More Americans are leaving their country, known as the land of the free, for this particular reason: they increasingly appreciate Europeans’ work-life balance and, thus, liberty despite having somewhat less profit.
Americans work around 1,811 hours a year, which, on average, translates into more than seven hours per day, while Europeans work around six hours a day, totalling 1,571 hours per year. Workers in the Netherlands work even less – around 5.4 hours per day or 1,427 in total for a year.
However, an article by The Economist reveals that work-life balance is only one of the reasons why more Americans are moving to Europe, with many of them being fleers rather than seekers.
Americans Are Leaving Due to Political & Security Related Issues
Some of them are fleeing due to security concerns, especially those living in problematic areas, while others do not want to stay because of political administrations – during Obama’s administration, around 11 per cent of American respondents said they would move permanently to another country. The share rose to 16 per cent under Trump and stands at around 17 per cent under the current administration.
Regardless of the push factors, the number of Americans moving to Europe has risen significantly in the last decade – from 15,500 to 24,000 in the Netherlands and to around 10,000 in Portugal, which is three times more than in the previous decade.
In addition, the number of Americans in Spain rose from about 20,000 to nearly 34,000. The number grew moderately or steadily in other places, such as France, Germany and the Nordic countries, while the latest estimates in the UK show that the number of resident Americans is up from 137,000 in 2013 to 166,000 in 2021.
Europe Becomes a Safe Haven for Americans Due to Convenient Work & High-Quality Life Opportunities
The European countries are offering some of the best opportunities for American nationals, first of all, and probably one of the most important reasons for Americans who are not known for learning new languages easily; the rise of the English language across European institutions is on the rise. About 28 per cent of the bachelor’s programmes at Dutch universities are in English. Online job ads require English almost as frequently as they require Dutch.
In addition, the Netherlands lets companies exempt 30 per cent of skilled foreign workers’ income from taxes. Moreover, in Portugal, having a residence permit requires an income of just 150 per cent more than the national minimum wage, which is around €1,100 a month – an amount that American retires can easily afford.
In Spain, Americans can benefit from the “Beckham law”, which offers a 24 per cent flat tax for income earned in the country. On top of that, there are more and more digital nomad visas for tech freelancers.
Italy aims to attract individuals who typically earn more than others, letting them pay €100,000 a year in income tax regardless of how much they earn. France has a complicated exemption for foreign business executives, whereas Germany has none.
