116: Move Abroad: The Explosion of Relocation Trends

More Americans aren’t just dreaming about moving abroad—they’re actively planning it. The real question now isn’t if this shift will grow, but how fast.

In this episode, I break down why I believe moving abroad is about to become far more common—and why this isn’t a trend or a social media phase. We look at the real signals behind the shift, including:

• Data showing how many Americans are seriously considering leaving
• Why interest is turning into real action, not just curiosity
• How remote and portable work changed what’s possible
• Why Europe continues to rise to the top for Americans
• How expanding visa options are removing major barriers
• Why younger generations are driving this movement

This episode isn’t about telling everyone to move. Instead, it’s about understanding why so many people feel pulled toward life abroad right now—and what that means for your own timeline.

If “someday” has started to feel like “now,” this episode will help you make sense of it.

👉Take the free quiz: Which European city should you move to? 🤔

Grab my free guide: 5 exact steps to move abroad

Website: jordangiberson.com
Instagram: @jordan.giberson

Transcript

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But I do believe that you need to start getting clarity now so that you can make a conscious decision to say, yes, I actually want to move abroad. Or no, that's actually not what I want in my life right now. People are seeing other people moving abroad and they're saying if they can do it, then I can do it. Hey, my name is Jordan Giberson. I'm a Texas girl living and thriving in London. The best thing I've ever done? Moving abroad, hands down. And I'm passionate about helping others do the same. Are you curious about finding a job abroad? You're in the right place, friend. I'll teach you the tried and true secrets of how to make moving abroad a reality for you and how to live a fulfilling life once you get there. We'll cover topics like choosing the best visa for you, how to get a job offer in another country, how to get over your fear of moving abroad, and how to live a life you love once you get there, this is The Move Abroad Podcast. Hello and welcome to another episode of the Move Abroad podcast. Today we're talking about moving abroad and how it's about to explode or continue to explode, and why that is. People aren't just dreaming about Europe. I think that they're actively planning moves. And record numbers really more and more every single year. So the question isn't if more Americans are moving abroad, it's when and how fast. So we're going to break down some of the signals or reasons behind this shift of why so many Americans are looking to move abroad. I thought that it'd be fun to actually dig into some of the research and some of the statistics around moving abroad for Americans and moving abroad to Europe, et cetera. Because I was looking at the numbers and honestly, a lot of them really shocked me. It's crazy how many people are actually moving abroad. Sometimes feel like I'm still special that, I moved abroad and I don't know a lot of people from Texas who have moved abroad, but now that I'm here, I meet so many other people that are just like me who have also made the leap to move abroad to Europe. And it's crazy there. There are so many people who have moved abroad. So we'll get into some of those numbers in a little bit. I find it really fascinating and I hope that you find it inspiring as well to say if they can do it, then I can do it too. So reason number one of why I believe moving abroad is going to explode is that more and more Americans are seriously considering leaving. A 2025 survey found that almost 60% of Americans have considered moving abroad, and one in 10 are actively researching international relocation. Also Europe is the number one research that people are considering. So what are some of the reasons behind this? I think it could be, there's so many, but some could be the cost of living, financial security, safety concerns wanting a change of a country of different politics wanting more time, freedom, wanting the European lifestyle. The list goes on and on just for the adventure. That was one of the biggest reasons why I moved abroad. So I just think that it's crazy that a 2025, that's very recent survey found that 60% of Americans are considering moving abroad. One in 10 are actively researching. They're actively looking into it. And that Europe is the number one place. So if you're thinking, wow, I'm so crazy for wanting to move abroad to Europe, honestly you are, a very large percentage. There are a lot of people who have considered moving and who are actively looking into it. Another poll showed that 42% of Americans have considered or plan to seek foreign residency by 2025. And it's interesting because millennials are 52% of this and Gen Z is 63% of these people leading the trend. So it's really interesting that it's a lot of younger people that are leading this trend of wanting move abroad. The second reason why I believe that moving abroad is going to explode is that there are record numbers that are taking action. So the numbers are showing that people aren't just interested and that the interest is fading out, but that they are actually taking action towards moving abroad. So just 2024 that year. Over 35,000 Americans made serious progress towards moving abroad via relocation programs. Just that year. And over 45,000 Americans now live in Spain. So I don't just think that this is something that's short term. I think that this is a growing trend, and you can also see that in the number of expats that have moved abroad, the number of Americans that are moving abroad, it continues to tick up every single year. The third reason why I think that moving abroad is going to explode is that remote, and I guess you could call it portable work, has changed everything. The income that you have is no longer necessarily tied to location depending on what you do, but there are opportunities for you to work remotely. So you might be in a job right now where you say, I can't work remotely with my job, but there are so many more jobs that provide that opportunity, so many more careers that provide that opportunity. So there are a lot of people realizing that they can design life differently. This has an impact on moving abroad because visa options are expanding to fit this. There are so many more remote working visas, so many more digital nomad visas that are available and countries are actually fighting over having these digital nomads come in because they