The Most Popular Countries for Moving Abroad

Where the World Wants to Work: the most popular countries for moving abroad

Where are the most popular destinations for people looking to live overseas? Are people looking for warm weather and sandy beaches, or is a solid health system, good economy and welcoming attitude more important?

We took a look at global search data to discover the most popular destinations for inhabitants of 101 countries around the world.* By analysing the average monthly search volume for phrases commonly associated with researching a move overseas and ranking them with the most searched-for location within each country, we were able to see which destinations came out top.

And this is what we learned…

Which are the most popular countries for moving abroad?

The most popular destination for people looking to move overseas was Canada, which topped the wish-lists of 29 other countries.

Featuring prominently in the Global Peace Index as one of the safest places to live, and boasting low unemployment rates alongside a high amount of immigration options, it’s arguably no surprise that Canada is head and shoulders above the rest of the world. Add to that its friendly locals and beautiful scenery and it’s little surprise that the country is so appealing.

However, Canadians themselves were found to be angling for a move to second placed Japan, yet another country known for its stunning scenery, safety and vast array of job opportunities. Other popular options included Spain and Germany within Europe and Qatar in Asia.

The most popular destinations for Europeans moving overseas

Looking a little closer to focus solely on European searchers, we can see that the most popular relocation destination is Germany, which topped the list for eight countries within the continent. Canada was still the second most popular choice, with five European countries, including France and Belgium, listing it as their top pick.

North and Central America’s top choices for living abroad

For North and Central American countries, Canada once again topped the bill, with eight countries favouring a move there. Canada, meanwhile, along with its close neighbour the USA, picked Japan as its preferred overseas home, probably thanks to its reputation for high safety levels, job opportunities and heavily-praised quality of life.

Where do people from African countries hope to move?

And it’s another win for Canada, with 14 of the African countries, including Ghana, Kenya and South Africa, showing the most interest in a move there. It’s clear that the country’s diverse population and strong economic opportunities are a tempting offer all around the globe, especially at a time when many are under financial stress. Portugal comes in second, although it only topped the bill for two of the countries on our list.