August M
More than four million Ukrainians displaced by Russia’s invasion are currently living under temporary protection in European Union countries, according to new EU statistics.
The majority are concentrated in just a few countries, highlighting how unevenly the burden of hosting refugees has been shared across the bloc.
Data from the EU’s statistical office Eurostat shows that over 4.3 million Ukrainians have temporary protection status across EU member states.
According to figures cited by Ilona Havronska, Ukraine’s deputy minister of social policy responsible for European integration, Germany hosts the largest number, reports Ukrainska Pravda.
Three countries host majority
Eurostat said most displaced Ukrainians are currently living in three EU countries.
“The EU countries hosting the highest number of beneficiaries of temporary protection from Ukraine were Germany (1,260,230 people; 28.8% of the EU total), Poland (965,990; 22.1%) and Czechia (397,185; 9.1%),” the agency said.
Together, these three countries host around 60 percent of Ukrainians who have received temporary protection in the European Union.
Fewer new protection decisions
Havronska said EU governments issued 683,395 new decisions granting temporary protection to Ukrainian citizens in 2025.
That figure represents a decline of about 14 percent compared with the number of decisions made in 2024.
Officials say the overall security situation in Ukraine remains the most important factor influencing whether displaced citizens choose to return home.
Debate over post-war voting
The issue of Ukrainians living abroad has also become part of political discussions about the country’s future elections.
A survey conducted by the Razumkov Centre found that 61.6 percent of Ukrainians believe citizens who left the country illegally and have not returned should not be allowed to vote in the first elections after the war ends.
Sources: Ukrainska Pravda, Eurostat, Razumkov Centre
