A desire to diversify business and investment outside the US, expand opportunities, or get away from political strife, are encouraging a variety of US citizens to consider making a foreign move, a survey shows.

A survey of 1,733 US citizens that was equally weighted across political affiliations and gender finds that 61 per cent would consider leaving the country in the next five years. 

The survey, from Apex Capital Partners, comes at a time of reports about affluent Americans emigrating to Europe and other regions.

Apex, which provides investment consulting and wealth management for multinational HNW clients, conducted its survey in May among people with $200,000 of household income.

Among those surveyed who gave reasons for moving outside the US, 68 per cent cited the cost of living and taxes; 54 per cent mentioned the political climate; 39 per cent referred to healthcare; 29 per cent mentioned public safety; and 21 per cent talked about education as their primary reason for the idea of moving.

When asked which regions of the world they would consider moving to, those surveyed prioritized Europe (42 per cent); Canada (18 per cent); and the Caribbean (16 per cent).

Such comments chime with what this publication has heard from lawyers and immigration specialists in the UK, for example, about how more US citizens have asked about options in the UK – bucking a narrative about wealthy people wanting to leave the UK for various reasons, including tax. 

There is quite a narrative now about Americans seeking pastures new. On May 25, the Wall Street Journal said that in 2025, for the first time since the Great Depression, more people moved out of the country than entered it. “America’s own citizens are leaving in record numbers, replanting themselves and their families in lands they find more affordable and safe,” it said. “A millions-strong diaspora is studying, telecommuting and retiring overseas. The new American dream, for some of its citizens, is to no longer live there.”

Diversification
Another major driver of considering foreign options is asset diversification outside the US – a point considered by 63 per cent of survey respondents, Apex said. 

Some 75 per cent of respondents expressed concern regarding the future of the US in relation to the Iran War. 

In other findings, 42 per cent of those surveyed categorized the economy as either weak or very weak; 27 per cent were neutral; and 31 per said the economy was strong or very strong.

"Affluent Americans are increasingly treating immigration as a strategic financial move to safeguard their assets and families against political instability and rising expenses," Nuri Katz, founder of Apex, said. "General unease transcends party lines, with an even distribution of concern among those identifying as left, right, or center. The survey results clearly show motivators and willingness among high net worth Americans to consider and ultimately pursue golden visas and alternative citizenship in various European and Caribbean countries.”

Katz’s reference to “golden visas” – citizenship/residency-by-investment programs – comes at a time when some of these initiatives have been wound down, halted or adjusted, as in Portugal, Spain, Malta and the UK. Other nations, such as New Zealand, have re-started them. 

An issue for US citizens who prefer not to renounce their nationality is that they remain under the reporting requirements of the Internal Revenue Service, regardless of where they live. Unlike almost all developed countries, the US taxes citizens on a worldwide, not territorial, basis, and it can be costly and laborious to renounce citizenship.

The organization, American Citizens Abroad, continues to lobby for the worldwide US tax code to be reformed and shifted to a territorial system. 

In a message to coincide with the forthcoming July 4 Independence Day celebrations and 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, ACA executive director Marylouise Serrato said: “America’s 250th anniversary is an opportunity to recognize every American citizen, including those who live beyond US borders. Americans abroad vote, pay taxes, build businesses, promote US exports, strengthen American influence, and serve as informal ambassadors for the United States every day. They deserve modern laws and practical representation that reflect how Americans live and work in the world.”