Ukrainian refugees paid almost twice as much to the state budget of the Czech Republic as the costs allocated to them for social assistance
Since the beginning of the full-scale war, the Czech Republic has become one of the countries that provided shelter to Ukrainian refugees. She offered them temporary protection, access to social assistance, housing, medicine and education. Humanitarian support allowed hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians to find a safe place to live and adapt to new conditions. However, over time, the attitude towards refugees in the Czech Republic began to change, which affected both public attitudes and state policy regarding financial assistance to Ukrainians. Despite this, the economic contribution of Ukrainian refugees remains significant, and statistics prove that their presence in the Czech Republic brings the country more financial benefits than costs.
According to official data from the Ministry of Labor and Social Policy of the Czech Republic, during the three years of the war, Ukrainian refugees paid approximately 54 billion kroner ($2.2 billion) to the state budget in the form of taxes, social deductions and consumer spending. Such data published Czech Ministry of Labor and Social Policy.
This is almost twice as much as the Czech Republic’s spending on social support for Ukrainians during the same period. At the same time, the country has spent about 8 billion crowns ($336 million) on social benefits for refugees in 2024. Among those who receive such assistance, mainly children, pensioners and people with disabilities, who in general make up 70% of recipients.
397,000 Ukrainians received temporary protection on the territory of the Czech Republic, most of whom live in Prague – almost 103,000 people. About half of them have an official job, in particular, 150,000 employment contracts are registered. The main part of employed Ukrainians works in construction, production and other sectors where there was a labor shortage. Thus, they not only do not displace Czech citizens from the labor market, but also help the country overcome the shortage of workers in important industries.
Minister of Labor Marian Yurechka noted that Ukrainian refugees significantly contribute to the economy of the Czech Republic through the payment of taxes and active consumption of goods and services. Their integration into the labor market helps to stabilize the situation with a shortage of personnel, which was relevant even before the start of the war. In addition, Ukrainians spend a lot of money on accommodation, transport, food products and other services, which stimulates the development of Czech business.
Thus, the Czech Republic’s total aid to Ukraine, including support for refugees, during the war amounted to 2.6 billion dollars. Despite the change in attitude towards Ukrainian refugees, the state recognizes their benefit to the country’s economy. The further policy of the Czech Republic towards Ukrainians remains a topic of active discussion, in particular in the context of possible changes to the status of temporary protection, which will depend on the further development of events in Ukraine.
