Material status of Ukrainian refugees in Poland improves
The profile of Ukrainians living in Poland has changed since the start of the war and their material status has improved, the Rzeczpospolita newspaper reported on Thursday.
The paper wrote that Ukrainians in Poland are now predominantly women with a higher education, and children. This contrasts with the situation prior to Russia's February 24, 2022, invasion according to data gleaned by research firm Selectivv from mobile phones.
In January 2022, 57 percent of Ukrainians in Poland were men, a figure that has slumped to just 40 percent.
Meanwhile, the number of Ukrainians under 18 has risen from around 200,000 to 1.4 million with fewer people between the ages of 45 and 60.
The paper cited data showing that while in January of last year only 6 percent of Poland's Ukrainian population were very well off, 24 percent now have a "good" material status and 64 percent "average."
"A year later, the share of people with a very good material status has grown by 7 percentage points (to 13 percent), and good (material status - PAP) by as much as 30 percentage points (to 54 percent)," Rzeczpospolita reported.
"In Poland we have two completely different communities of Ukrainians," Rzeczpospolita quoted Selectivv CEO Aleksander Luchowski as saying. "They are people who have entirely different material statuses, but also spend their free time differently."
The paper reported that today's Ukrainian population is not only better off but also more often prefers to spend free time at theatres or the cinema rather than in bars or restaurants.
Rzeczpospolita wrote of refugees' leisure-time choices that: "Most often it is shopping centres (also before the war). However the share of people visiting such places as swimming pools or gyms has risen from 5 percent (in 2022) to 18 percent, and those visiting cinemas and theatres from 1 percent to 4 percent. However, the share frequenting pubs and restaurants has fallen by as much as 30 percentage points (from 36 percent to 6 percent)." (PAP)
ej/md
