Poles’ opinion of Belarusians more negative than positive in last 30 years

March 18, Pozirk. In the last 30 years, Poles’ view of Belarusians was the most positive in 2021, after the large-scale postelection protests and before the Russian full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

Following the 2020 government crackdown on critics in Belarus, Poland has become one of the most popular destinations for Belarusians fleeing politically-motivated persecution.

More than 60,000 Belarusians moved to Poland in 2023 alone, with total number rising 6.5-fold in the last five years to about 310,000 people, Picodi.com reported citing February statistics.

Three years ago, 47 percent of Poles had a favorable opinion of Belarusians, the highest rating measured since 1993, found Pozirk‘s analysis of data from the Warsaw-based Centre for Public Opinion Research.

A 2023 poll recorded a sharp change in the perception of Belarusians with only 19 percent of Poles stating a positive view, and 51 percent, negative.

Attitudes improved slightly in 2024, with 24 percent having a favorable view and 47 percent, negative.

Respondents aged between 45 and 54 years were the most hostile (53 percent), while those in their 20s and 30s, were the friendliest (28 percent).

The worst opinion of Belarusians in Poland were recorded in mid-1990s, with negative views at 53 percent in 1995. The trend might have had something to do with activities of Belarusian criminal gangs in Poland.

Apart from 2021 and 2022, positive views were higher than negative in 2008 (34 percent vs 26 percent), 2010 (34 percent vs 23 percent), 2011 (31 percent vs 26 percent), 2012 (33 percent vs 26 percent), 2017 (37 percent vs 23 percent), 2019 (31 percent vs 27 percent) and 2020 (31 percent vs 25 percent).

Poles had the most favorable view of Czechs (12 times), Americans (10), Italians (9) and French (3) in the last 30 years.

From 1994 to 2021, assessments of the Roma were the lowest in Poland with Russians replacing the Roma in the last three years. In 1993, Poles gave the Ukrainians the lowest rating.