More than 4.37 million non-EU citizens who fled Ukraine because of Russia’s war held temporary protection status in the EU at the end of September 2026.
The total stood at 4.37 million people on 30 September, down by 61,055 compared with 31 August 2026, a fall of 1.4%, Eurostat reported on Tuesday.
Germany hosted the largest number of people covered by the scheme, with 1,300,070 beneficiaries, or 29.7% of the EU total.
Poland was next with 858,545 people (19.6%), followed by Czechia with 391,720 (9.0%).
Between the end of August and the end of September, the number of people under temporary protection increased in 25 of the EU’s 27 countries.
The biggest rises in absolute terms were recorded in Germany (up 5,515), Romania (up 3,900) and Italy (up 2,505).
Numbers fell in Poland and Czechia over the same period, dropping by 80,850 and 6,640 respectively.
How temporary protection is distributed across the EU
Czechia had the highest number of temporary protection beneficiaries per 1,000 inhabitants, at 35.9, Eurostat said.
Slovakia followed with 28.0 per 1,000, and Cyprus with 27.4, compared with an EU average of 9.7.
Ukrainian citizens accounted for 98.5% of all people holding temporary protection status in the EU as of 30 September 2026.
Adult women made up 44.1% of beneficiaries, adult men 27.9%, and minors 28.0%.
Temporary protection is an EU status granted in situations of mass displacement, giving people the right to live in a member state without going through the standard asylum process, under rules introduced after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
EU countries agreed in July 2026 to extend temporary protection for people fleeing Ukraine from 4 March 2027 to 4 March 2028.
