Half of Ukrainian refugees in Poland plan to return home

51% of Ukrainian refugees currently living in Poland intend to return to Ukraine. However, the vast majority of them are not ready to do so until the war ends, and they cite security and stability as the main condition for returning.

This is evidenced by the results of a Rating Group survey, conducted on August 21–25, 2026 among Ukrainian refugees in Poland.

Only 8% of respondents are ready to return to Ukraine in the near future. Another 43% plan to do so after the war ends. At the same time, 26% said they do not plan to return, and 23% have not yet decided on their further plans.

The main factor that could encourage Ukrainians to return remains security and stability in the country – this option was chosen by 71% of respondents. The development of the Ukrainian economy is important for 36%, employment prospects – for 26%. Another 21% cited the absence of internal linguistic, religious and other conflicts as a condition.

Development of social infrastructure and the ability to influence social changes are important for 12% of respondents. 11% each mentioned participation in the reconstruction of Ukraine and possible deterioration of living conditions abroad.

At the same time, a significant group among Ukrainians in Poland still considers life abroad as a long-term option. 44% of respondents would like to stay permanently outside Ukraine, while 43% do not want to. Among those wishing to live abroad, 40% named Poland as their preferred country.

34% of survey participants are considering obtaining Polish citizenship, including those who have already submitted documents. Another 46% do not plan to obtain Polish citizenship, and 20% have not yet decided. Help with obtaining Polish citizenship was the most popular answer to the question of what support could make life easier for Ukrainians in the country, mentioned by 35%.

The study also shows a fairly high level of economic integration of Ukrainians. 73% of surveyed refugees have employment, and among those working, 87% are employed directly in Poland. Over the past year, the financial situation improved for 36% of respondents, worsened for 20%, and 41% did not notice significant changes.

At the same time, most Ukrainians have not yet acquired their own housing in Poland: 81% rent it, and only 7% live in their own property. Respondents named buying housing as one of the most difficult aspects of life in the country – only 16% rated its affordability positively, 44% negatively.

Language integration also remains quite high: 60% of study participants rated their Polish language skills as medium or high. 57% are satisfied with their social adaptation, while 37% are dissatisfied.

The survey was conducted by online questionnaire among 1,000 adult Ukrainian refugees who left for EU countries due to the full-scale Russian invasion and were in Poland at the time of the study. The sample structure was adjusted according to official UNHCR data on gender and age of Ukrainian refugees in the country.