around PLN 2 billion for a long time, the number of debtors is cyclically decreasing. This may result, among others from a different attitude to incurring obligations in small communities and to pay them off.

Jakub Kostecki, president of the board of the debt collection company Kaczmarski Inkasso, emphasizes that debtors from towns and villages are much more likely to keep the debt repayment declaration than those from larger agglomerations. – It is quite common to translate the arrears in repayment with a difficult situation, mainly low pay and unexpected expenses. But on the other hand there is a desire to get out of this situation. The only expectation that your debtors have are more time to pay – explains Kostecki.

Small arrears of women

In a group of 94 thousand debtors, only 30,000 They are women. The total arrears of the ladies are 426 thousand. zloty. Debt 64 thousand men amounted to over PLN 1.5 billion. – This is a reflection of the specifics of these communities. In Poland, men are generally more likely to be debtors because they are heads of families and sign contracts on their behalf. In small towns this phenomenon is particularly strong. Even if our negotiators reach the debtor living in a small town, they are usually directed to her husband – says Kostecki.

People aged 36-45 dominate in the group of debtors. Over 25.6 thous. of them must pay PLN 583 million. – The debt structure in terms of age is not a surprise. It is thirty -year -olds and forty -year -olds who have the greatest consumer needs, which is conducive to incurring obligations. What’s more, they also feel pressure more often to build capital and maintain financial status. People under the age of 25 do not yet have sufficient creditworthiness. And seniors, having stable, but lower income, prefer to carefully manage their means, avoiding debts – explains Adam Łącki.

The most indebted inhabitants of the village and towns live in Mazovia. In the local towns 12.6 thousand people have problems with timely settling their receivables and in total “earned” PLN 280 million in debt.