Up to 405,0000 Americans left US last year, others learning how to leave country: Here's why

An increasing number of Americans are leaving the United States, fueling the first net outward migration the country has seen in nearly a century.

Between 2025’s 10,000 and 295,000 more people left the United States than entered it. This is something that has never been witnessed before since the Great Depression of the 1930s, as noted by Brookings Institution studies.

Renunciation of U.S. citizenship has risen sharply from 200-400 cases annually prior to 2009 to 5,000 in 2025, while there are likely to be many more cases in 2026.

As reported by The Wall Street Journal, Jen Barnett, founder of Expatsi, a relocation consultancy, stated: “Previously, the Americans leaving were super-adventurous and well-credentialed. Now they’re ordinary people, like me.”

Barnett’s company recently held its second annual move abroad conference in San Diego, where citizens learn how to relocate from the U.S.

According to a study done among 218 people who participated in the survey, 89% indicated their intention to migrate due to political reasons, such as laws related to reproductive rights and the repeal of voting rights. 

Meanwhile, 73% were looking for adventure, and another 57% for financial savings.

The Wall Street Journal analysis also reported that European Union member states are seeing record numbers of Americans arriving to live and work. The top destination is Mexico, which is home to an estimated 1.6 million Americans.

The Gallup survey of November 2025 found that one in five Americans wants to move abroad permanently.