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Monthly Reports: · March 2026 · April 2026
Monthly Report · April 2026

State of American
Emigration: April 2026

More than 11,000 Americans searched for the exit in March and April 2026. More than half cited politics. One in four cited healthcare. And in April alone, the share saying they need to leave immediately jumped 36% in a single month. This is what the data actually looks like.

Published April 21, 2026
n = 11,191 US respondents
Published monthly
11,191
Americans who completed the quiz in March–April 2026
56.5%
cite politics as a reason — the #1 driver, by a wide margin
↑36%
jump in "ASAP" intent from March to April 2026
🇵🇹 #1
Portugal is the top destination — matched first by 1 in 7 Americans
01
The Catalyst: Why They Want to Leave
Multiple selections allowed

When we ask Americans why they want to leave, the honest answer is: it's rarely one thing. But politics is doing most of the heavy lifting. More than 1 in 2 respondents cited it — not as background frustration, but as a primary driver of their decision to research emigrating. Healthcare follows at 38%, cost of living at 27%. Together, these three reasons define the core profile of someone who is seriously considering leaving the US in 2026.

Politics
56.5%
6,319 respondents
Healthcare
38.1%
4,265
Cost of Living
27.4%
3,068
Safety
17.5%
1,957
LGBTQ+ Rights
17.1%
1,917
Retirement
15.2%
1,702
Adventure
13.2%
1,473
Career
6.3%
705
Racial Equity
2.7%
301
"The top three reasons in April are the same as March. The percentages barely moved. This isn't a news cycle — it's settled conviction."
GMTFOO Mar–Apr 2026 · n = 11,191
02
Where They're Going: Europe, Overwhelmingly
% matched as #1 country

Portugal at #1 isn't a surprise to anyone who's followed the expat conversation. But the scale is worth noting: nearly 1 in 7 Americans match Portugal as their top country — not just a preference, but a personalized algorithmic match based on their budget, visa situation, work setup, and priorities. Ireland at #2 is the English-language alternative. Estonia, Slovenia, and Malta round out an EU sweep of the top 6. Taiwan at #4 is the standout non-European entry, driven by tech workers and digital nomads drawn to its Gold Card visa program and low cost of living.

#1
🇵🇹
Portugal
D7 Passive IncomeDigital NomadD2 Entrepreneur
13.8%
#2
🇮🇪
Ireland
Critical Skills PermitEmployment PermitStamp 0
12.2%
#3
🇪🇪
Estonia
Digital Nomad VisaEmployment VisaTemp Residence
7.8%
#4
🇹🇼
Taiwan
Gold CardEmployment PermitStudent Visa
6.8%
#5
🇸🇮
Slovenia
Employment PermitTemp ResidenceFinancial Independence
6.6%
#6
🇲🇹
Malta
Employment LicenseNomad ResidenceStudent Visa
5.9%
#7
🇨🇦
Canada
Express EntryOpen Work PermitInvestor Visa
5.7%
#8
🇦🇷
Argentina
Pensionado VisaRentista VisaStudent Visa
3.0%
#9
🇩🇪
Germany
Opportunity CardEU Blue CardFreelancer Visa
2.9%
#10
🇺🇾
Uruguay
Pensionado VisaRentista VisaInvestor Visa
2.8%
03
Who Is Actually Planning to Leave

The stereotype is a frustrated 25-year-old venting on Reddit. The data tells a different story. The largest group is 36–50 years old. One in five are already retired. These aren't people at the beginning of their lives trying to escape — they're people with careers, assets, and decisions to make. And they're researching it seriously enough to complete a 16-question quiz.

Age
36–50
is the most common age group
36–5029.2%
18–3023.2%
51+21.5%
31–3517.8%
Work Status
40%
plan to find a local job abroad
Local job seeker40.4%
Remote worker21.2%
Retired20.0%
Other18.4%
Moving With
78%
moving solo or with a partner — no kids
With partner40.7%
Solo37.0%
Partner + kids20.3%
Solo + kids1.9%
Monthly Budget
$2–3.5k
is the sweet spot for half of respondents
$2,000–$3,50049.9%
$3,500–$5,50027.0%
Over $5,50011.7%
Under $2,00011.3%
43%
have pets they're planning to bring
Higher than the US pet ownership rate — suggesting strong emotional commitment to the move
79%
are open to learning a new language
Only 21% require an English-speaking country — most are willing to adapt
14.5%
already speak or are learning Spanish
Opening the door to Argentina, Uruguay, Mexico, Colombia, and Spain
47%
specifically selected Europe as a preferred region
54% said they're open to anywhere — but nearly half still named Europe explicitly
11.2%
have European ancestry that could unlock citizenship by descent
Italian, German, Irish, Polish, French, Spanish, or Portuguese roots — a faster EU path than any visa
27%
prefer a mild climate above all else
Only 9% want warm weather — this isn't beach-chasing. It's stability. Explains the Portugal/Slovenia/Malta cluster.
71%
of those with a stated goal want permanent residency or full citizenship
Not a gap year. Among the 32% who specified a long-term goal, most are planning to stay permanently.
Tech
is the most represented field — but educators and healthcare workers aren't far behind
Tech18.3%
Education12.9%
Healthcare7.3%
Creative7.1%
Finance5.7%
Month after month, the profile holds. The largest group is 36–50. One in five are already retired. This isn't a phase — it's a demographic shift.
GMTFOO Mar–Apr 2026 · n = 11,191
04
The Acceleration: Urgency Is Rising Fast
March vs. April 2026

