The share of adults in the United States who say they would permanently leave the country if they were able has risen to record highs over the past two years, climbing from 11% in 2008 to 20% in 2025. The data, from a new Gallup study, showed only slight increases across most demographics—except one: young women.
In 2008, less than one in five women ages 15 to 44 (17%) said they would move permanently to another country if they could. By this year, that rate grew to 40%, down slightly from a high of 44% in 2024.
Among men in the same age group, 25% said in 2024 they would move permanently if given the chance. That number dropped to 19% this year, which is only slightly higher than the 16% reported in 2008.
The partisan divide in how people answer this question is a relatively new phenomenon, emerging when Donald Trump first took office.
In 2014, two years into President Barack Obama’s second term, only 8% of Americans who approved of the country’s leadership told Gallup they would leave permanently if they could. Those who disapproved were even less likely to say they would leave — just 7%.
In 2017, Trump’s first year in office, only 9% of adults who approved of his leadership said they wanted to move to another country. Among those who did not approve, that rate jumped to 21%.
In this year’s survey, 29% of those who do not approve of the country’s leadership and only 4% of those who do said they would emigrate if given the opportunity.
More information on the Gallup study can be found here.
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