The value of the Polish private healthcare services market increased by nearly 4.5 billion zlotys in 2023.

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The value of the Polish private healthcare services market increased by nearly 4.5 billion zlotys in 2023.

Contrary to initial concerns about an economic slowdown, the private healthcare market shows no signs of slowing down. On the contrary, according to the latest PMR analysis, spending on private healthcare services reached a record high again in 2023, growing by 4.5 billion PLN year-over-year.

Poles’ Personal Health Expenses: Medical Services Are Becoming an Increasingly Significant Expense

According to the latest PMR report, *The Private Healthcare Market in Poland 2024*, the growth of the medical services market in recent years has been clearly correlated with the expanding market for pharmaceuticals and non-pharmaceutical products. It is worth noting that nearly everyone uses various types of pharmaceutical products, regardless of how they pay for medical consultations and tests. Consequently, pharmaceuticals and non-pharmaceuticals will remain the largest segment of the private healthcare market in Poland in the coming years.

Nevertheless, according to our forecasts, the sharp rise in medical service prices will lead to an increase in the medical services segment’s share of the private healthcare market over the forecast horizon, and by 2029, this share will be 2.4 percentage points higher compared to the 2023 share. This trend is further supported by the fact that individual patients are receiving a greater number of services (paying off their “health debt”). Indeed, there has been an increase in the range of services provided during a single medical consultation, including more frequent orders for comprehensive diagnostic tests, as well as longer treatment times for individual cases.

In the long term, the demographic factor remains significant. By 2029, more than 25% of Poland’s population will be of retirement age, representing an increase of 2 percentage points compared to 2022. At the same time, according to our projections, over the next 20 years, more than 40% of the working-age population will be over 55 years old. An aging population increases the demand for medical services, including in the private sector.

PMR Forecasts: Breakdown (%) of the private healthcare market in Poland by medical services and pharmaceutical products, 2020, 2023, and 2029

Health insurance is growing faster than the market as a whole

In 2023, the value of the private health insurance market grew significantly faster than the total value of the private medical services market in Poland, reaching a nominal year-over-year increase of over 33%.

In the coming years, the private health insurance market will be positively influenced by the situation in the public sector (problems with access to services exacerbated by the so-called “health debt”) as well as by growing health awareness and Poles’ expectations regarding the quality of medical services. Additionally, the market is positively influenced by the fact that health insurance is one of the most sought-after non-wage benefits, and an increasing number of insurers are interested in this segment.

Subscription Models in the Private Healthcare Market

The continued interest in subscription-based products, including health insurance, is confirmed by a 2024 PMR survey in which we asked how Poles used private medical services as part of such products. It turns out that in 2023, 14% of adult Poles used private healthcare services as part of a medical subscription or private insurance plan (similar to the results of the corresponding survey a year earlier).

Methodological Notes

This article was based on the report *The Private Healthcare Market in Poland 2025*.

For the purposes of this report, PMR conducted a survey of a sample of 2,220 adult Poles. The survey was conducted in January and February 2024 using the CAWI (Computer-Assisted Web Interview) method.

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