More Americans want to leave the U.S. for Canada

A sharp uptick in Americans’ desire to leave the U.S. permanently coincides with the Presidency of Donald Trump. The desire to migrate permanently among Americans now stands at 16 percent, in contrast to the 11 percent who answered in the affirmative during the Presidency of George W. Bush and the 10 percent during President Obama’s term in the White House.

The demographic trends of who wants to leave to U.S. to continue their lives abroad shows that younger people and women are more likely to consider a move abroad.

A record-high one in five American women (20 percent) said they would like to move to another country permanently. This is twice the average for women during the Obama (10 percent) or Bush (11 percent) years and almost twice the level among men (13 percent) under Trump. Before Trump’s 2016 election victory, there was no noticeable difference between men’s and women’s desires to move abroad.

Meanwhile, 30 percent of Americans aged 15 to 29 want to move abroad, with 19 percent of those in the 30 to 49 bracket having similar thoughts.

With younger people and women over-represented in the overall number of people wishing to leave the U.S., a remarkable result emerges: fully 40 percent of women younger than 30 would like to leave the U.S.

Canada the top choice for Americans

Canada is the top desired destination for would-be migrant Americans, and by some margin. In 2018, more than one in four Americans (26 percent) who would like to move named Canada as the place they would like to go, up from 12 percent in 2016.

While there may be more snow north of the border and the loonie has been struggling against the greenback of late, Canada, and Canadians, are enjoying record low unemployment, and Canada’s cities and towns continue to be safe places to raise a family. Throw in newly-legalized marijuana (whether you consume it or not, legalization shows which country is truly the land of the free), a respectful political culture, subsidized education and universal healthcare, and it’s no wonder that Americans, among others around the world, are eyeing up a move to Canada in increasing numbers.
Record numbers of American citizens want to leave their home country, and Canada is their top choice of destination, according to a new Gallup poll.

A sharp uptick in Americans’ desire to leave the U.S. permanently coincides with the Presidency of Donald Trump. The desire to migrate permanently among Americans now stands at 16 percent, in contrast to the 11 percent who answered in the affirmative during the Presidency of George W. Bush and the 10 percent during President Obama’s term in the White House.

The demographic trends of who wants to leave to U.S. to continue their lives abroad shows that younger people and women are more likely to consider a move abroad.

A record-high one in five American women (20 percent) said they would like to move to another country permanently. This is twice the average for women during the Obama (10 percent) or Bush (11 percent) years and almost twice the level among men (13 percent) under Trump. Before Trump’s 2016 election victory, there was no noticeable difference between men’s and women’s desires to move abroad.

Meanwhile, 30 percent of Americans aged 15 to 29 want to move abroad, with 19 percent of those in the 30 to 49 bracket having similar thoughts.

With younger people and women over-represented in the overall number of people wishing to leave the U.S., a remarkable result emerges: fully 40 percent of women younger than 30 would like to leave the U.S.

Canada the top choice for Americans

Canada is the top desired destination for would-be migrant Americans, and by some margin. In 2018, more than one in four Americans (26 percent) who would like to move named Canada as the place they would like to go, up from 12 percent in 2016.

While there may be more snow north of the border and the loonie has been struggling against the greenback of late, Canada, and Canadians, are enjoying record low unemployment, and Canada’s cities and towns continue to be safe places to raise a family. Throw in newly-legalized marijuana (whether you consume it or not, legalization shows which country is truly the land of the free), a respectful political culture, subsidized education and universal healthcare, and it’s no wonder that Americans, among others around the world, are eyeing up a move to Canada in increasing numbers.