Only Germany Spends More. Ukrainians in Poland Rank Second in Foreigner Spending – Study

In Q2 2023, Ukrainians spent 1.77 billion Polish zlotys (UAH 14.73 billion) in Poland. That is 300 million zlotys more than in the same period last year. The share of spending by people who came to Poland from Ukraine accounts for 19.3% of total foreigner spending. This is the second-largest position — only those arriving from Germany spend more, at 4.76 billion zlotys (UAH 39.6 billion), representing 51.8% of the total sum. Overall, foreigners spent 11.7 billion zlotys in Poland, including arrivals from the Czech Republic (13.5%), Slovakia (8.2%), Lithuania (4.4%), Belarus (2.7%), and Russia (0.2%) — these figures were published by the analytics centre of the international employment agency Gremi Personal, based on a report by Poland's Central Statistical Office (GUS).

The calculations were based on bank card expenditure data. Spending from countries sharing a border with Poland was analysed.

The agency notes that neither the percentage nor the total amount of Ukrainian spending comes as a surprise — Ukrainians are the largest group of foreigners in Poland. Their spending is expected to grow at least through the end of the year, driven by several factors: an increase in the number of Ukrainians returning to Europe after summer holidays, a boost in Polish industrial activity in preparation for the Christmas season, which triggers a period of seasonal job openings across many sectors of the economy that are heavily reliant on Ukrainian workers.

However, in the coming year this growth is expected to slow, as a significant share of Ukrainians return home in spring or move to Western European countries. Although Ukrainians remain the largest group of foreign workers in Poland, their share is declining — from 72% to 68.3% compared to last year. July ZUS (Social Insurance Institution) records show 749,100 registered individuals, only 13,300 more than in July 2022.

The dominant share of spending by those crossing the Polish-German border is explained by the fact that the entire tourist flow from Western European countries (France, Italy, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, etc.) passes through the German-Polish border, as well as by the sizeable number of German citizens — particularly older adults — who reside in Poland due to its significantly lower cost of living.

"The vast majority of Ukrainians work, pay taxes, and contribute to the Polish budget. According to forecasts for 2023, no less than 6 billion zlotys in taxes from working Ukrainians will flow into the Polish state budget. Yes, Poland has spent approximately $550 million on benefits for Ukrainian families who fled to Poland to escape the war. But on the other hand, given the number of working Ukrainian citizens, the Polish economy is critically dependent on Ukrainians and receives far more than it spends" — says Anna Dzhobołda, Head of Recruitment at the international employment agency Gremi Personal