Refugees from Ukraine increasingly included in host countries, but economic and protection gaps persist, new regional report finds

Refugees from Ukraine are increasingly participating in labour markets, national education and public services across Europe, but many continue to face poverty, high housing costs and barriers to essential services, according to a new regional report released today by UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, and partners.

The 2025 Socio-Economic Insights Survey (SEIS) draws on 4,260 household interviews covering 9,667 people across nine countries participating in the regional Refugee Response Plan for the Ukraine Situation: Bulgaria, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Moldova, Poland, Romania and Slovakia. Coordinated by UNHCR and IOM, the International Organization for Migration, analysis also benefited from contributions from UN Women, UNFPA, UNICEF, ILO, and UNESCO, alongside partners supporting data collection.

More than four and a half years into full-scale war, the findings show significant progress towards refugee inclusion. Employment among working-age refugees reached 67 per cent in the nine countries surveyed in 2025, close to the 70 per cent average among host populations. Some 84 per cent of children aged 6-15 were enrolled in national education systems during the 2024/25 academic year, while 84 per cent of refugees who needed health care were able to access it. Behind these regional averages, outcomes remain uneven across countries, including in employment, poverty, education and access to services, reflecting differences in national contexts.

Yet greater inclusion has not eliminated vulnerability. Twenty-three per cent of refugees surveyed were living below the poverty line, more than twice the rate among host populations. When disproportionately high housing costs are taken into account, the estimated poverty rate rises to 44 per cent. Refugees spent an average of 37 per cent of their disposable income on housing, compared with 16 per cent among host populations.

“The findings tell us that inclusion works, but also that having a job or accessing national services does not automatically translate into equal outcomes,” said Philippe Leclerc, UNHCR Regional Director for Europe and Regional Refugee Coordinator for the Ukraine refugee response. “Persistent gaps, particularly for refugees facing greater vulnerabilities, show why continued efforts are needed to ensure that progress reaches everyone.”

Challenges extend beyond economic vulnerability. Older refugees and people with disabilities faced the greatest unmet health-care needs, while poverty was linked to lower participation in host-country education. Gaps in protection and access to information and specialized services also persist.

Building on the progress made over the past four and half years, continued investment in inclusion will be essential to enable refugees realize their potential, improve their employment outcomes, and participate fully in the communities that have welcomed them.

About the SEIS

The first round of the inter-agency SEIS was launched in 2024, replacing the Multi-Sectoral Needs Assessment and reflecting a shift from measuring needs alone to better understanding refugees’ socio-economic outcomes. The SEIS examines employment, education, living conditions, legal status, social protection and future intentions, providing harmonized and comparable data across refugee-hosting countries. The SEIS was coordinated by UNHCR and IOM, with analytical contributions by ILO, WHO, UN Women, UNFPA, UNICEF and UNESCO. Partner organizations coordinated data collection across nine countries, including the Bulgarian Red Cross, Caritas, CSCM, Estonian Refugee Council, Global Metrics, GPB, Lithuanian Red Cross, REACH, Scale Research, Slovak Humanitarian Council, SocioFactor, and TARKI Social Research Institute.