This year, Ukrainian refugees brought twice as much money to the budget of the Czech Republic than the country spent on their maintenance. If after the start of a full-scale war in 2022, the Czech Republic spent billions to receive and provide for Ukrainians fleeing the war, then in two years our fellow citizens became a significant part of the Czech economy and the country’s labor market.
Of the 350,000 citizens of Ukraine who received the status of temporary protection in the Czech Republic, a third (118,000) have already found work. This is taking into account the fact that a large part of the refugees are children.
During January-March, Ukrainians paid taxes in the amount of 6.4 billion crowns, or 11.3 billion hryvnias, to the budget of the Czech Republic. At the same time, the government allocated 3.5 billion crowns for the maintenance of migrants. Thus, in the first quarter of 2024, the amount of revenues of the country’s budget almost doubled the amount of expenses for Ukrainians.
“The budget receives the largest income from contributions to social and health insurance, followed by value-added tax or consumption tax. The trend of revenue growth over the last quarter is obvious,” said a representative of the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs of the Czech Republic. Magdalena Klimeshova.
In the future, this figure will only grow, as social assistance for Ukrainians is reduced. The country’s authorities focus on socially vulnerable groups of refugees. In addition, a significant number of Ukrainians are leaving. Currently, the Czech Republic ranks first in the outflow of refugees.
- For comparison:
In 2022, the country spent 25 billion kroner on helping Ukrainians. At the same time, they paid taxes in the amount of 12.6 billion crowns. Last year, the situation was almost balanced – expenses amounted to 21.6 billion, and income – 21 billion crowns. This year, Ukrainians can bring more than 25 billion crowns to the Czech budget.
