ZPP Newsletter
Warsaw, June 14, 2023
ZPP’s comment: Poland – a good place for Ukrainian entrepreneurship
- According to data from Info Credit, Ukrainians established 17,457 business activities in Poland in 2022.
- Only from the beginning of 2023 up to May 29 (inclusive), 13,117 business activities run by Ukrainian citizens were registered in Poland.
- Since the beginning of Russia’s armed aggression against Ukraine, Ukrainians have established the largest number of business activities in Mazovia and Lower Silesia.
- As of early 2022, Ukrainians were most likely to locate their companies in Warsaw, Krakow and Wrocław.
- The number of companies established by Ukrainians in Poland has been significantly influenced by the Special Act on assistance to Ukrainian citizens.
Border Guard estimates show that 12 million Ukrainian refugees have crossed the border with Poland since the beginning of Russia’s armed aggression against Ukraine. In the period of February 24–28, 2022 alone, it was 355,000 people. Migration peaked in March 2022, when approx. 2 million Ukrainians entered Poland. Between April 2022 and the end of May 2023, Polish-Ukrainian border crossings were crossed by 584,000 people in February 2023 to as many as 781,000 people in August 2022. Obviously, not all of these people remained in Poland, but the vast majority nevertheless decided to settle in our country. A significant group are those who have taken up legal permanent gainful employment in Poland or decided to establish a business activity. According to estimates by the Ministry of the Interior and Administration, approx. 97 percent of Ukrainian refugees are women (most men are banned from crossing the state border).
Business activity of Ukrainians in Poland in 2022
The definite influx of Ukrainians into Poland has translated into a huge increase in the dynamics of Ukrainians starting businesses. Data from Info Credit shows that in 2022 Ukrainians established 17,457 business activities in Poland, of which 14,258 companies were active at the end of the calendar year. 1,191 business activities were deleted and 1,781 suspended.
Ukrainians were most active in the Mazowieckie Voivodeship, where they established 4,256 companies last year. The second place was taken by the Dolnośląskie Voivodeship, where 2,673 Ukrainian businesses were established. The following voivodeships were ranked next: Małopolskie – 2,285 companies, Pomorskie – 1828, Wielkopolskie – 1,361, Zachodniopomorskie – 1,029, Śląskie – 979, Łódzkie – 687, Lubuskie – 520, Kujawsko-Pomorskie – 417, Podkarpackie – 357, Opolskie – 296, Warmińsko-Mazurskie – 118, Świętokrzyskie – 114 and Podlaskie 91.
Ukrainians registered the largest number of companies in 2022 in Warsaw – 3,289. Many were also established in Krakow – 1,899, Wrocław – 1,873, Poznań – 840, Gdańsk – 835, Szczecin – 655 and Łódź – 484.
Relatively constant over the years has been the group of major PKD codes indicated by Ukrainians within their business activities. Hairdressing and other beauty treatment led the way in 2022, with 2,144 indicated as the main PKD code. The second most frequently indicated type of activity was computer programming activities (1,995 companies), and the third was other building completion and finishing (1,243 companies). Significantly popular in 2022 were also (in parentheses the number of indications as the main PKD code): construction related to erection of residential and non-residential buildings (764), electrical installation (540), freight transport by road (533), mechanical working of metal elements (420), retail sale via mail order houses or via the Internet (383), restaurants and other eating places (376) and other specialized construction activities not elsewhere classified (372).
Business activity of Ukrainian citizens in Poland in 2023
A definite upturn in the establishment of companies by Ukrainian citizens came in 2023. Data from Info Credit shows that 13,117 such businesses were registered between January 1 and May 29, 2023 alone. Active during the indicated period remained 11,694 of them – 421 were suspended and 170 were deleted. There were 51 enterprises operating exclusively in the form of a company, and 3 with the end of the indicated period were waiting to start operations.
The largest number of new business activities established by Ukrainian citizens between January 2023 and May 29, 2023 were registered in the Mazowieckie Voivodeship – 3,211, Dolnośląskie Voivodeship – 1,941 and Małopolskie Voivodeship – 1,793. The following voivodeships ranked next: Pomorskie – 1,285 companies, Wielkopolskie – 993 companies, Zachodniopomorskie and Śląskie – 772 companies, Lubuskie – 507, Łódzkie- 492, Kujawsko-Pomorskie – 333, Podkarpackie – 305, Lubelskie – 260, Opolskie – 182, Świętokrzyskie – 102, Warmińsko-Mazurskie – 98 and Podlaskie – 61.
Also in 2023 (up to and including May 29), Ukrainians were eager to register their businesses within Poland’s largest metropolises. 2,500 companies were established in Warsaw, 1,549 in Krakow, 1,386 in Wrocław, 665 in Gdańsk, 591 in Poznań, 472 in Szczecin and 350 in Łódź.
In the period from the beginning of 2023 to May 29, 2023 inclusive, the main PKD codes most frequently indicated by companies established by Ukrainian citizens were: computer programming activities (2,100 times), hairdressing and other beauty treatment (1,461), other building completion and finishing (817), construction related to erection of residential and non-residential buildings (549), freight transport by road (453), electrical installation (442), mechanical working of metal elements (365), restaurants and other eating places (335), retail sales via mail order houses or via the Internet (315) and other specialized construction activities not elsewhere classified (291).
Poland is a natural migration destination for citizens from Ukraine plunged into war. Domestic legislation also favors the development of Ukrainian entrepreneurship in the Polish market. Of essential importance in this regard is the Special Act on assistance to Ukrainian citizens, which has contributed to a revival in the registration of sole proprietorships by Ukrainian men and women.
See more: 14.06.2023 ZPP’s comment: Poland – a good place for Ukrainian entrepreneurship
