As reported by the Social Insurance Institution (ZUS), the number of foreigners covered by pension and disability insurance reached 1.305 million at the end of March. That is as much as 8 percent of all people insured with ZUS. Citizens of Ukraine and Belarus form the largest groups.
A total of 16.3 million people were registered for pension and disability insurance—21,600 more than a year earlier. Without foreigners, this increase would have been significantly smaller.
Contributions are rising, and pensions are financed from them
The increase in the number of insured people and higher wages translated into greater contribution revenues. In the first quarter of 2026, social security contributions amounted to PLN 101.7 billion, 9.1 percent more than in the same period of 2025.
At the same time, PLN 105.6 billion was allocated from the Social Insurance Fund to pensions and disability benefits, accounting for nearly 88 percent of all fund expenditure. The rate at which expenditure was covered by contributions was 81.5 percent—meaning that the vast majority of benefits is financed from current revenues rather than a government budget subsidy.
Immigrants are the foundation of the system’s stability
“The persistently high number of people covered by social insurance, including legally employed foreigners, has a positive impact on the condition of the Social Insurance Fund. This is an important element of the stability of the entire system,” stressed ZUS board member Paweł Jaroszek.
Pensions rising—the average is PLN 4,381
The average pension and disability benefit in March 2026 amounted to PLN 4,381, 7.5 percent more than a year earlier. The number of pensioners and disability beneficiaries rose to 8.055 million. Without regular contribution revenues from employed immigrants, financing these increases could have been more difficult.