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Centre of Migration Research
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Magdalena Grabowska, Agata Górny. 2026.

Transnational and local benchmarks: income comparisons and subjective well-being of Ukrainian migrants in Poland during the war

 

CMR Working Papers 144/202 | pages: 43

https://open.icm.edu.pl/handle/123456789/27133

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Abstract

Income comparisons are a well-established determinant of subjective well-being (SWB) – a social indicator that attracts more and more attention among migration scholars. Still little is known about how migration, particularly forced displacement, reshapes configuration and salience of migrants’ reference social groups. Utilizing survey data from 2024, this study examines the role of income comparisons in shaping SWB, encompassing life satisfaction, positive affect, and negative affect, among Ukrainian migrants in Poland compared to Poles. In the context of massive displacement from Ukraine that reshaped social environments in Poland, we take into account multiple comparison groups and refer also to individuals’ past conditions. Linear regression models and variance decompositions reveal that relative material standing matters far more for life satisfaction than household income. Crucially, in the case of Ukrainians, migrant-specific reference groups (other migrants, compatriots in Ukraine, Poles) outweigh traditional social benchmarks (peers, family, neighbours) in terms of their influence on SWB. However, for both Ukrainians and Poles, physically closer reference groups matter more for SWB. The findings also demonstrate differences in comparison behaviour. While Poles only experience SWB losses when falling behind wealthier peers, Ukrainian migrants look both up and down also gaining satisfaction boosts from downward comparisons. Furthermore, perceiving personal progress over time enhances SWB of all, whereas feeling worse off than in the past is generally not associated with lower levels of SWB. This study demonstrates that migration, also forced displacement, expands social comparison spaces across borders, offering practical insights for migrant and refugee integration policies.
 

Keywords

Ukrainian migration, subjective well-being, income comparisons, war refugees, reference groups