15 billion zlotys in taxes and 2.7% of GDP: Novak Cited the Actual Figures for Ukrainians’ Contribution to the Polish Economy
13 July 21:45
YOUTUBE
Claims of “Polish generosity” toward Ukrainians do not hold up to scrutiny when examined through the numbers. Economist Andriy Novak made this statement on the "Komersant Ukrainian" YouTube channel.
Novak analyzed the economic balance between the two countries in detail—and it turned out not to support the Poles’ rhetoric.
According to him, the Polish government spends approximately 2.7–2.8 billion zlotys annually on social assistance for Ukrainians residing in Poland. Meanwhile, Ukrainians themselves pay over 15 billion zlotys in taxes to the Polish budget each year.
“Do you see the difference? Seven times,” Novak commented.
But that’s only part of the picture. Ukrainians make up 5% of the total workforce in the Polish economy and 6% of active entrepreneurs. Since 2022, they have established 80,000 small businesses and another 30,000 medium-sized businesses in Poland—a total of 110,000 active businesses. As a result, Ukrainians account for about 2.7% of Poland’s total GDP.
“So what is this so-called Polish generosity we’re talking about?” the expert asks.
Added to this is trade: Poland exports $8 billion worth of goods to Ukraine every year, while Ukraine exports only $5 billion worth to Poland. In other words, the Polish economy earns an additional $3 billion annually from trade with Ukraine, says the economist.
“Excuse me, gentlemen, but how short-sighted must one be to block the border with a country—with Ukraine—that brings you, your economy, brings a $3 billion trade surplus every year,” Novak said, addressing Polish farmers who repeatedly blocked the border with Ukraine last year.
As a reminder, in February 2024, Polish farmers blocked all major border crossings with Ukraine during large-scale protests. One of the most high-profile incidents involved Ukrainian grain being dumped from a freight car at the “Medika–Shehyni” border crossing. The protesters explained their actions as a response to their dissatisfaction with imports of Ukrainian agricultural products and demanded that such imports into Poland be restricted. The border blockade lasted several months and significantly hampered Ukrainian exports to EU countries.
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