Americans Leave U.S. in 2025 Net Exodus of Up to 295,000 as Costs and Politics Bite
Updated
Updated · Fortune · Jun 22
Americans Leave U.S. in 2025 Net Exodus of Up to 295,000 as Costs and Politics Bite
1 articles · Updated · Fortune · Jun 22
Summary
Brookings data show the U.S. posted net negative migration of 10,000 to 295,000 people in 2025—the first outflow in at least 50 years and the first such reversal since the Great Depression era.
Up to 405,000 Americans left voluntarily, driven by a volatile political climate, an immigration crackdown and living costs that are squeezing even six-figure earners, while inbound migration fell to 1.3 million from 2.7 million in 2024.
600 Americans gathered at May's Move Abroad Con to plan exits, and organizer Expatsi said nearly 9 in 10 attendees blamed the government; searches for moves to Canada, Italy and Portugal also jumped after the 2024 Trump-Biden debate.
Arvind Jain, the India-born Rubrik and Glean co-founder, argued the exodus is misguided, saying Silicon Valley remains the best place to build startups as AI investment clusters there and immigrant founders still dominate top tech companies.