At the end of May 2025, 1,068.9 thousand foreign workers were active in Poland, according to the latest data from Statistics Poland (GUS). This represents a 4.4% increase year-on-year, although it also marks a slight decrease of 0.8% compared to April this year. Foreign nationals accounted for 6.5% of all individuals performing work in Poland, maintaining a stable share compared to recent months.
Year-on-Year Growth, Slight Monthly Decline
The number of foreign workers in Poland continues its upward trend on an annual basis. The May data confirms this growth dynamic, although compared to April 2025, the total number of workers slightly declined. The analyzed group includes both individuals employed under work contracts and those performing tasks based on civil-law contracts, such as mandate contracts.
The majority of foreign workers were male – they accounted for 59.9% of the total, a figure unchanged compared to the previous year and month. Compared to May 2024, the number of female foreign workers increased by 4.5%, and male workers by 4.3%. On a monthly basis, however, the number of women declined by 0.7% and men by 0.8%.
Contract Work Plays a Significant Role
It is notable that 405.1 thousand foreign workers were engaged exclusively under mandate and similar contracts. This represents a 3.7% increase compared to May 2024, but also a 1.3% decrease compared to April 2025. The prevalence of civil-law contracts remains a characteristic feature of foreign employment in Poland, especially in seasonal sectors, construction, and various services.
Ukrainians Still Dominant, but Their Share Is Shrinking
Citizens of Ukraine remain the largest group of foreign workers in Poland – 714 thousand individuals, accounting for 66.8% of all foreign labor. However, their share is decreasing: down by 0.9 percentage points compared to May 2024 and 0.1 percentage points compared to April this year. These shifts may reflect both geopolitical conditions and the increasing number of workers from other countries.
In total, foreign workers active in Poland come from more than 150 countries. Besides Ukrainians, significant groups include citizens of Belarus, Georgia, India, and Nepal.
Regional Perspective: Warsaw Remains the Top Destination
One in five foreign workers in Poland lives in the Warsaw metropolitan area. This has remained consistent both in recent months and over a longer period. The Świętokrzyskie region recorded the lowest number of foreign workers – their share did not exceed 1%.
Methodology: Who Is Included in the Data?
The presented data is based on administrative sources, including ZUS (Polish Social Insurance Institution) records. Since 2025, it also includes owners and leaseholders of individual agricultural holdings (as well as assisting family members), which expands the previous dataset. The analysis does not include individuals working under specific-task contracts or agricultural assistants.
Conclusions
Despite minor month-to-month fluctuations, May 2025 confirms that foreign workers play a significant role in the Polish labor market – both numerically and structurally. Nearly 7% of all workers in Poland are foreign nationals, many of whom are employed under flexible contract arrangements. Although Ukrainian citizens still form the majority, the share of other nationalities is growing, underscoring Poland’s increasing attractiveness as a labor destination on the global map.
