Survey: Ukrainian refugees mostly coping well in Estonia

Photo: Elmo Riig

The results of a survey conducted among Ukrainian war refugees from May to July this year show that the economic and linguistic adaptation of refugees in Estonia is generally good.

The study, conducted jointly by the Estonian Refugee Council and the International Organization for Migration (IOM), reveals that work and language learning topics are very closely intertwined, as some proficiency in the Estonian language is required to work in Estonia. For many professions, the government has set language requirements that all employers must follow when recruiting. Half of the surveyed Ukrainians believe that better Estonian language skills would help them increase their income.

Roughly 60 percent of the Ukrainians surveyed said they had attended Estonian language courses and around 30 percent could understand and use most everyday expressions. However, there were also many who had not been able to combine work and language learning, or for whom free places at language courses had not been available at the right time.

For the most part, Ukrainian refugees are rather satisfied with the Estonian language courses, whereas some admit that they could do better with contact learning -- a very large part of language learning is done in online environments, but this is not suitable for everyone. Refugees who are learning Estonian pointed out that they would like to get more practice, and that they feel there's a shortage of language cafes or language clubs, as it is easier to practice the language face to face in a more relaxed atmosphere.

At the time when the survey was conducted, 64 percent of the respondents were in employment. The high employment rate of Ukrainian war refugees in Estonia is cited as an example for other European countries. In October 2024, about 3,200 Ukrainians were registered with the Estonian Unemployment Insurance Fund, and they made up 6.8 percent of all unemployed.

Of those who went to work, a quarter have a bachelor's degree and a fifth have a master's degree. Thirty percent of the Ukrainian refugees have vocational or technical education, and a quarter indicated secondary education or some other specialization as their level of education.

Most of the respondents were in employment, with only 7 percent engaged in entrepreneurship. Approximately the same proportion said they had had their own company or farm in Ukraine. The largest share, 23 percent of respondents, were employed in manufacturing, 15 percent in services, 12 percent in accommodation or catering, and 9 percent in construction. Fewer respondents had previously worked in manufacturing in Ukraine. More had been working in sales, education, and finance or insurance. Ninety-four percent of the employees interviewed had a written employment contract with their employer in Estonia, while the rest were working informally.

Forty-six percent of the respondents had received some form of state subsidy or humanitarian aid in Estonia in the past three months. Ukrainian refugees receive assistance on the same basis as Estonians: parents are eligible for family benefits, and need-based support includes rental assistance, unemployment benefits, and pension support.

However, applying for subsidies is not always easy for war refugees. Just over a quarter of those surveyed acknowledged that their financial situation would improve if someone could help them access social benefits. Barriers can include a lack of understanding of how the system works -- such as when, how, and where to apply for support. The number of applicants for the subsistence benefit has remained below 3,000 per month among Ukrainian war refugees in Estonia this year, showing a downward trend since the beginning of the war. For example, in April and May of the first year of the war, Ukrainians submitted over 5,000 applications each month.

On the other hand, 7 percent of the respondents identified food as one of the most important needs of their household. This percentage is roughly the same as the ratio of war refugees registered as unemployed and that of recipients of the subsistence benefit in this target group, and is an indication that the economically most vulnerable Ukrainian refugees are struggling to meet their basic needs. For example, they do not have enough money to buy food. Half of the respondents said that their household income was sufficient to cover the costs of basic food, medicines, and other basic needs, while 18 percent said they had enough money to buy food, but not to pay utility bills and buy medicines. The same proportion, 18 percent, managed their expenses well, but did not have enough money for larger expenses, such as buying a car.

Like everyone else in Estonia, the rising cost of living also affects Ukrainians. A fifth of respondents say they have to buy cheaper food in the store in order to make ends meet. Another fifth of respondents had to use their savings over the past month to pay for food, shelter and health services. Thirty-seven percent of refugees have savings covering their expenses for one month, 22 percent for three months, 17 percent for one week, while 12 percent have no savings.

In Estonia, 80 percent of Ukrainian refugees live in rented housing. In other European countries, housing is in much shorter supply and larger numbers of refugees are concentrated in public accommodation centers. Of the 600 people surveyed, 80 percent said they can cover their own housing costs, while the rest received support from the state or relatives.

Ninety percent of the respondents said they had a rental agreement, while 8 percent had a verbal agreement. Most were renting for the long term: 83 percent of respondents can stay in their current accommodation for more than six months, while others have shorter durations. Eight percent said that they will have to leave their accommodation soon, and the same percentage identified stable long-term housing as their primary need.

The average household size of the surveyed sample was 2.35 individuals. About 10 percent of respondents said they were sharing their living space with hosts or other refugees. Half of the respondents lived in two-room apartments, and 35 percent in one-room apartments. Some 80 percent did not complain about their living conditions, while 15 percent indicated that they lacked sufficient privacy

This was the second annual survey conducted by the Estonian Refugee Council and the IOM among Ukrainian war refugees in Estonia.