40 percent of women aged 15 to 44 now say they would move abroad permanently if given the opportunity, a figure that is four times higher than it was in 2014.

40 percent of women aged 15 to 44 now say they would move abroad permanently if given the opportunity, a figure that is four times higher than it was in 2014.

One in five Americans say they would prefer to leave the United States permanently if they had the chance, according to new polling from Gallup, with the strongest sentiment coming from young women.

Gallup’s data shows that 40 percent of women aged 15 to 44 now say they would move abroad permanently if given the opportunity, a figure that is four times higher than it was in 2014. Young women have seen the largest increase of any demographic group.

The rise began in 2016 following the end of President Barack Obama’s presidency. In June and July of that year, with Donald Trump already the presumptive nominee, the number of younger women wanting to migrate began to climb. In President Joe Biden’s final year in office, the figure reached a peak of 44 percent.

Gallup noted the widening split between younger men and younger women, as only 19 percent of young men say they would be willing to leave the US. 

“Since Gallup began measuring this question globally in 2007, few countries have shown gender gaps this wide in the desire to migrate,” the poll stated. “Before the U.S. in 2025, no country had recorded a gap of 20 points or more between younger men and women.” 

The poll noted that it tracks sentiment rather than actual intent to move out of the country. The top destination for those who said they want to move is Canada, followed by New Zealand, Italy, and Japan.

Political views are also a major factor. Gallup said, “In 2025, there is a 25-point gap in the desire to migrate between Americans who approve and those who disapprove of the country’s leadership.” The gap was far smaller in earlier years and widened during Trump’s first term before narrowing under Biden, then climbing again in 2025. 

Gallup noted that younger women’s political alignment contributes to the divide, saying that young women are much more oriented to the Democratic Party than other age and gender groups. In 2025, 59 percent of women aged 18 to 44 identify as or lean democratic, compared with 39 percent of younger men. 

Those who show the largest interest in moving abroad permanently, if given the chance, are those who are the most mobile, such as those without children and unmarried. However, for young women, the sentiment is present regardless of marital status.

The poll added, “Between 2024 and 2025, at least two in five younger women — 41% of those who are married and 45% of those who are single — said they would like to move abroad permanently if given the chance. This is the narrowest gap by marital status among younger women in desire to move that Gallup has recorded since first asking the question, suggesting that younger married women increasingly do not view marriage as a barrier to migration.”

“The same pattern is true for having young children at home. Among younger women with children living at home, 40% say they would like to leave the U.S. for good, on par with the percentage among those without children (44%). Were these women to follow through on their desire to migrate, it is likely that they would take the next generation with them.”