Every year, Expatsi releases a report about when, why, and how Americans are planning to leave the country. The statistics are derived from the Expatsi Test — the 20-question assessment Expatsi uses to help prospective expats find the country that best suits their budget, visa path, and preferences.
READ THE REPORT
This year’s report surveyed 116,363 Americans who want to leave the U.S., gathering information from when and why they want to leave to what climate they’d prefer and how they expect to pay for healthcare. Here’s some interesting information you’ll find in the report.
Bursts in traffic to Expatsi frequently follow notable political events. The first spike in traffic occurred in 2022, following the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade. In 2024, traffic saw two spikes.
- July, immediately following the Biden-Trump debate on June 27: 20,667 respondents
- November, immediately following the election: 50,869 respondents
Reasons for moving change from year to year. In 2024, moves for adventure and personal growth fell 12%, while moves because the U.S. is too conservative rose 10%.
Some respondents are in more of a hurry than others. In last year’s report. 40.1% of respondents hoped to move in the next 6 months to 2 years, and 6% hoped to move within the next 6 months. In 2024, 54% planned to move in 6 months to 2 years, and 12% wanted to be out within 6 months — that’s two-thirds of respondents wanting to be out by the end of 2026.
Many potential expats aren’t entirely sure how they’ll do it. If you want to move abroad but don’t entirely know how you’ll do it, you’re not alone — the largest group of test takers, 31%, also aren’t sure. A close second is retirees, at 30%.
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European countries top the list for recommended countries. The Expatsi Test makes its recommendations based on test answers and publicly available data. Many respondents also come in with their own opinions. The countries most recommended by the Expatsi Test:
1. Portugal
2. France
3. Spain
4. Greece
5. Switzerland
6. Austria
7. Luxembourg
8. Belgium
9. Slovenia
10. Norway
The most requested countries were Portugal, Spain, UK, Canada, Italy, Ireland, France, Mexico, New Zealand, and Costa Rica.
READ THE REPORT
If you’re interested in making a move abroad, you can take the test here at expatsi.com. And if you want to learn more about how to move abroad and the countries you could call home — and meet other prospective expats — join us in May at Move Abroad Con.
