Staggering number of women want to permanently leave America
This story was originally reported by Terri Rupar of The 19th. Meet Terri and read more of her reporting on gender, politics and policy.
As The 19th makes plans for 2026, we want to hear from you! Complete our annual survey to let us know your thoughts.
Forty percent of American women and girls age 15 to 45 say they want to permanently move to another country — an opinion shared by just 19 percent of boys and men that age.
And being married and having children doesn’t make a huge difference in that desire, even though it has in the past.
The share of American women and girls age 15 to 44 who would like to move permanently to another country if they had the opportunity:
- 45 percent of single women
- 41 percent of married women
- 44 percent of those who do not have children
- 40 percent of those who do
That’s according to new data from Gallup, which has been asking people if they want to relocate since 2008. That year, 17 percent of younger women and 16 percent of younger men said they’d like to live elsewhere.
Among Americans 45 and up, 14 percent of women and 8 percent of men say they’re interested in permanently moving to another country.
The questions were asked as part of the Gallup World Poll, which includes people age 15 and up from around the world. Opinions haven’t shifted as much outside of the United States: In the 38 nations that are members of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, the share of women and girls 15 to 44 who say they want to leave has hovered at 20 to 30 percent.
American women used to be less likely than their counterparts in other countries to say they wanted to move abroad — until 2016. That year, a gap emerged between the share of Americans who wanted to leave based on whether or not they approved of the country’s leadership. It shrunk during President Joe Biden’s term, but this year, Americans who disapprove of the country’s leadership are 25 points more likely than those who approve to say they want to permanently leave.
Not everyone who says they want to permanently leave will actually end up moving, but the numbers are another sign of differences between younger women and men.
Girls and women between the ages of 15 and 44 encompass Gen Z and millennials. Polling is regularly showing substantial gender gaps particularly among Gen Z, with Gen Z women being among the most liberal groups in the United States.