Something no one expected to see in their lifetime just showed up in the data. The United States recorded net outward migration in 2025 for the first time in decades — more Americans left the country permanently than moved in. The last time that happened, the country was in the middle of the Great Depression.
A Historic Reversal
America has long been a destination. For over a century, the United States attracted more people than it lost — from the great immigration waves of the early 1900s through the postwar boom and beyond. That trend held through recessions, wars, and social upheaval. But new data shows that streak may finally be over.
An estimated 180,000 U.S. citizens emigrated permanently in 2025 alone. Set against immigration numbers that slowed due to tighter enforcement at the border, the net balance tipped outward for the first time in living memory.
Record Renunciations — And a 30,000-Person Backlog
A growing number of Americans aren’t just leaving — they’re surrendering their citizenship entirely. An estimated 5,000 Americans formally renounced U.S. citizenship in 2025, compared to a historical average of just 200 to 400 per year before 2009. The demand has grown so fast that a global backlog of more than 30,000 people are now waiting for renunciation appointments — six times the number who actually complete the process in any given year.
The desire to leave extends far beyond those who act on it. A Gallup poll from November 2025 found that 1 in 5 Americans — 20 percent — want to permanently move out of the country. That’s double the figure from a decade ago. Among Americans already living abroad, the share seriously considering renunciation jumped 63 percent in just one year, climbing from 30 percent in 2024 to 49 percent in 2025.
What’s Driving It
Researchers point to two primary drivers: political disagreements and the cost of living. In surveys, Americans who leave cite frustration with the political climate — polarization, divisiveness, and a sense that the country is moving in the wrong direction — along with the practical reality that the U.S. has become one of the most expensive developed nations in the world.
There’s also a structural financial pressure unique to Americans. The U.S. is one of only two countries on earth — the other being Eritrea — that taxes citizens based on their passport rather than where they live. An American living in Portugal, Thailand, or New Zealand still owes the IRS every year, regardless of whether they’ve set foot in the U.S. For long-term expats, renunciation isn’t a political statement. It’s the only way to escape a tax obligation that follows them across every border.
What This Means for Americans
The numbers matter because they reflect something deeper about the national mood. Economic freefall drove outward migration during the Great Depression — people left because they had no choice. Today’s picture is more complicated. Unemployment is near historic lows. Markets have recovered. And yet the outflow is happening anyway, driven less by survival and more by disillusionment.
For the millions who aren’t leaving but are watching these numbers, that distinction is worth sitting with. The country has always attracted people who wanted to build something here. The question now being asked — quietly, in surveys and renunciation offices around the world — is what changed.
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