2.2 Million People Left the U.S. in 2025, New Research Finds

LONDON — An estimated 2.2 million people left the United States in 2025, including approximately 180,000 U.S. citizens, according to new research examining what analysts describe as the largest American emigration shift in decades.

The report, titled From Destination to Departure: America’s New Migration Story, was released Monday by Global Citizen Solutions through its research division, the Global Intelligence Unit (GIU). The study draws on citizenship renunciation records, overseas residency registrations, and long-term survey data to track the growing number of Americans relocating abroad.

Researchers said the trend has been building for years but is now becoming increasingly measurable across multiple indicators. According to the Association of Americans Resident Overseas, approximately 5.5 million Americans were living abroad as of October 2024, up from 5.4 million the previous year.

The report found that Europe remains the leading destination for Americans seeking to relocate, with more than 1.5 million Americans currently living across the continent. Germany, Spain, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Switzerland, and Portugal ranked among the top destinations for U.S. residents obtaining long-term residence permits.

Researchers cited a combination of economic uncertainty, political polarization, inflation, rising housing and healthcare costs, and public safety concerns as key factors contributing to increased interest in leaving the United States.

Gallup survey data referenced in the report showed that interest in emigration among Americans has risen significantly over the past two decades. Between the George W. Bush and Barack Obama administrations, roughly 10% to 11% of Americans expressed interest in moving abroad. That figure rose to between 16% and 20% during Donald Trump’s first presidency. By November 2025, the report found that one in five Americans overall expressed a desire to emigrate, including 40% of women ages 15 to 44.

Citizenship renunciation data also showed a sharp increase. Before 2009, fewer than 400 Americans renounced their citizenship annually. By 2024, the number had climbed to 4,820, marking a 48% increase over 2023 and the third-highest annual total on record.

In the first quarter of 2025 alone, 1,285 Americans formally expatriated — a 102% increase from the previous quarter, according to the report. Researchers also noted that more than 30,000 people are currently waiting for renunciation appointments worldwide.

The study suggested the pace could accelerate further following a recent U.S. State Department decision to reduce the citizenship renunciation fee from $2,350 to $450, restoring the lower pre-2015 rate after legal challenges and public pressure.

The report also pointed to the growing number of Americans eligible for dual citizenship through ancestry. Researchers estimate that between 7 million and 10 million Americans already hold dual citizenship, while as many as 30 million may qualify for European passports through family heritage programs in countries including Italy, Ireland, Germany, Poland, and Hungary.

Global Citizen Solutions researchers said many Americans are increasingly viewing international mobility as a practical financial and lifestyle decision rather than a temporary relocation.

“What the Global Passport Index captures that conventional economic data cannot is the gap between aggregate wealth and lived experience,” said Laura Madrid, lead researcher at the Global Intelligence Unit. “The United States remains a high-income country by every traditional measure. But the structural pressures bearing down on ordinary Americans are registering in people’s decisions about where to build their lives.”

The report highlighted several economic and social trends influencing relocation decisions, including rising poverty rates, inflation, climate-related disasters, and concerns over gun violence.

“This is not the profile of people fleeing crisis,” Madrid added. “These are informed, often financially stable individuals and families making a deliberate calculation that their money, safety, and quality of life will go further elsewhere.”

Among destination countries, Portugal ranked highest in the organization’s Global Retirement Index, while Spain led its Global Digital Nomad Index. Greece, Italy, Malta, and several Caribbean nations offering citizenship-by-investment programs also saw increased interest from Americans seeking second passports or long-term residency options.

The report noted that Italy recently tightened its ancestry-based citizenship rules through Law 74/2025, limiting eligibility primarily to children and grandchildren of Italian citizens. The policy change, upheld earlier this year by Italy’s Constitutional Court, has prompted some Americans to accelerate applications before additional restrictions potentially take effect.