Thursday, 6 November 2025
The number of foreigners working in Poland surpassed 1.06 million at the end of May 2025, according to new data from Statistics Poland. The figure marks a 4.4% increase compared with the same period in 2024, despite a slight month-on-month decline of 0.8%.
Foreigners now represent 6.5% of all people performing work in the country, reflecting Poland’s continued reliance on migrant labour amid demographic pressures and workforce shortages.
Ukrainians remain by far the largest group, accounting for 714,000 individuals, or nearly 67% of all foreign workers. Their number rose by 3% year on year but fell slightly from April 2025. Citizens from over 150 countries were active in the Polish labour market in May, though the majority continue to come from neighbouring states in Eastern Europe.
Men make up roughly 60% of the foreign workforce — a stable ratio compared with previous months and years. Both male and female employment among foreigners increased compared with May 2024, by 4.3% and 4.5% respectively.
The report also shows that 405,000 foreigners were employed under contracts of mandate or similar civil law agreements, up 3.7% from a year earlier but 1.3% below the previous month’s level.
In geographical terms, the Warszawski stołeczny region remains the primary hub for foreign workers, hosting one in five of all such employees. The Świętokrzyskie region recorded the smallest share, at below 1%.
The data were compiled using administrative records from the Social Insurance Institution (ZUS) and other sources as part of Statistics Poland’s ongoing experimental studies on the country’s labour market. Since January 2025, the figures have also included self-employed foreigners and family members working on private farms.
Source: Statistics Poland (Główny Urząd Statystyczny), “Foreigners performing work in Poland in May 2025,” prepared by the Statistical Office in Bydgoszcz.