boost the economy. They bring in a lot of money. Another reason why this has an impact on moving abroad is that you are able to have a trial run. It's so much more possible to be able to go on a longer term trip or, maybe you just go on a short term trip. But I think there are so many more opportunities due to digital work to visit for multiple weeks. I have a friend that does that. She comes to London like three times a year, but she has a corporate job in the U.S.. But she's able to come here for multiple weeks. She works U.S. hours, so that's difficult on her. But because she has a remote job, she's able to do that and she's able to have a trial run of London to see if she actually wants to move here. And then that motivates her to say, okay, I've tried it. I know that I like it. So it's had an impact on moving abroad for her. And that's just one example of many, many, many. I also think that because of remote work and how it's changed, how we do our day jobs. I think that once people experience location freedom, they rarely want to give it up. I think, just for myself, I have a remote job and I would never go back. I say never, never say never, but I'd have a really difficult time giving up that freedom, that location freedom because I have that. I have location freedom. I can go wherever I want to, whenever I need to, and as long as I'm getting my work done, then all as well. So I think that the ability to work remotely has dramatically changed the motivation and ability to be able to move abroad for the reasons that we just talked about. And adding to that being a digital nomad is massively bigger than a lot of people think. And that's because remote work is a huge catalyst for this. So as of 2026, there are, 43 million digital nomads worldwide. 43 million. That's crazy. 18.5 million are from the U.S. and digital nomads contribute about 940 billion annually in economic activity. So that's why countries are competing for digital nomads because they pump in so much money into the economy. Also, digital nomad studies show us that the number of Americans identifying as digital nomads has more than doubled since before 2019. So remote work is not temporary. It's reshaping how and where people choose to live. I do think that remote work is perhaps smaller than it was in like 2020, 2021, where everyone had to work remotely. I think a lot more companies are wanting people back in the office, but there still are a lot of remote roles and opportunities too. Work online where you don't need to go into an office, whether it's freelancing or contract work, or maybe it's building your own business or maybe it is having a remote contract like me where I work full time, I'm not on a temporary contract and I have a remote job. So it's not as huge as it was in 2021, let's say, but that was because of COVID, and I do think that it is still ramping up. There are still remote jobs and it's going to slowly tick up, I believe, over the next few years. As companies are able to have remote workers and they don't need to be in the office. Reason number four of why I believe moving abroad is about to explode is because the American why is changing. So I think that Europe becomes more appealing for Americans because there are more predictable costs and perhaps a lower cost of living. There's public health care, so people don't have to worry about going into debt because of healthcare needs that they have or that their family has. There are better safety nets across Europe. There is a hustle culture fatigue amongst Americans. They're saying, this isn't really the American dream, or this isn't really living for me, that they're not wanting this hustle culture or they're exhausted of it. And I think that people are tired of the always on work expectations. I think that the lifestyle that some Americans want is just changing in general. Whereas Europe offers more boundaries. They offer a better work-life balance. They have much more vacation time where people are actually encouraged to take all their vacation time. There's just a slower pace of living in general. Move. Buddha found that the cost of living is the top reason that Americans research moving abroad. A couple of the other biggest reasons that Americans research moving abroad is because of financial security and political stability as well. And Europe, again, is the number one region that people are looking into. research shows that a lot of Americans want more freedoms, less division better quality of life abroad. So it's not just adventure. Like I said, adventure was the number one reason why I wanted to move abroad. I just was excited about the potential of a different lifestyle and just exploration of something new. But I think that it's also. Value, stability and long-term life optimization. Americans are just looking for something different. They're looking for a different lifestyle and I think the why behind the move abroad is changing for Americans when they're just wanting a bit of a different lifestyle and a bit of change of pace. Reason number five of why I believe moving abroad is about to explode is because visa options are expanding and it's becoming a bit easier across the board, so the legal pathways are multiplying, and that is a huge game changer. Over 40 countries now offer digital nomad or remote work visas, which is incredible. Governments are competing for residents, like I said, and I don't know if the window is going to stay open forever. I'm not saying that because I want to, scare you into moving abroad now. But I also think that. I've seen a pattern where so many more Americans are wanting to move abroad, so countries are needing to be more careful with who they're letting in. So some good examples of that would be the UK. Right now, the UK is making Visa processes much more strenuous. They're not wanting everyone to move into the UK, so they're making it more difficult and increasing all of the eligibility requirements, whether that's a higher salary. Or, I they're talking about increasing the length of time to get permanent residency to 10 years instead of five years. They're just making it more difficult for people to stay here long term because they've seen that everyone's wanting to move here. Another good example is Portugal. They had to crack down on the golden visa over the past couple years because so many Americans, so many people were wanting to move abroad to Portugal, and they were like, whoa, whoa, whoa. Like our local people cannot afford housing anymore. Just as an example. So I think that countries are still introducing the digital nomad visa. There are countries that