Gen Z Americans are emigrating—here’s why

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Modern though the world may be, there still remains much to be explored and experienced—as evidenced by each new generation becoming even more avid travelers than the ones before them.

Gen Z is no exception. Trends point to how the digital native Gen Z are more frequent travelers, and it’s no surprise that bleeds into a desire to fully emigrate, too.

Language tutorial company Preply recently surveyed 3,000 Americans aged 18 to 26 on their inclination to move abroad. The survey, conducted October this year, found that the average Gen Z American sees a future outside the US.

The company also sought to find out which states and cities young Americans most wanted to leave. Pennsylvania came out on top of the list of states most respondents wanted to expatriate, while Minnesota was the state respondents wanted to leave the least.

The primary reason Gen Z Americans have for wanting to start a life abroad is to seek better social programs, such as universal healthcare. Another top reason for emigration was to have new cultural experiences, followed closely by the cost of living.

Gun violence in the United States is also a major factor in why many young Americans want to leave the country.

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While other English-speaking countries were popular choices for countries to emigrate to, several European and Asian countries also made it among the top destinations Gen Z may want to go next.

The five top emigration destinations for the respondents were the United Kingdom, Canada, Japan, Netherlands, and Singapore. The Philippines was also listed as a potential destination, coming in at the 19th spot, just above Finland.