A recent survey conducted by Preply has revealed that an increasing number of young Americans aged 18 to 26 envision their future beyond the borders of the United States, more specifically in one of the European Union countries.
The study lists the top 20 countries that young Americans are considering for emigration, with nine EU countries securing a spot in the list.
The nine EU countries part of the top 20 list that young Americans want to emigrate to are as follows:
- Netherlands
- Switzerland
- Italy
- Germany
- Ireland
- Sweden
- Spain
- France
- Finland
The Netherlands is the most popular among the EU countries and has secured the fourth spot as a potential emigration destination for young Americans.
Switzerland secured the seventh spot, Italy secured the eighth spot, Germany the ninth, Ireland the tenth, Sweden the 11th, Spain the 13th, France the 16th, and Finland the 17th.
Young Americans who took part in the survey cited the cost of living and the political climate as primary factors for their desire to relocate to one of these nine EU countries as well as the other 11 ones part of the list.
Another factor pushing young Americans to consider emigrating to one of the EU countries listed above was universal healthcare. However, the main reason was to have new cultural experiences.
The main reason for wanting to move abroad was a desire to have new cultural experiences. Almost one-fifth of young Americans listed a desire to experience this as the main reason they’d consider moving abroad.
Surprisingly, the survey further found that the influence of digital nomad influencers played a minimal role in shaping the aspirations of young Americans to relocate. In addition, despite the prevalence of online expat communities, only around 28 per cent said that these platforms could contribute to their decision to move abroad.
Moreover, the survey revealed that more than a third of surveyed young Americans intend to live abroad indefinitely. Another two-thirds indicated plans to start a family in their chosen foreign destinations, and around 87 per cent said that their desire to live abroad was either remaining the same or increasing.
Apart from young Americans, the number of those of other ages settling in Europe has also been increasing due to better life quality and work opportunities.
Work-life balance is only one of the many reasons why more Americans are moving to Europe, with one of the most important reasons being the rise of the English language across European institutions, ensuring that there is not a significant language barrier.
