CHARLOTTE — More Americans say they’d like to move away from the United States permanently.
For the first time in years, the U.S. is experiencing negative net migration, meaning the number of people moving out exceeds the number moving in. It started right after Covid-19, according to Doris Speer with the Association of Americans Overseas.
“People were working from home, there were people starting to become what we call digital nomads, and people realized they had more flexibility in life,” Speer said.
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A recent Gallup poll found more women than men are looking to make the move. Among women between the ages of 15 and 44, 40% said they’d like to leave the United States permanently. That’s double the number from just a few years earlier and higher than the numbers for men.
Part of the appeal includes less expensive health care, lower crime and a new adventure.
Jana Sanchez and Bethany Quinn now live in the Netherlands. They run a tour company and consult with Americans who want to move abroad.
“Unless people are literally in the top 1%, no one in the United States feels like they have enough money and usually after a conversation with us, they’ve figured out how to make the money work and how to make the move work,” Quinn said.
Jeanmarie Jacoby always knew she wanted to retire young. Now, she calls Portugal home. While she loves her new life, she says it was a huge transition. Things like getting a visa or driver’s license can be tough to navigate, but she says there are also plenty of perks.
“In Portugal, we have to have private healthcare to meet the requirements for our visa, and it is $2,200 a year,” she said.
If you’re thinking about leaving the country, Speer says it’s a decision that should be carefully thought out.
“Let me give you a three-page list of all this to think about, and then you tell me if you’re really gonna do it,” she said.