The Number of Ukrainians Renting Housing in Poland at Their Own Expense Has Grown by 18% Compared to Last Year

76% of surveyed Ukrainians in Poland rent housing at their own expense. 15% are provided accommodation by their employers. Only 4% rely on charitable organisations, 3% have been taken in by Polish families receiving government compensation, and 2% still live in temporary state-provided housing. These figures were published by the analytics centre of the international recruitment agency Gremi Personal.

Analysts compared how the dynamics have changed compared to last year, based on an equivalent survey conducted throughout November 2022.

In the previous year, 58% of respondents rented housing at their own expense — 18% fewer than this year. 22% were accommodated by their employers. 10% of respondents said they had been taken in by Polish families in their homes, 5% lived at the state's expense, and 5% relied on charitable organisations.

The agency explains that the number of people renting independently has grown significantly due to several factors. First, the level of social benefits in Poland does not allow for living without work, unlike countries such as Germany, Belgium, or Switzerland. At the same time, wage levels make it possible to rent a separate apartment, so Ukrainians are finding employment and achieving decent living conditions. It is worth noting that 750,000 Ukrainians in Poland are officially employed — nearly half of all Ukrainians in the country. By comparison, only 28% of Ukrainians in Germany are officially employed. According to data from the Central Statistical Office of Poland (GUS), in the second quarter of 2023 alone, Ukrainians spent 1.77 billion zlotys (14.73 billion hryvnias) in Poland — 300 million zlotys more than in the same period last year.

We also see a 7% decrease in the number of people whose accommodation is provided by an employer. This is connected to the fact that Ukrainians who left due to the war are predominantly living with children, while employer-provided housing is mostly adapted for labour migrants.

"The figures show that Ukrainians have already become self-sufficient in Poland. This is linked to their integration and the absence of social programmes like those in wealthier European countries. The vast majority have already learned Polish. This helps them find work in their field, earn higher wages, and rent their own homes. I believe this factor has also contributed to the more than threefold decrease in the number of people taken in by Polish families. Ukrainians want to work, earn money, and be independent," says Anna Dzhabolda, Head of the Recruitment Department at Gremi Personal.

The survey was conducted from 1 to 20 October 2023 using an online questionnaire, with 903 employed Ukrainians taking part.