How many Ukrainians have been granted protection in Poland since 2022: data from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Poland has become one of the countries that has taken in the largest number of Ukrainians since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion. Since 2022 , 1.73 million Ukrainian refugees have been granted legal and financial protection in Poland. This was reported by the Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

How Poland has helped Ukrainians

According to the Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, support for Ukrainians has become not only a government programme but also a large-scale public initiative.

77 per cent of Polish citizens have personally been involved in helping Ukrainian refugees, the ministry’s statement said.

An even more tangible form of support was the provision of accommodation. Around 7 per cent of Poles opened their own homes to Ukrainians forced to flee their country due to the war. In addition, Polish residents spent a total of over 10 billion zlotys on aid for their Ukrainian neighbours.

The Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs emphasises that behind these figures lies a large-scale voluntary movement involving both ordinary citizens and various civil society organisations.

‘These figures go far beyond mere statistics – they reflect the large-scale efforts of grassroots organisations aimed at supporting those in need during this difficult time,’ the ministry noted.

Poland has become one of the main hubs for aid to Ukrainians

Following the outbreak of full-scale war, millions of Ukrainians temporarily fled to neighbouring European countries. Owing to its geographical proximity, Poland became one of the main destinations for people seeking refuge from the hostilities.

The assistance included not only the provision of temporary accommodation and material support, but also access to social services and other forms of protection.

At the same time, Polish society also played a significant role in the first months of the war, when state aid mechanisms were still being established, the Foreign Ministry noted.

It should be noted that, according to the latest available official Eurostat data, as of 30 June 2026, there were 961,170 people from Ukraine in Poland with temporary protection status. This is the second-highest figure in the European Union after Germany, where 1.286 million people were granted protection. In June, the number of Ukrainians with temporary protection in Poland fell by 6,335, or 0.7 per cent.

Whilst nearly a million Ukrainians continue to live in Poland, the attitude of a section of Polish society towards their presence has changed significantly compared with the early years of the full-scale war.

According to a new study by the Polish CBOS, published on 20 August 2026, the social distance between Poles and Ukrainians has increased compared with 2023. That said, the overwhelming majority are still willing to accept Ukrainians in everyday life, but levels of support have fallen noticeably. For example, 83 per cent of Poles are willing to have a Ukrainian as a colleague, though this is 8 percentage points lower than in the previous survey. 82 per cent of those surveyed would accept a Ukrainian as a neighbour – a drop of 10 percentage points. A further 75 per cent are willing to consult a Ukrainian doctor, which is also 10 percentage points lower than the previous figure.

A more pronounced decline is observed in relation to closer social contacts. 63 per cent of Poles are prepared to accept a Ukrainian as a son-in-law or daughter-in-law, whilst this figure has fallen by 15 percentage points. Fifty-eight per cent of those surveyed would accept a Ukrainian as a nanny for their child, whilst 55 per cent would accept a Ukrainian as a boss. In the latter case, the drop over the past three years amounted to 18 percentage points.

The CBOS survey conducted in July on aid to Ukrainian refugees paints an even clearer picture. 52 per cent of Poles opposed the continued admission of Ukrainian refugees, whilst 42 per cent supported such a policy. At the same time, 54 per cent of respondents stated that Poland’s aid to Ukrainians was excessive, compared with 50 per cent who held this view a year earlier.