Why 1 In 5 Brits Want Out Of The Uk For Good (and Where They’re Really Heading)

If you’ve spent nan past twelvemonth staring astatine your heating bill, doomscrolling rent listings, and wondering if possibly you’d beryllium happier successful Spain, you’re not alone. 

A study from Currencies Direct’s British Expat Report 2024 has revealed that much than 1 successful 5 UK adults (23 per cent) are considering moving overseas successful nan adjacent 5 years.

And it’s not conscionable idle daydreaming. In fact, 12 per cent opportunity they’re planning a move wrong nan adjacent 12 months. Which fixed nan costs of living, rent spikes, and grey skies, doesn’t sound unreasonable astatine all.

So, why does everyone want out?

The reasons are painfully familiar. According to nan report, 45 per cent want a amended value of life, 39 per cent blasted nan UK’s rising costs of living, and 22 per cent opportunity spot prices person pushed them to breaking point.

In short: group are tired. Wages haven’t kept up, mortgages are still brutal, and renting feels for illustration mounting occurrence to your payslip each month. The Migration Observatory astatine nan University of Oxford adds that emigration often follows periods of precocious migration and economical strain.

Even connected Reddit, you’ll publication galore comments from Brits that person moved to Spain and are talking astir nan costs of surviving successful Spain being a 4th of what they would salary successful London.

Where nan Brits are heading

So where’s everyone going? No large surprises here: Spain tops nan list, followed by Canada, Australia, and nan USA. Older Brits are drawn to Mediterranean sunshine, while younger ones fancy North America.

When it comes to spot value, Spain’s entreaty becomes mathematical. Using £150,000 arsenic a benchmark, nan study shows Spain ranks 2nd successful world “property purchasing power”, meaning your money buys you much location and much sunshine than successful nan UK.

For context, Manchester leads nan UK’s “itch to leave” index, pinch 35 per cent of locals saying they’re readying a move abroad.

Who’s leaving and who’s dreaming?

It’s nan younger generations who are astir apt to spell done pinch it: 38 per cent of 25–34-year-olds and 36 per cent of 18–24-year-olds are considering a move. 

By profession, IT and healthcare workers are nan astir apt to emigrate, astatine 48 per cent and 30 per cent respectively. The logic is simple: if your skills are portable and you tin activity from a laptop, why not do it from a spot wherever a level achromatic doesn’t costs 6 euros?

But is it easy to move?

Since Brexit, nan romanticist thought of “just moving to Spain” has turned into a heap of visa paperwork and awkward embassy emails. Around 29 per cent of would-be movers interest astir connection barriers, and 36 per cent opportunity they’re frightened of missing friends and family..

That said, plentifulness are making it activity done integer nomad visas successful Spain and Portugal, aliases Canada’s points-based routes. The ONS reports 517,000 UK citizens emigrated successful 2024, impervious that a coagulated chunk of dreamers are becoming doers..

Life aft leaving

So what happens erstwhile group really go? Almost half of them opportunity their intelligence wellness improved successful their first six months abroad, and 38 per cent opportunity they’ve ne'er erstwhile regretted it.

But it’s not each tapas and inexpensive rent. Around 6 per cent of Brits regret leaving, often because of bureaucracy, societal isolation, aliases unexpected costs. 

Clearly, nan intentions don’t ever adjacent action, but nan temper successful nan UK is real: a nationalist itch to leave. Whether group travel done aliases conscionable support fantasising astir amended upwind and cheaper rent, nan communicative is nan same. It seems that Britain’s young adults are losing patience.

And it’s not astir hating home. It’s astir wondering if “home” could beryllium location that doesn’t complaint £1,600 rent for a shoebox flat. And until that changes, expect to support proceeding nan aforesaid refrain: “I’m done, guys, I’m moving to Spain.”