Month-over-month, the most significant shift isn't in who wants to leave or where they're going — it's how soon. The share of respondents selecting "as soon as possible" as their timeline jumped from 4.4% in March to 6.0% in April. That's a 36% increase in a single month. When nearly 1 in 17 people searching for a new country say they need out immediately, that's not a trend to dismiss.

March 2026
8,173
Americans completed the quiz
Politics as reason
57.3%
ASAP timeline
4.4%
April 2026 — through Apr 20
3,018
Americans completed the quiz
Politics as reason
54.2%
ASAP timeline
6.0% ↑ 36%
Planning Timeline — All Respondents
Just exploring
48.3%
5,402
1–2 years
30.8%
3,446
Within 6 months
16.1%
1,798
ASAP
4.8%
541 — and rising
In one month, the share of Americans saying they need to leave immediately jumped 36%. That number is still going up.
March → April 2026 · GMTFOO quiz data
05
Common Questions
Why are Americans leaving the United States in 2026?
Based on our data, the top reasons are politics (56.5%), healthcare access and cost (38.1%), cost of living (27.4%), personal safety (17.5%), and LGBTQ+ rights (17.1%). Politics is the dominant driver — cited by more than 1 in 2 respondents. Importantly, most people selected multiple reasons: the person leaving for healthcare is often also leaving for political reasons. These motivations compound, not compete.
Where are Americans moving in 2026?
Portugal is the #1 destination, matched first by 13.8% of quiz respondents. Ireland is #2 at 12.2%, followed by Estonia, Taiwan, Slovenia, Malta, and Canada. Seven of the top 10 destinations are European. Portugal's popularity is driven by its combination of EU access, affordable living costs, English tolerance, digital nomad and passive income visas, and political stability — the full package for what most Americans are actually looking for.
What kind of Americans want to move abroad?
The stereotype is a young, politically frustrated millennial. The data is more nuanced. The single largest age group is 36–50 (29.2%). One in five respondents are already retired. Forty percent are planning to find a local job in their new country. These are people with established lives, financial resources, and a serious enough intent to spend 15 minutes completing a research quiz.
Is interest in leaving the US increasing?
Yes, and the acceleration is notable. The share of Americans selecting "ASAP" as their timeline jumped from 4.4% in March 2026 to 6.0% in April 2026 — a 36% increase in one month. Total quiz volume is also rising. It's still early, and the majority of respondents (48.3%) say they're just exploring. But the urgency segment is growing faster than any other group.
Which countries are easiest for Americans to move to?
Canada is the easiest overall — minimal documentation, no language requirement, and the most straightforward immigration process for Americans. Portugal's D7 passive income visa has a low income threshold and a well-worn path for US applicants. Ireland offers clear employment-based routes with no language barrier. Estonia's Digital Nomad visa is one of the fastest and most streamlined in the EU. In Latin America, Uruguay and Argentina both offer accessible residency routes with low income requirements and simple paperwork. Germany's Opportunity Card is newer but increasingly popular for skilled workers. South Korea and Taiwan are more documentation-heavy but have dedicated programs for remote workers and tech professionals.
Where does this data come from?
This data comes from the GMTFOO quiz — a 16-question tool that matches Americans to the best countries for them based on budget, visa situation, work setup, family situation, values, and priorities. All 11,191 respondents in this report are US-based and completed the quiz between March 1 and April 20, 2026. Country matches are generated by our scoring algorithm across 152 countries. The sample is self-selected — these are people actively researching emigration, not a random cross-section of all Americans. For full sourcing and scoring methodology, see our Data Sources page.
Methodology — Data reflects 11,191 US-based completions of the GMTFOO quiz from March 1 through April 20, 2026. The sample is self-selected: respondents actively chose to research emigration options, which means this data reflects the population of Americans seriously considering leaving — not a representative sample of all Americans. Country matches are generated by our scoring algorithm across 152 countries, weighted across visa access, cost of living, healthcare, safety, LGBTQ+ rights, climate, and language. All percentages are rounded to one decimal place. New reports are published monthly — each edition covers the prior month's quiz completions and is archived at its own URL. For full sourcing, see our Data Sources page.

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