Top countries people do not want to move from

Humanity has been in constant motion from its inception. Some people relocate in quest of better employment or economic opportunities, to be closer to family, or to further their education. Today, more people than ever before live outside of their nation.

According to the Population Division of the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UNDESA), as of 1 July 2020 the global number of international migrants was estimated to be 281 million. International migrants comprise some 3.5 per cent of the global population, compared to 2.8 per cent in 2000 and 2.3 per cent in 1980.

But, what makes residents not want to leave their home country and settle abroad? A recent study by TopMove.ca experts analyzed immigration data from various national governmental databases to identify top 10 countries people do not want to move from. A score, aiming to identify the most favorable countries for staying, was calculated based on the percentage of immigrants, happiness level, quality of life and cost of living data. The top 10 countries were then ranked by their emigration percentages.

The United Arab Emirates tops the list of countries that people do not want to move from, with the lowest emigration rates. 99.37% of its population chose to stay within the country, influenced by the UAE’s high quality of life.

2nd on the list is Japan, where 98.95% of the people choose to stay. This preference is influenced by Japan’s strong cultural ties, favorable quality of life, and the lowest cost of living among the countries in the ranking.

Germany is the 3rd country with the lowest percentage of emigrants. Germans are choosing to stay in their homeland, because of the happiness level which is the 3rd highest on the list and the high quality of life it offers.

The United States, with the largest population on the list, ranks 4th as the country people do not want to move from. Its diverse culture, economic opportunities, and happiness levels contribute to its strong national appeal, despite a higher cost of living.

5th on the list of countries people do not want to move from is Australia. Its residents prefer to stay due to high happiness ranking, even though it has the lowest quality of life on the list.

Denmark is the 6th country people do not want to move from. While being the second happiest country with the second highest quality of life, the highest cost of living on the list results in 4.23% of Danes emigrating.

The 7th country that people do not want to move from is Finland, with only 5.41% of its population living abroad. Being the world’s happiest country with a high quality of life, contributes to the majority of Finns choosing to stay.

Sweden is the 8th on the list of countries that people do not want to move from. While having one of the lowest costs of living on the list, Sweden experiences migration of only 6.45% of its population.

Ranking 9th on the list of countries that people don’t want to move from, is Austria, with only 6.56% emigrating. The happiness levels and quality of life appeal to the majority of Austrians.

The Netherlands rounds off the ranking with 11.35% of its residents living abroad. As the country with the highest quality of life and ranking as one of the happiest, there is little tendency among Dutch to look for opportunities internationally.