More and more foreigners in ZUS. Even a sudden increase in May
The number of foreigners paying ZUS contributions is growing – thanks to this, the state subsidizes pension payments to Poles less. Foreigners were motivated by the change in law.
A record number of foreigners are already registered in the Polish social security system – 1.329 million people. In May, their number increased by almost 13,000 people (12,900 to be precise). More than 10 thousand people from this pool (approximately 10.16 thousand) are citizens of Ukraine.
This is very good news for future retirees. The rate of increase in pension insurance contributions in the previous year is one of the two main parameters taken into account in the annual indexation of ZUS contributions – the so-called “June valorization”.
Foreigners in the queue after 800+. Nobody wants to lose this benefit
Among the 1.329 million foreigners paying contributions to ZUS, 891.5 thousand they are Ukrainians. Only 437.7 thousand come from other countries. of them. They are mainly Belarusians, Georgians, citizens of Asian countries, India, Colombia and the Philippines.
Where did such a sudden increase in foreigners in the Polish insurance system come from? This is probably a direct consequence of the entry into force of regulations making the payment of the 800+ parental benefit dependent on legal work in Poland.
After the new regulations entered into force in February 2026, in order to maintain the right to support, thousands of citizens of Ukraine and other countries had to take up legal work and register in the system – hence the systematic increase in the number of applications to ZUS in the following months. But still, between February and May 2026, only PLN 50.5 thousand was granted. benefits 800+ to families from Ukraine, i.e. by over 66%. less than at the beginning of 2026.
Poles’ fears towards foreigners. Is it about low or high competitiveness?
Although the increasing number of foreigners working in Poland legally registered with ZUS is in the interest of Poles, their presence in Poland is still accompanied by anxiety.
The report prepared in 2024 by the Polish Economic Institute shows that almost every third Pole surveyed believes that foreigners do not constitute competition for Polish employees, but nearly 60 percent believe that of respondents, foreigners are competition for Polish workers performing simple jobs. The surveyed people who had the opportunity to work in a team with a foreigner, more often than those who do not have such experience, agree with the opinion that foreigners are low competitiveness for employees from Poland.
Poles accept foreigners working on construction sites, drivers, sellers and catering workers. However, the more the profession requires correct communication, the lower the level of acceptance. Professions requiring specialized knowledge, such as lawyers or doctors, are less accepted by the surveyed Poles.
The main reason for employing foreigners is still the shortage of Polish employees on the labor market, including people with the required qualifications. Polish companies are most often prevented from employing foreigners by the lack of certainty whether they will be long-term employees.
