Americans Are Leaving the U.S. in Record Numbers — Here's Why
Something remarkable is happening across the United States right now. In growing numbers, Americans are doing what previous generations only dreamed about — selling their homes, packing their bags, and building new lives in foreign countries. According to recent reporting by The Wall Street Journal, the number of Americans choosing to relocate abroad has reached record highs, and the trend shows no sign of slowing down in 2026.
This isn't just a phenomenon driven by adventurous millennials seeking Instagram-worthy coastlines. Retirees, young families, remote workers, and established professionals are all part of the wave. So what's pushing so many people out — and pulling them toward new shores? Let's break down the seven key forces behind America's great outward migration.
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1. The Cost of Living Crisis Has Become Unbearable
Perhaps the single biggest driver of emigration is simple economics. Housing costs in major American cities remain stubbornly out of reach for the average household, with median home prices in metro areas like San Francisco, New York, and Austin continuing to strain budgets. Healthcare costs, childcare expenses, and everyday grocery bills have compounded the pressure year after year.
Compare this to popular expat destinations like Portugal, Mexico, Colombia, or Thailand, where a comfortable lifestyle can cost a fraction of what it does stateside. Many Americans report that their dollars stretch two to three times further abroad, allowing them to enjoy a quality of life that feels genuinely out of reach at home.
2. Remote Work Has Made It Possible
The remote work revolution didn't just change where Americans work — it changed where they live. With a growing number of employers offering fully remote or hybrid positions, the geographic tether that once bound workers to U.S. cities has snapped. If you can do your job from a laptop in Denver, you can do it just as easily from Lisbon or Medellín.
Countries have noticed this trend and actively courted American remote workers. Portugal's Digital Nomad Visa, Spain's Startup Act, and several Latin American countries have rolled out legal pathways specifically designed to attract location-independent workers from high-income nations. The infrastructure for this lifestyle — reliable broadband, coworking spaces, expat communities — has never been more robust.
3. Political and Social Polarization Is Pushing People Out
The United States has never felt more divided, and for many Americans on both sides of the political spectrum, the emotional exhaustion of living in a deeply polarized society has become a real factor in emigration decisions. Political uncertainty, social tensions, and a sense that the country's direction is fundamentally unstable have led many to seek calmer, more predictable environments.
This isn't a new phenomenon — Americans have always moved abroad for ideological reasons — but the volume and intensity of the current wave suggests that political climate plays a larger role than it did even five years ago.
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4. Healthcare: The International Comparison Is Damning
For many Americans, especially those without employer-sponsored insurance, the U.S. healthcare system remains a financial minefield. A single unexpected hospitalization can wipe out years of savings. Prescription drug costs that are a fraction of U.S. prices in Europe, Canada, or even parts of Asia make the contrast stark and frustrating.
Expats consistently report that access to affordable, high-quality healthcare abroad was a significant factor in their decision. Countries like Germany, France, the Netherlands, and even Mexico City offer healthcare that many Americans describe as superior in accessibility and often far lower in cost — whether through national health systems or private insurance that costs a fraction of U.S. premiums.
5. Retirees Are Stretching Their Savings Further
America's retirement savings crisis is well-documented. A significant portion of Americans approaching retirement age don't have nearly enough set aside to maintain their lifestyle domestically. But that same Social Security check or modest 401(k) balance that barely covers rent in Phoenix can fund a genuinely comfortable retirement in Panama, Costa Rica, Portugal, or Southeast Asia.
Countries like Panama have long marketed themselves specifically to American retirees, offering the Pensionado Visa with substantial discounts on everything from restaurants to flights. Belize, with its English-speaking population and Caribbean climate, has seen a surge of American retirees. Even historically less-popular destinations like Albania and North Macedonia are beginning to appear on expat retirement radar.
6. Education Costs Are Driving Families Abroad
Here's one that might surprise you: families with children are increasingly factoring education into their emigration decisions. U.S. college tuition costs have reached levels that saddle graduates with debt that takes decades to repay. Meanwhile, many European nations offer high-quality university education at minimal cost, even to international residents.
Families who relocate early enough can, in many countries, establish residency and qualify their children for domestic tuition rates that are a fraction of American costs. German universities, for example, charge nominal administrative fees rather than the tens of thousands annually that American families budget for college. This long-term financial planning perspective is increasingly shaping where families choose to plant roots.
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7. The Global Expat Infrastructure Has Never Been Better
Finally, and perhaps most practically: leaving has never been easier. The logistics that once made emigration daunting — banking, taxes, staying connected with family, finding housing — have been dramatically simplified. Apps, online communities, expat-focused financial services, and international banking platforms have removed countless friction points from the process.
Facebook groups, Reddit communities, and dedicated platforms like Expats.com and InterNations connect would-be emigrants with people who have already made the leap and can offer real, granular advice. YouTube channels documenting life as American expats in dozens of countries draw millions of views, normalizing a decision that once seemed radical.
What Does This Mean for the United States?
The implications of this trend deserve serious attention. Brain drain — the departure of educated, skilled workers — has economic consequences that compound over time. When high earners move abroad, they take their tax contributions, their spending, and their economic activity with them.
There's also a demographic dimension. If younger Americans disproportionately choose to build families and careers abroad, that has long-term implications for workforce size, innovation capacity, and the tax base that funds Social Security and Medicare for an aging domestic population.
Policymakers haven't yet fully grappled with this trend. The conversations happening in Washington tend to focus on inbound immigration rather than the outbound flow of American citizens and their dollars.
The Bottom Line
The record-level emigration of Americans in 2026 isn't a fluke, and it isn't just a lifestyle trend driven by wanderlust. It's a rational response to a confluence of economic, political, healthcare, and quality-of-life pressures that have been building for years. For individuals and families doing the math, the numbers increasingly point outside U.S. borders.
Whether you're considering the leap yourself or simply trying to understand a growing cultural shift, one thing is clear: the American Dream is increasingly being pursued — and found — somewhere else.
