The events of 2020 have led to an uplift in a range of different searches people have been asking on Google, from how to bake soda bread to a variety of indoor workouts. However, there’s also been an increase in searches of an altogether more life-altering scale, as more and more people have considered their options for moving abroad. For example, there has been a 29% increase in global Google searches for ‘how to move abroad’ from January 2020 to October 2020 alone.
But where are the most popular destinations for people looking to live overseas? Are people looking for warm weather and sandy beaches, or is a solid health system, good economy and welcoming attitude more important?
Keen to find out more here at Remitly, we took a look at global search data to discover the most popular destinations for inhabitants of 101 countries around the world.* By analysing the average monthly search volume for phrases commonly associated with researching a move overseas and ranking them with the most searched-for location within each country, we were able to see which destinations came out top.
And this is what we learned…
Which are the most popular countries for moving abroad?
The most popular destination for people looking to move overseas was Canada, which topped the wish-lists of 29 other countries.
| The Top 10 Countries for Moving Abroad | Number of countries that want to move here the most |
|---|---|
| 1. Canada | 30 |
| 2. Japan | 13 |
| 3. Spain | 12 |
| 4. Germany | 8 |
| 5. Qatar | 6 |
| 6. Australia | 5 |
| 7. Switzerland | 4 |
| 8. Portugal | 3 |
| 9. USA | 2 |
| 10. United Kingdom | 2 |
Featuring prominently in the Global Peace Index as one of the safest places to live, and boasting low unemployment rates alongside a high amount of immigration options, it’s arguably no surprise that Canada is head and shoulders above the rest of the world. Add to that its friendly locals and beautiful scenery and it’s little surprise that the country is so appealing.
However, Canadians themselves were found to be angling for a move to second placed Japan, yet another country known for its stunning scenery, safety and vast array of job opportunities. Other popular options included Spain and Germany within Europe and Qatar in Asia.
We’ve created a colour-coded map below to provide an at-a-glance view of which countries are most popular in different parts of the world.
https://www.remitly.com/gb/en/landing/where-the-world-wants-to-live