Simon Wade
WITH Brexit and the pandemic, this year has seen more people than ever consider a move abroad.
Online searches related to living and working abroad increased by 29% between January and October 2020.
Money transfer company, Remitly, looked into the ‘whys’ and the ‘wheres’, as more time at home meant more time searching online.
Factors such as climate, geographical landscape, healthcare, job opportunities and potential earnings were all considered by those looking to pack their bags for good.
Global search data was analysed to discover the most popular destinations for people in 101 countries around the world.
| The 10 most popular destinations to move to | Number of countries that most wanted to move there |
| 1. Canada | 30 |
| 2. Japan | 13 |
| 3. Spain | 12 |
| 4. Germany | 8 |
| 5. Qatar | 6 |
| 6. Australia | 5 |
| 7. Switzerland | 4 |
| 8. Portugal | 3 |
| 9. USA | 2 |
| 10. United Kingdom | 2 |
Spain was the third most popular in the world, ranking high for its mild climate throughout the year and a low cost of living compared to other European countries.
Add in a multicultural society and relaxed lifestyle, it is not surprising that Spain is top of the European pops as the most desired country to move to.
Spain proved to be the most popular destination for 12 nationalities in all, including many of the South American countries such as Argentina, Chile, Colombia and Costa Rica, partly thanks to a shared culture and language.
Spain also proved to be an attractive destination for the Nordic countries such as Finland and Sweden, with a the low cost of living and the 3000 hours a year of sunshine making the difference.
Canada is the highest-rated on the Global Peace Index as one of the safest places to live, so with a low unemployment rate and many job opportunities for immigrants, it’s no surprise the land of the maple leaf came top of the list.
