Czechia earns twice as much from Ukrainian refugees as it spends
Ukrainian refugees bring more revenue to Czechia each year (photo: Getty Images)
Ukrainian refugees in Czechia paid €616 million into the state budget, an amount twice as high as the cost of supporting them, according to Radio Prague International.
The Czech Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs reported that in the first half of this year, refugees from Ukraine contributed 15 billion Czech korunas (approximately €616 million) to the Czech budget in the form of taxes and contributions.
At the same time, state spending on humanitarian aid, housing, healthcare, education, and other support for Ukrainians amounted to 7.6 billion korunas (€312 million).
In 2024, Czechia received 24.8 billion korunas (approximately €986 million) from Ukrainian refugees, while allocating 15.5 billion korunas (approximately €540 million) for their support.
In 2023, the country spent 22 billion korunas (approximately €904 million) on assistance for refugees, while revenues totaled 19.4 billion korunas (approximately €797 million).
Czech Labor Minister Marian Jurečka stated that currently, 169,000 Ukrainian refugees with temporary protection status are employed in Czechia. According to the Czech Ministry of the Interior, as of September 21, there were 393,843 Ukrainians with this status in the country.
"If these people were to leave immediately, a significant part of the economy would face serious problems. This includes industry, services, and agriculture," the labor minister explained.
He added that Czech politicians calling for Ukrainians to return home are "jeopardizing the economic development and well-being of Czech citizens."
Approximately 200,000 people are expected to leave Ukraine annually over the next two years. A gradual return of migrants is expected to begin no earlier than 2027.
In Germany, the number of Ukrainian refugees officially employed and paying contributions to the social security system has increased to nearly 272,000, 80,000 more than in 2024.
