A portrait of the Americans planning to leave — drawn from 57,935 people who took Expatsi's free move-abroad quiz over six months. Who they are, why they're going, where, and what they're looking for.
January 2026 ran about 2× the November pace. Daily volume tracks the immigration-enforcement news cycle, and the single biggest day was Expatsi's own moment on national television.
The spikes track the news cycle. The first, over Thanksgiving (Nov 28), followed the D.C. National Guard shooting and the sweeping migration crackdown it triggered. January's surge tracked the Operation Metro Surge deployment (Jan 6) and two fatal encounters in Minneapolis — the killings of Renée Good (Jan 7) and Alex Pretti (Jan 24). The single largest day in the window (Feb 26, 2,146) was Expatsi's CNN appearance — direct national media moved volume harder than any single news event.
Reasons for considering a move (people pick as many as apply).
For the first time in any Expatsi Report, the political climate has overtaken adventure as the #1 reason Americans give for wanting to leave.
52% want to be out within two years. But the largest single group is still "just exploring" — a researching audience as much as a moving one.
The quiz ranks every country for each person — weighing budget, region, visa eligibility, climate, languages and values. Two views: who takes the #1 spot, and who has the broadest top-3 reach.
Portugal (a top-3 fit for 64%) and Spain (47%) are near-universal — strong matches for most people, not just their fans. France is the perennial runner-up: rarely anyone's #1 (1.8%) but a top-3 option for 14%. Ecuador and Uruguay are more polarizing — often someone's clear favorite, but a narrower overall reach.
Spread evenly across adults of every age, mostly couples and solos, with a median budget around $3,050/month all-in.
Median $3,050/month, but the spread is wide — about 1 in 5 budget $5,000+, and nearly 1 in 5 come in under $2,000.
Europe is nearly universal, Spanish is the language most are willing to learn, and a strong majority want some form of universal healthcare.
New this year: the values and conditions people say they want. "Stable democracy" ties walkability at the top of the considerations list — a striking signal about what Americans feel they're leaving.
"Stable democracy" and "walkability" tie at the top — both 72%.
Self-reported visa eligibility (most people check several). Savings and passive income lead, but skills, remote work and study routes are all sizeable.