are now introducing it in the past couple years that have not in previous years. But I also think that this also will encourage more people to move abroad. And like I said, I really do believe that moving abroad is going to explode and it's going to continue to expand. So as that does happen, countries might say, okay, well we wanted you to come in, but now actually there's so many of you, we're going to need to make it a bit more difficult for people to move abroad. So I do think that Visa options are expanding again, but I do think that. It might get a little bit more difficult in the years to come. I also think that because there are a lot more digital nomad visas or remote working opportunities where you can have a visa and honestly it's quite easy if you're able to prove your income. Governments don't really care what type of income you have or where it's coming from necessarily. They just want to know that you have income, that you're going to be taking care of, that you're not going to be using the government funds to support your life. So they don't really care what that income looks like. But because we have the ability to work remotely and we can get a remote job, then a lot of people don't need an employer in a foreign country in order to move, which is a really great opportunity. If you want to move abroad, but you don't speak Italian, but you really wanna move to Italy, then maybe there's a different Visa option for you. There also might be options where you can legally live abroad while keeping your U.S. job. Now there might be some hurdles with your U.S. company in order to do that, but I've also seen that happen with multiple people where they worked for a company proved themselves, the company didn't want to lose them, and they were willing to let them move abroad as long as they're able to do it legally. So basically the visa options and how they're expanding removes one of the biggest barriers to relocation to be able to move abroad. So that is another big reason why moving abroad is going to explode and continue to expand over the next few years. Reason number six of why moving abroad is going to explode in the next few years is that demographics matter and are influencing moving abroad. So younger generations are leading the trend. Millennials and Gen Zs are more likely to consider a move abroad than some of the older generations. This is because. These people are in the workforce, whereas a lot of the other generations that are a bit older, they are not in the workforce. So it's more difficult to get a visa. I think younger people just have a different mindset on life and on living, and as you're younger, you have more freedom, flexibility, less responsibilities perhaps. I also think that these younger generations, they're the ones that have been able to travel when they were younger. They did a study abroad when they were in college, which I think is a huge contributing factor to people wanting to move abroad. Or they were able to do a lot of trips when they were younger. They went abroad in college with their friends or after they graduated and they just saw a different lifestyle. And I think that also social media has allowed younger people to see their peers moving abroad, living abroad, and doing it, and they're like, okay, if they can do it, then I can do it. So I think it's just this sharing of information of people seeing other people have lifestyles abroad and they say, okay, they're doing that. I want that too. And that brings us to reason number seven of why I think moving abroad is going to explode, and that is that destination popularity is rising. According to Visa relocation data, the top countries that Americans are considering for work and life abroad is Portugal, Spain, Germany, France with Portugal, raking number one for visa interest in 2023. So a lot of the top countries that Americans are wanting to move abroad to are all in Europe. I think this fact that in visa and relocation data, it's showing that Americans are considering visas in these countries in Europe, reinforces that Europe isn't just a bucket list idea, it's a destination that people are actually vetting. They're actually considering moving to. Reason number eight of why I think moving abroad is going to explode is that people want optionality more and more. There is a mindset shift of people saying, I would like dual citizenship. What if something bad happens in the country that I'm in? I wanna have options to be able to live somewhere else. People want to have a different residency. Kind of as insurance for themselves. They also want to consider having multiple homes and having the ability to go there for longer periods of time, more than 90 days on a tour. Visa feels appealing to them. They're also considering the political, economic, and social uncertainty in their countries. People always want choices, but I think more than ever, people want optionality. And I think being able to say, I can live in, this country or this country, or this country, provides that optionality for people. So if you do get your residency in Europe and the EU specifically, then you have the ability to live in almost any country across Europe, which is a huge win. So I think that people are wanting this optionality more and more. Reason number nine of why I think moving abroad is going to explode is that there is more and more information and visibility that is removing fear. So I had mentioned before that I think that because of social media and just our online digital worlds, we're able to see more and more people living successful lives abroad. And I think that we just don't really know what it's like because it's something that we've never done. But once we see that other people have done it, we're like. Oh, if they can do it, then I can do it. You don't have to have one of your best friends or your friends' sister who has moved abroad. You have seen it time and time again online. You've seen that people have been able to move abroad. So I think that moving abroad before felt more mysterious. It felt hard to find real stories of people moving abroad and thriving there, but I think now because of. TikTok because of podcasts like this one, because of Instagram, because of blogs, we're able to see other people doing it. We're able to see the step-by-step breakdown of how to achieve that. And I think that people are realizing that it's possible. That's a result of all this, of the sharing of information online. I think that people are having a shift of fear of saying, can I actually do this to, should I actually do this? Is that something that I actually