Is the American dream dead? Record number of Americans are quietly fleeing US in 2025 than in the past 90 years

For decades, people have been motivated by the idea of the American Dream. It has sat at the top of the bucket list for many who wanted to move to the United States and build a life that satisfied them economically, socially, and spiritually.A stable job, an enthusiastic social circle, and the freedom to live life on personal whim, everything under the sun seemed guaranteed if you crossed the ocean.However, according to a recent report by the Wall Street Journal, a growing number of Americans are now choosing to leave the United States and build new lives abroad. What’s raising eyebrows is that this shift is happening at levels unseen in decades.In 2025, the US experienced a rare period of negative net migration, meaning more Americans left the country than the number that moved in, a trend that hasn't taken place since 1935.

As per data collected from residence permits, foreign home purchases, student enrolments and other metrics from more than 50 countries, Americans are running off the land in unprecedented numbers never seen before. According to estimates, at least 150,000 US citizens relocated overseas in 2025, with the actual number possibly being higher.

What’s driving the Great American Exit?

According to experts the rise is due to a mix of economic pressures and lifestyle changes that have made living abroad more appealing and accessible for Americans.

According to the outlet, for most, the decision is largely financial. Rising housing costs and everyday expenses including food and healthcare, have pushed citizens to look for better forms of livelihood outside the nation. In nursing homes across the Mexican border, elderly Americans are enrolling for low-cost care.Additionally, a rise in digital and remote work has also played an increased role in emigration.

Many Americans keep their US-based jobs and salaries while living in countries including Portugal, Ireland, Thailand and Bali, where the cost of living is lower. For others, quality of life takes the cake. A number of Americans are moving across the border for a different pace of life or stronger social safety nets. Others, say they feel safer and less stressed living abroad. “You don’t face the prospect of your 5-year-old going into a kindergarten and doing an active shooter drill,” said one American expat now living in Berlin, to the outlet.

From the Soviet Union to the world

This isn’t the first time Americans have looked outward. Back in 1935, during a similar wave of outward migration, the primary destination was the Soviet Union. More than 100,000 Americans applied for jobs in tractor plants, steel mills, and factories. Today, however, the movement is far more global.Realtors note that one in every 15 residents in Dublin’s Grand Canal Dock district was born in the U.S. Meanwhile, nearly 400 Americans recently signed up with a relocation company to learn how to move to Albania, a country offering a year of tax-free foreign income.The number of Americans living in Portugal has surged more than 500% since the Covid pandemic and rose by 36% in 2024 alone. Over the past decade, American residency has nearly doubled in Spain and the Netherlands, and more than doubled in the Czech Republic.In Germany and Ireland, more Americans are moving in than residents of those countries are moving to the U.S.

Is the American dream dead?

Americans moving abroad isn't new information. However, as per researchers what raises eyebrows is that the current move involves a broader range of people from a variety of demographics, including retirees, students and families with children.As per experts, the exact number might actually be higher than the estimated 4 to 9 million Americans already residing abroad, as the country does not maintain a comprehensive system for counting citizens who move abroad. Meaning, that the true number of Americans leaving the land might be significantly higher than the official figures reveal. With people leaving by choice and those being forced out due to the Trump administration's immigration policies, demographers worry that the upswing in emigrations could have a significant impact on the country's population in the coming years, as per a January 2026 report from the US Census Bureau.

The U.S. saw 675,000 deportations and 2.2 million “self-deportations” last year, according to data from the Department of Homeland Security.

This has also led to many terming the emigration "Donald Dash" with the numbers rising specifically during the President's second term.As per a 2025 research by the American Psychological Association among more than 3,000 adults, found that 76% of Americans say the future of country stressed them majorly. Those aged 18 to 34, 63% reported considering moving abroad seriously. Not only youth, 53% of parents also said they thought about leaving the country. According to the researchers, the strain comes from a mix of political division, social isolation and economic uncertainty.Moreover, the US government has a months-long backlog of Americans asking to renounce their citizenship, with aims to secure a foreign passport or avoid taxation of their earnings abroad, meaning the move is permanent for most of them.