Where Ukrainians Live Today: The Global Map of 5.8 Million Refugees

17.03.2026 4 min to read 4 views
Where Ukrainians Live Today: The Global Map of 5.8 Million Refugees Remy Gieling

Today, Ukrainians live in dozens of countries around the world. After the start of the full-scale invasion, more than 5.8 million people left Ukraine and remain abroad, while globally, there are up to 25 million people of Ukrainian origin.

After February 24, 2022, the largest wave of Ukrainian migration since World War II began. Most people received temporary protection status in European Union countries, which allows them to live legally, work, study, and receive social support.

Below is a summary of the latest statistics for 2025 – early 2026, showing the countries hosting the largest numbers of Ukrainians who left after the start of the full-scale invasion. The data is based on statistics from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and Eurostat.

Ukrainians Who Left After February 24, 2022

Largest Host Countries

Country Number of Ukrainians Notes
🇩🇪 Germany ≈1,250,000 the largest Ukrainian community since 2022
🇵🇱 Poland ≈970,000 historically large Ukrainian diaspora
🇨🇿 Czech Republic ≈393,000 one of the highest shares per capita
🇪🇸 Spain ≈210,000 rapid growth after 2022
🇮🇹 Italy ≈170,000 large pre-war Ukrainian community
🇫🇷 France ≈120,000 most under temporary protection
🇳🇱 Netherlands ≈120,000 municipal accommodation program
🇦🇹 Austria ≈90,000 temporary protection status
🇧🇪 Belgium ≈80,000 stable Ukrainian community
🇵🇹 Portugal ≈60,000 long-standing diaspora
🇬🇧 United Kingdom ≈220,000 Homes for Ukraine program
🇨🇦 Canada ≈300,000+ CUAET special program
🇺🇸 United States ≈280,000+ Uniting for Ukraine program
🇲🇩 Moldova ≈110,000 many transit refugees
🇷🇴 Romania ≈120,000 Some later moved further into the EU

Overall Migration Figures After 2022

According to international organizations, about 5.86 million Ukrainians remain abroad following the start of the full-scale war. Most of them currently live in European countries.

Approximately 5.3 million Ukrainians are staying in Europe, where the Temporary Protection Directive provides legal residence, work rights, access to education, and healthcare.

Within the European Union alone, more than 4.35 million Ukrainians hold temporary protection status. Germany, Poland, the Czech Republic, Spain, and Italy have issued the most protection permits.

The Ukrainian Diaspora Worldwide

If we consider not only those who left after 2022 but also the historic Ukrainian diaspora, the global presence of Ukrainians becomes even larger.

According to demographic estimates and diaspora organizations, around 20–25 million people of Ukrainian origin live worldwide. They are descendants of several migration waves that occurred over more than a century.

The largest historic Ukrainian communities are located in North and South America. In Canada, approximately 1.3 million people of Ukrainian descent live today, while in the United States, there are about 1.6 million. Ukrainian communities there have developed strong networks of cultural organizations, churches, schools, and media outlets.

A significant Ukrainian community also exists in Brazil, where around 600,000 people of Ukrainian origin live, mostly concentrated in Paraná.

In Poland, there is also a substantial historical Ukrainian community of approximately 1 million people. At the same time, Kazakhstan is home to about 300,000, largely a legacy of Soviet-era deportations and resettlements.

As a result, Ukrainians today form a global nation present on every continent. The new migration wave after 2022 has further strengthened this global dimension of the Ukrainian community, creating large new diasporas across Europe and North America.

Sources

United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) – Ukraine Refugee Situation

UNHCR Global Trends & Refugee Data Finder

International Organization for Migration (IOM) – Ukraine Displacement Data

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