A new study by HireAHelper revealed that the U.K. is the top destination for Americans moving abroad in 2023, barely surpassing Mexico.
Google searches regarding moving abroad from the first nine months of 2023 also fell 30% short of those from 2022.
The study found that, despite a predictable dip in moves in 2020 and 2021, more Americans have moved out of the country every year since 2017, with “almost 160,000 U.S. citizens relocated to one of 40 different countries for work, study, or family reasons in 2022.”
For the purposes of the study, only more permanent moves were considered, excluding military relocations, temporary business and tourism.
What were the most popular destinations for Americans?
According to HireAHelper, the historic top destinations are Mexico, Canada and the U.K. In the past year, all three landed spots in the top 10 ranking, which goes as follows:
- U.K. (21,936).
- Mexico (19,620).
- France (12,220).
- Spain (11,156).
- Germany (10,510).
- Canada (10,415).
- Australia (7,640).
- Netherlands (6,791).
- Japan (6,642).
- Italy (6,599).
Compared with data from 2021, the study found that 22% more Americans moved to Europe in 2022 (100,320 moves).
Why are Americans moving to the U.K.?
Looking at the study data, specific reasons for the recorded moves were vague. In pulling data, HireAHelper found that these reasons included work, school and family. Moves for academic reasons were only taken into account if they lasted longer than a year, Miranda Marquit, chief data analyst at HireAHelper, told the Deseret News.
Marquit revealed that, anecdotally, Americans are moving to the U.K. for various reasons, including family history, the lack of a language barrier and cultural similarities.
She said, “I think the U.K. specifically has a lot of appeal because, in terms of our country, our shared cultural heritage ... it’s a little bit easier to assimilate.”
English being the standard language in the U.K., Marquit suspects, has led to its popularity over Mexico in this ranking.
What were the fastest-growing destinations for American expats in 2023?
Compared with pre-pandemic numbers, Portugal has seen the most growth in American expat numbers, with a 195% increase in moves. New Zealand follows closely behind with a 149% increase.
The top five fastest-growing destinations are as follows:
- Portugal (195%).
- New Zealand (149%).
- Mexico (69%).
- France (37%).
- Costa Rica (28%).
Portugal boasts beaches and sunny weather, CNN Traveler reports. According to Sifted, these factors, among others, have made it one of the most popular destinations for digital nomads.
According to Marquit, Portugal also boasts an entirely different approach to life, including a slower pace of daily life and a new language to learn, some of which may be considered positives by expats.