The Burrow
May 3, 2023
If you could pack your bags and go live anywhere else in the world, where would you go?
It’s never been easier to relocate and live abroad thanks to digital technology that helps us keep in touch, and the rise of remote working following the COVID-19 pandemic.
Living abroad can be very appealing. It gives you a chance to see the world, experiencing different sights, sounds, cultures, weather – and possibly the chance to advance your career or reinvent yourself and try something completely new.
So, which countries do people want to move to most, and have there been any changes over time? To find the answer, the Australian home loan experts at Compare the Market have analysed Google search data for almost every country on earth (178 to be exact).
Here is what we discovered.
Maintaining the top spot from last year is Canada, which is the most popular destination for 71 different countries, representing a huge portion of all the nations we analysed.
It’s not hard to see why, given the stunning vistas of Canada and the nation’s reputation as being a country full of happy, friendly and kind people.
Also retaining its place as the second-most popular relocation destination is Japan. It was the most popular country in 25 nations out of 178 countries.
For years, Japan has been considered one of the safest countries in the world, as well as a nation on the forefront of technological innovation. Combined with its rich history and culture, it’s not surprising to see Japan perform so well.
A country that had not made the top three last year has now moved into third place, with 19 countries nominating China as their preferred location to move to.
Like Japan, China has a deep history and rich culture to immerse yourself in, while it also has several beautiful natural landscapes to enjoy if you feel like some sightseeing and adventure. China is also an economic powerhouse and a major trade centre of the world, making it an appealing location for those looking for work.
There were several interesting changes when comparing the results for 2022 to the results for 2023. China displaced Spain for third place; Spain came fifth after France. Canada grew in popularity with 71 countries selecting it as their favourite destination, compared to just 50 in 2022, followed by France gaining seven and China gaining four. Spain took the biggest hit by losing nine, followed by Japan and South Africa who both lost six.
The sheet below displays the results for almost every country on the planet, showing where they want to relocate to most.
Some countries, like Canada and Japan, were popular in countries all across the globe in various continents. On the other hand, there were some regional specific trends.
For example, South Africa was popular among nearby countries such as Mozambique, Zambia and Zimbabwe. France was popular in countries close to home and abroad, with a clear proclivity for France among African nations – most of which are French-speaking.
Click here to view the full list of countries and where their top relocation destination is.
Australians, permanent residents in Australia and recent arrivals looking to make their home in Australia may feel swamped by the sea of options from banks and lenders offering home loans. Comparing a wide range of home loans can help by saving time and displaying them in one place, helping you compare available options with ease.
Compare the Market’s home loan service offers an end-to-end mortgage brokering experience making it easy for you to compare interest rates, fees and features between the available loans. Additionally, an experienced home loans expert will be there to guide you through the process and find an option suitable for your needs.
To find out which country was the most popular relocation destination in each of the 178 nations we looked at, we used Google Ads Keyword Planner to gather results for the following search terms for 50 specific nations:
The results for each of the 50 countries we focused on were added up and the process was repeated for 178 nations. Searches for a country within that specific country were removed from the results. The total results were used to find which country was most popular in each of the 178 nations.
All search terms and keyword research was carried out in English, as results in native languages provided some inconsistent results.