want for my life? I know that it's possible. So I think it's removing that fear and turning it into a question of, should I actually move abroad? In reason number 10 of why moving abroad is about to explode and continue to grow. This is a bit of a counterpoint, but not everyone moves, but many more people are preparing. Many more people are researching. Many more people are asking questions, are looking into it, have a higher interest because they know that they have the ability to, they've seen online from our previous point of what we just talked about. But I think a lot more people are preparing, they're doing research. They're having these mental exercises of could I actually do this? Do I actually want to do this? So I think that not everyone who considers a move abroad will move abroad, but again, more people are doing serious planning and saving for a potential move and taking steps towards it than ever before. This is a huge shift in intent, not just wishful thinking. So a lot of people are preparing more, they're doing more research, they're looking into it more than ever. So it's another reason why I think that moving abroad is going to change, it's going to grow more and more, is because we've seen more people do it. We know that it's possible and more people are researching. And once you get into this phase of kind of researching, the next step is making that decision of saying. Yes, I am going to do this. I'm going to move abroad. But you have to go through that kind of. I guess like wrestling stage of saying is this what I want? And as people start thinking, they naturally start doing research and that probably includes online research. When you start doing research and you start listening to podcasts like this one for example, then it becomes more realistic in your mind. It becomes more real in your mind. You might start having more and more conversations with people. And as you start having more and more conversations, it starts to solidify that idea and you start to realize in your brain like. Okay, I'm talking about it more and more. It's like overcoming all of my thoughts. It's overwhelming me and like how much I'm thinking about, I'm thinking about it every day. I'm talking about it all the time. Then I think that it slowly moves us towards that like final decision of, yes, this is what I want. I'm going to go after this, and like I'm going full beat ahead and figuring this out and making it happen for myself. And that is what propels us forward into actually moving abroad. So in conclusion, we are not just in a moment, we are in a movement. People are looking to move abroad more than ever, and moving abroad is going to explode. It's going to continue growing. It's going to be a continuous trend that we see. And to wrap us up, the reasons for that, like we talked about, of why moving abroad is going to explode, is that reason number one, more Americans are seriously considering leaving. We're seeing that as a trend and as a statistic that more and more people are looking to move abroad. Reason number two is that there are record numbers actually taking action towards moving abroad, and we see that in how many visas people are applying for. Reason number three. Is that there is more remote and portable work opportunities that has changed everything. Reason number four is that the American why is changing. The reason why people are looking to move is changing and it's potentially propelling them forward even more because of these changes of reasons. Reason number five is that. Visa options are expanding. There are more visa options, more than ever, where countries are fighting for us and wanting more people to move abroad to pump money in their economy. Reason number six is that demographics matter. As the younger generation is getting older, they are seeing other people moving abroad and they're saying, I want that too. So these younger generations are the ones that are moving abroad, and as the next generation comes up, and the next generation, they'll be able to travel more and therefore want to move abroad more and more. Reason number seven is that destination popularity is rising. And the top countries that Americans are considering for work and doing research on, a lot of them are in Europe. Reason number eight is that people want optionality. They like to have the option of choosing where they want to be, especially as countries and economies and things shift and people get scared. People want to have the optionality as our world potentially changes to say, I feel safer, my family feels safer in this country instead of that country. So people want to have the option to pick where they want to be. Reason number nine is that information and visibility are removing fear. People are seeing other people moving abroad and they're saying if they can do it, then I can do it. Lastly, number 10 is that not everyone moves, but a lot of people are preparing as people prepare and do more research, they then can gain more clarity to say, yes, I actually want to move abroad. This is what I want. Or No, this may isn't for me. So in conclusion, we are not just an A. Moment of time of people wanting to move abroad. I believe that we're in a movement. I believe that moving abroad is going to increase. It's going to grow more and more for all these reasons we've talked about. So you might be thinking like, oh my gosh, am I behind? No, you're not behind. You do not need to move tomorrow. But I do believe that you need to start getting clarity now so that you can make a conscious decision to say, yes, I actually want to move abroad. Or no, that's actually not what I want in my life right now. But if you are sensing this shift and wondering whether you should act now, wondering whether you should do more research and gain more clarity to be able to make this decision. Then you might consider getting the guide of the five exact steps to move abroad. You can get that guide by going to Jordangiberson.com/guide, or there's also a link that's in the podcast description, so you can just look at the bottom of the podcast description and just click the link there to download the free guide. But if you are seriously considering a move abroad or just want to dabble. Just do a little bit of research. See, okay, well what would that look like? What are the steps to be able to move abroad? Then go grab that guide, give it a little read and see what you think. So that concludes our episode today. Thank you so much for listening to another episode of the Move Abroad podcast. I will catch you here again next week, same time, same place. I'll catch you then