More than three-quarters of Polish adults have been involved in supporting and spending €2 billion to help Ukrainian refugees since the start of the Russian invasion on Feb. 24, according to data provided by the Polish Economic Institute (PIE).
A report from the organization showed that 77 percent of adult Poles had spent between €1.9-€2 billion — which amounts to 0.34-0.38 percent of Poland’s GDP in 2021 — on providing assistance for neighboring Ukrainians, which was more than what was spent on charitable causes in the country in the entirety of 2021.
This estimate takes into account the value of money given to refugees in the form of direct transfers or participation in public fundraising, the value of the articles and goods purchased for the refugees, the cost of accommodation, food offered to the refugees, and also other forms of support.
“The estimate is based on declarations of respondents regarding the value of funds they spent on aiding refugees in a variety of ways,” the report stated.
The estimated total annual cost the Polish government spent on aiding refugees together with the amount of expenses covered by Polish citizens, for the three months from the start of the war, is €5.29 billion, which amounts to 0.97 percent of Polish GDP in 2021.
The Polish Economic Institute stated that the scale, form, and intensity of aid offered to the refugees changed with the development of the refugee crisis and expectancy regarding the end of the conflict.
