A new ranking of places where Americans would prefer to live has been revealed, showing that Europe is the most popular destination for expats from the US. The top ten is dominated by four European countries, while the Americas and Asia-Pacific make up the rest.
Comprising answers from 13,000 people who expressed a preference out of 116,363 considering moving abroad, the Expatsi Test found that Portugal is the favourite place to move to among US citizens. This finding is supported, The Independent reports, by migration agent Millionaire Migrant, a firm that has said 60% of its “Europe-focused clients” want to base themselves in Portugal.
Spain comes second in the Expatsi survey, followed by Italy. Greece also makes the cut, coming in tenth, perhaps thanks to its Mediterranean climate and the 50% tax benefit it offers to foreigners there for 183 days or more per year.
Interestingly, while France, Ireland, and the UK feature strongly in the top ten of countries people asked Expatsi for information about, in the end, they did not make the top ten most popular countries Americans want to migrate to. And even though Switzerland ranks fourth in terms of countries Expatsi recommends, it too fails to enter the top ten preferred adoptive nations.
Instead (and perhaps unsurprisingly given a shared language and border with the US, as well as offering US tourists the right to work), Canada comes fourth. Mexico, with its four-year work visas for US visitors, places fifth. Also on the American continent, Costa Rica, which is among the countries now offering so-called “digital nomad” visas for remote workers, ranks sixth in the list. Australia, New Zealand, and Thailand place seventh, eighth, and ninth, respectively.
Saving money is a motivating factor for 41% of US citizens who want to move abroad, but the reasons most frequently cited for wanting to quit the Home of the Brave are adventure, enrichment, and growth, according to the survey. The US is too conservative for 56% of respondents, and too divided for 53%. Half of the participants said they want to escape gun violence.
Extraordinarily, 66% are planning to leave by 2026. Retirees make up 30% of would-be leavers, 18% and 17% are considering digital nomadism or applying for skilled worker visas.
A number of high-profile individuals have made the decision to leave the US since the rise of President Donald Trump, including Ellen DeGeneres, Richard Gere, Courtney Love, Rosie O’Donnell, Sophie Turner, and Robin Wright.