Main points
- Ukrainians have become leaders among foreigners in opening businesses in Poland, ahead of Belarusians and Chinese.
- The most popular areas for business: catering, road transportation, construction industry, IT sector, consulting, recruitment agencies, wholesale trade.
Ukrainians are building a business empire in Poland / Collage by Channel 24, illustrative photos by Getty Images
In 2025, foreigners registered 10,500 new businesses in Poland. Ukrainians became the real leaders in opening businesses, surpassing even Belarusians and Chinese.
Business in Poland: how many companies have Ukrainians opened?
The greatest activity in creating a business was demonstrated by citizens of Ukraine, Belarus, China, and Germany, writes the Ministry of Finance.
- Ukrainians took first place in the ranking by the number of open businesses.
- Belarusians took second place, registering 1,370 enterprises, which is almost 2,000 fewer than Ukrainian citizens.
- Entrepreneurs from China took third place with 610 companies, up from fifth place a year earlier.
- The Germans hold fourth place with 514 registered businesses.
The top ten also included entrepreneurs from Turkey, India, the United Kingdom, the Czech Republic, and Italy.
The most popular areas for opening a business among foreigners in Poland were catering and restaurants – 694 new establishments. A significant share is also occupied by:
- road transportation (484 companies);
- construction industry (480);
- IT sector (380);
- consulting (308);
- recruitment agencies (225);
- wholesale trade (224).
Experts attribute this investment structure to a relatively low threshold for entry into certain industries, stable demand for services, and the development of Poland's domestic market.
How do Ukrainians influence the GDP of Poland and other European countries?
Ukrainians abroad are economically active members of society, who are mostly integrated into local economies. The influx of population allows European countries to solve the problems of labor shortages and aging nations. This was stated by labor market expert Vasyl Voskoboynyk in a commentary for Channel 24 .
According to expert Vasyl Voskoboynyk, the presence of Ukrainians in the EU has a tangible economic effect, as among them are employed:
- in Poland – 900 thousand Ukrainians;
- in Germany – 295 thousand;
- in the Czech Republic – about 390 thousand.
Vasyl Voskoboynyk
Head of the Migration Policy Office, President of the All-Ukrainian Association of International Employment Companies
Ukrainians are not a burden for Europe. This is an asset for which Europeans are ready to compete. We find ourselves in a unique situation where Ukraine, Poland, the Czech Republic, and Germany are competing for Ukrainians abroad. On the one hand, this is a pleasant surprise, and on the other, it makes us understand that our country is facing a very significant challenge.
The following figures for 2024 demonstrate the contribution of Ukrainians to the economies of these states:
- in Poland's GDP – 2.7%;
- Czech Republic – 2.2 – 2.3% of GDP;
- Germany – about 0.6 – 0.7% of GDP.
Where do Ukrainians in Poland earn the most?
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The average salary in the business sector in Poland in September 2025 was PLN 8,750 gross, which exceeds UAH 100,000.
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Wages are growing fastest in industrial sectors such as computer manufacturing, electronics, transportation equipment, and mechanical engineering.