As the United States approaches its 250th anniversary, the nation's identity as a "nation of immigrants" faces a new challenge. In 2025, net migration turned negative for the first time since the Great Depression, with an estimated loss of 150,000 people. Further declines are projected for 2026 and 2027, according to the Brookings Institution, a public policy think tank.
Americans Moving Abroad in Record Numbers
While US data does not fully capture outbound emigration, many citizens are reportedly relocating to Europe and neighboring countries for education, housing, and long-term care. In 2025, more Americans moved to Germany and Ireland than vice versa, a shift attributed to "a life away from the rat race at home" by London's I Paper. Similar trends have been reported in the Czech Republic, Spain, and the Netherlands.
"In America, you must work hard to earn anything. To start with nothing and make a fortune is very rare," said Amy Kujacznski, a mother of two who left Portland, Oregon, for a quieter life near Madrid, Spain, in an interview with I Paper.
Renouncing Citizenship and Long Waitlists
The US government faces a backlog of Americans renouncing their citizenship, with embassies in London, Sydney, and major Canadian cities reporting waitlists stretching months, as reported by The Guardian in April. A November Gallup poll found that one in five Americans would like to leave the country, double the rate from a decade ago.
Between four and nine million Americans live abroad, a figure likely undercounted due to tourists on visa runs, border straddlers, and long-term students not included in official counts, according to The Wall Street Journal. The paper noted that newer emigrants are ordinary citizens seeking better housing, telecommuting opportunities, or cheaper retirement options.
Elderly Americans and Housing Shortage
Elderly Americans are filling nursing homes in Mexico due to lower costs. The number of US expats in Portugal has surged 500% since the pandemic, with 58% of foreign buyers in the country being American. The US is short 10 million homes, White House economists estimated this year.
Impact of Immigration Policies
The net loss is partly attributed to aggressive immigration policies under the Trump administration, which tightened visa restrictions for dozens of countries and ramped up deportations. Brookings estimates only 2.6 million people immigrated to the US in 2025, a sharp decline from 5.8 million in 2023.
"In President Trump's first year back in office, nearly 3 million illegal aliens have left the U.S. because of the Trump administration's crackdown on illegal immigration," the Department of Homeland Security stated in January. Brookings estimates between 200,000 and 400,000 voluntary exits last year.
