Japan is one of the top three countries that houses over half of the Americans who live overseas.gettyNo one knows exactly how many Americans live overseas, but the statistics are clear: interest in moving abroad is increasing, including among middle-class professionals, Californians, LGBTQ+ households, and, unsurprisingly, those with European ancestry.More Americans Are Moving OverseasAn analysis by The Wall Street Journal in early 2026 estimates that anywhere between 4 and 9 million Americans are living abroad at the moment, stating that for the first time in America's 250 years of existence, more people have moved out than in.This great emigration has been documented elsewhere, and the Treasury Department's Federal Register section 6039G publishes its quarterly list of Americans who have chosen to repatriate. In the quarter ending June 30, 2026, 1,781 names were on the list, up from 1,462 in April.Half Of All Americans Who Live Overseas Are In Three CountriesIn 2024, the Social Security Administration (SSA) reported that around 760,000 Americans receive benefits while living abroad, totaling more than $7.5 billion in benefits. The top three countries are Canada, Japan, and Mexico, which account for over half of all beneficiaries. In Europe, Germany, the U.K., Italy, Portugal, and Spain are the highest recipients, while after Japan, the Philippines and South Korea rank highest in Asia.Americans Are Moving Overseas For A Variety Of ReasonsFor decades, having a U.S. passport meant you could move around the world unchecked, but as America tightens its entry rules, reciprocity is reshaping visa policies for Americans. Between 2025 and 2026, the U.S. lost visa-free access to seven nations, including Brazil. This led to the Henley Passport Index 2026 ranking the U.S. passport as the 10th most powerful in the world, behind 38 other countries, including Malaysia, Lithuania, Iceland, Slovakia, Canada, and the United Arab Emirates. Last year, it ranked at its lowest level in history, number 12, a fall from the 20 years before, when it consistently ranked within the top ten.Beyond this, others are interested in finding access to more affordable healthcare (particularly true for Americans of retirement age) or schooling. American families are increasingly treating the residency rights that come with golden visa programs, for instance, as part of an inheritance, an insurance policy for healthcare, education and the future freedom to move.Which Americans Are Moving Overseas?The market for Americans looking for golden visa programs is booming, but there are also other ways of moving, whether that be by applying for passports through citizenship-by-descent routes or opting for some of the world’s retirement visas.Those Who Can Apply For Citizenship-By-Descent Many Americans are eligible for citizenship by descent—figures suggest this is as many as 30 million, but those emigration windows are slowly closing, particularly across Europe, as governments update their immigration laws.Americans can claim Irish citizenship if they have an Irish-born grandparent or a parent who was already an Irish citizen before their birth. Applications take about one year to process and have been increasing markedly according to 2026 figures—11,601 registrations were completed in 2024, up from 7,726 in 2023.LGBTQ+ American Households Who Are Over 55 Are Interested In Moving OverseasIn 2025, research by GetGoldenVisa showed that a ‘silent migration’ was seemingly happening among LGBTQ+ Americans. Over a 20-month period, the fastest-growing cohort of departing Americans was of LGBTQ+ households aged 55 or older. For this demographic, choosing a new country can serve as an insurance policy for legal recognition.Affluent Californians The Los Angeles Times reports that Californians are pursuing golden visa programs at historic rates. California is home to the largest number of the world’s wealthiest people and has more billionaires than any other state.One of the drivers may be California’s proposed billionaire tax, Prop 40, which would impose a 5% one-time tax on Californians with net worth exceeding €1 billion.The big draws in Europe are Portugal and Malta’s golden visa program.New Zealand’s golden visa program offers a faster route than EU countries, however, and Dominic Jones, Managing Director of Greener Pastures New Zealand, says, “The U.S. is also our strongest market for New Zealand’s Active Investor Plus visa. Americans represent the largest proportion of our Greener Pastures invested clients as well as those we are currently supporting through the visa process.”Jones adds that “The billionaire tax debate is adding to the broader questions we’re hearing from wealthy Americans around taxation, policy certainty and where they want to live, invest and hold their assets long term.”Middle Class Americans Immigrant Invest, a Malta-based citizenship-by-investment consultancy, told Business Insider that salaried professionals and retirees now account for 25% of its U.S. consultation calls, up from around 15% in 2025.This includes doctors, academics, lawyers and tech workers, while the share of ultra-rich consultation calls has decreased. With the cost of investment programs remaining stable in recent years, Business Insider’s conclusion is that more Americans are looking to move. Many golden visa programs in the Caribbean offer a more affordable option—Príncipe, an island off the west coast of Africa, starts at $90,000, while Vanuatu in the South Pacific starts at $130,000.This view is supported by Jones of Greener Pastures, New Zealand, who says, “We’re seeing interest in New Zealand extend well beyond high-net-worth Americans,” particularly from middle-class Americans.Jones adds that these aren’t just wealthy investors looking at the Active Investor Plus visa (the golden visa program). Many of these Americans are professionals exploring pathways such as New Zealand’s Skilled Migrant visa. Jones concludes “that the desire for an international alternative is becoming much broader across the U.S. and is no longer limited to just the wealthy.”While More Americans Are Moving Overseas, Many More Are Interested In Doing SoHenley & Partners’ 2026 Private Wealth Migration Report says that demand from U.S. clients doubled in 2025 compared with 2024, but many were U.S. residents considering future moves rather than current ones.It is clear that many Americans are thinking about different residency options to protect their futures; much more than ever used to be the case, when it used to be just high-net-worth individuals.Zaid Aldayriyeh, Founder of Citizenship Bay, says that “while renouncing U.S. citizenship remains relatively uncommon, the Treasury report cited at the outset represents the final stage of a much longer decision-making process.”Citizenship Bay's own data points to growing interest in building international optionality long before anyone considers expatriation. The firm's recent data found that 32% of Americans seeking second citizenship or residency cited having a ‘Plan B’ as their primary motivation; 69% of inquiries came from families; and inquiries into Italian citizenship increased by 56% following recent changes to European citizenship programs.This view is echoed by Jones, who states that “these conversations are about international optionality and having another place where they can invest, establish residency and create a long-term option for themselves and their families.”So instead of viewing the Treasury report simply as a count of Americans leaving the United States, Zaid says it reflects a broader shift in how affluent families are thinking about international mobility, long-term planning and protecting future options. The conclusion is that these golden visa investment programs offer the option to move, particularly those with low residency requirements, rather than a requirement to move.The picture that emerges from these datasets is not a mass exodus overseas but a broadening mindset, with countries becoming more of a residency Plan B for a growing class of Americans across varied income levels, taking insurance against perceived political, tax and healthcare risks. For many, these programs are about optionality and future flexibility rather than an immediate move.MORE FROM FORBESForbesThe New €1 House Program In Naro, SicilyBy Alex LedsomForbesNow Is The Time To Move To, Or Invest In, Panama, As Per New ResearchBy Alex Ledsom