Number of Ukrainian refugees in the EU reaches 4.38 million

According to Eurostat, the total number of Ukrainian refugees in European Union countries stood at 4.38 million at the end of May — 7,800 more than the previous month.

Over the past month, the number of refugees from Ukraine increased in 22 member states. Ukrainian nationals account for more than 98.5% of all persons holding temporary protection status in the EU. The majority of them are women.

Germany (1.28 million people, or 29.3% of the EU total), Poland (967,500 people; 22.1%), and Spain (267,400 people; 6.1%) remain the leading host countries.

The highest concentration of refugees per capita was recorded in Slovakia — 26.8 per 1,000 residents — followed by Poland at 26.5 and Cyprus at 25.9. The EU average stands at 9.7 per 1,000 people. The most notable decreases in the number of Ukrainian refugees were recorded in Bulgaria (-14.8%) and Poland (-0.4%).

In early summer, the EU Council approved an extension of the temporary protection regime for Ukrainian nationals until March 4, 2027. The mechanism has been in place since 2022 and allows Ukrainians to legally reside, work, study, and receive social assistance in EU countries.

Ukraine’s Human Rights Commissioner Dmytro Lubinets stated that more than 5.7 million Ukrainians in total had been forced to leave the country — approximately one-seventh of Ukraine’s population in 2022.

Last spring, Ukrainian authorities said they expected 30% of refugees to return home. Roughly the same share, it is assumed, will remain abroad permanently.