Most Ukrainians want to stay in Poland and live there for a long time
For a significant portion of Ukrainians working in Poland, the country is gradually ceasing to be merely a place of temporary employment. An increasing number of Ukrainian migrants view Poland as a country for long-term or permanent residence.
65.4% of Ukrainians surveyed do not consider leaving Poland. At the same time, about 30% of respondents said they plan to stay in the country for a long time.
Only a small portion of those surveyed are considering moving to other European countries.
The authors of the study note that the migration pattern of Ukrainians in Poland is changing significantly. While higher wages were initially the main motivation for moving, the focus is now increasingly on long-term settlement and building a life in Poland.
Despite the trend toward long-term residence, a significant portion of Ukrainians have not yet decided on their future. 44.4% of respondents stated that they are in a state of uncertainty and have not yet made a final decision on how long they plan to stay in Poland.
At the same time, about three in ten respondents want to stay in the country permanently or for a very long time.
Satisfaction with living conditions also plays an important role. 52.6% of survey participants rate their life in Poland as good or very good. Another 37% have a neutral attitude toward their living conditions. Slightly more than 10% of respondents expressed clear dissatisfaction.
Izabela Samulska-Uhorska, a business development manager at Smart Solutions HR, explained why, after several years of living in Poland, migrants may be less and less likely to consider moving to another country.
“The decision to stay isn’t necessarily driven solely by salary. After a few years, migrants are already familiar with the local labor market, procedures, the language, and everyday realities. Changing countries therefore means not only a potentially higher salary but also the costs associated with starting part of this process all over again,” says Izabela Samulska-Uhorska.
The study also revealed changes in the financial behavior of Ukrainian migrants. 43.6% of respondents stated that they no longer send money to their country of origin at all.
They spend all their earnings in Poland. This may indicate that, for a significant portion of Ukrainians, working abroad is no longer solely a means of financially supporting relatives who have remained in Ukraine.
Instead, their earnings are increasingly becoming part of building their own lives and futures in Poland.
At the same time, wage levels in Poland still lag behind those in countries such as Germany or the Scandinavian nations. However, the decision to stay is not determined solely by salary.
According to Izabela Samulska-Uhorska, migrants’ choices are influenced by stability, predictability of life, cultural proximity, gradual adaptation, and accumulated work experience in the Polish market.
“Poland’s appeal can be seen as a compromise between income levels and the stability and predictability of life. Cultural proximity, the opportunity for gradual adaptation, and the accumulation of experience in the Polish labor market may lead to a situation where, after some time, further migration ceases to be an obvious choice for the worker,” notes Izabela Samulska-Ugorska.
At the same time, the study’s authors draw attention to potential challenges for Poland. One of these could be the difference in salary levels compared to other European countries. If the financial benefit of moving becomes significant enough, even a long period of adaptation to Poland may not guarantee that a worker will remain in the country.
Interestingly, none of the survey participants cited the public healthcare system as a factor motivating them to stay in Poland. For Ukrainian migrants, issues related to work, safety, the future, and family life proved to be more important.
A separate study by Deloitte, commissioned by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), demonstrated the significant contribution of Ukrainian refugees to the Polish economy.
According to estimates, in 2025, the presence of Ukrainian refugees accounted for 2.4% of Poland’s GDP, amounting to approximately 94 billion zlotys, or roughly 1.2 trillion hryvnias.
This is stated in the third edition of the report “Analysis of the Impact of Refugees from Ukraine on the Polish Economy.”
The Deloitte and UNHCR study also showed that the employment rate among Ukrainian refugees in Poland rose by 7 percentage points compared to the previous year, reaching 76%. This figure is comparable to the employment rate among Polish citizens.
Employment, self-employment, and other forms of professional activity are the main source of income for 87% of the refugee households surveyed.
At the same time, the median net wage for these households increased by 45% between 2023 and 2025. In 2025, Polish social benefits accounted for only 10% of Ukrainian refugees’ income, while benefits from Ukraine accounted for 2%.
Ukrainians are present in the Polish labor market not only as employees but also as entrepreneurs. About 13% of people of working age reported being self-employed, with one in five of them employing staff.
Since 2022, Ukrainian citizens have filed nearly 135,000 applications to register as sole proprietors. Between 2022 and 2025, the largest number of such applications were in the construction, information, and communications sectors, as well as other service sectors.
Jun Sirato, Acting Representative of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees in Poland, emphasized the importance of the economic integration of Ukrainians.
“The economic integration of refugees can benefit both the refugees themselves and their host communities. Refugees then cease to rely on humanitarian aid and become consumers and taxpayers, thereby strengthening their self-reliance. The ability to support themselves through their own labor is the foundation of independence for people who were forced to leave Ukraine,” Jun Sirato commented on the report’s findings.
According to her, creating favorable conditions for the professional development of Ukrainians, recognizing their qualifications, and providing access to career opportunities that match their education and competencies allow for more effective use of their knowledge, skills, and potential.
This, in turn, can contribute to the further economic integration of Ukrainians and strengthen their contribution to Poland’s economy.
This is evidenced by a study conducted by Smart Solutions HR, according to PulsHR.
Claims about the dangers of Ukrainians living in Poland are exaggerated, the ambassador believes. According to him, most Ukrainian citizens do not personally face physical aggression.
As a reminder, a Ukrainian man was admitted to a psychiatric hospital following a fatal attack in Poland.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy condemned the attack by a Ukrainian citizen on a Benedictine abbey in the Polish city of Jarosław, which resulted in the death of a priest and injuries to four other people.
