Michael Le Blanc, 56, a former creative director at Adobe and Paramount in the US, now works freelance in Lisbon, Portugal's capital. He and his family moved there after his 8-year-old son's school in Los Angeles experienced two active shooter threats.

His wife, Stephanie, works as a real estate agent in Lisbon, with most of her clients being Americans flocking to the city.

"I didn't expect so many Americans to be around. I'm learning the language, but it's really hard", he recounted while shopping at an American goods store in Lisbon.

In Lisbon, Americans are buying so many apartments that new arrivals say they hear more English than Portuguese. About 58% of foreigners purchasing homes in Portugal are Americans, and home prices have doubled in some areas over the past five years.

Number of US citizens in Portugal over the years. Graphic: WSJ

Across most of the 27 European Union (EU) countries, the number of Americans moving to live and work is at record levels and continuously rising. In Portugal, this figure has increased by 500% since the Covid-19 pandemic and by 36% in 2024 alone.

Over the past 10 years, the number of US residents in Spain and the Netherlands has nearly doubled, while in the Czech Republic, it has more than doubled. Last year, more Americans moved to Germany than Germans moved to the US. A similar trend was observed in Ireland, which welcomed 10.000 people from the US in 2025, double the number from 2024.

Americans registering for Irish passports reached 31.825 in 2024 and are estimated to have increased to 40.000 last year. The number of US citizens applying for British citizenship also hit its highest level since statistics began in 2004, with approximately 6.600 people in the year ending march 2025.

Europe offers affordable healthcare, walkable cities with sidewalk cafes, and co-working spaces where English often supplements local languages. Housing in many cities remains relatively affordable and abundant. Schools are safe and often have higher ratings than those in the US.

"You no longer face the prospect of your five-year-old going to kindergarten and having to practice active shooter drills. Salaries in the US are higher, but the quality of life in Europe is better", said Chris Ford, 41, who works for a real estate investment company in Dallas and runs a children's baseball league in Berlin.

Many expatriate Americans cite multiple factors driving their departure and search for life in other countries. These include economic incentives and new lifestyles abroad, or frustration with rising living costs, violent crime, or political turmoil in the US.

Number of Americans moving to Ireland over the years. Graphic: WSJ

When Gallup surveyed Americans during the 2008 recession about how many wanted to leave the country, the figure was 10%. Last year, this percentage rose to 20%.

In 2025, the US experienced net negative migration, meaning more people left the country than immigrated, with an estimated loss of about 150.000 people. Total immigration last year was approximately 2,6-2,7 million people, down from a peak of nearly 6 million in 2023. Meanwhile, the US carried out 675.000 deportations and 2,2 million people chose "self-deportation" last year, according to data from the Department of Homeland Security.

The last time more people left the US than moved in was in 1935, with the Soviet Union being the chosen destination, according to historical statistics from the US Census Bureau.

The administration of US President Donald Trump praised the wave of departures as proof of its commitment to strengthening border control and immigration.

A White House spokesperson stated that the US economy is outperforming other developed nations. The official added that the Trump administration's policies are deporting hundreds of thousands of undocumented immigrants while attracting "countless ultra-high-net-worth foreigners" who are "spending 1 million USD for a Golden Visa to settle in the US".

Some commentators label the wave of American emigration as a "run from Donald", suggesting the trend surged during President Trump's second term. However, many others point out that this phenomenon has been developing for years, driven by the rise of remote work, increasing living costs, and a desire for a foreign lifestyle, especially in Europe.

A person cycles past a station in Barcelona, Spain, in january. Photo: AFP

"This trend erodes the belief in American exceptionalism, which holds that 'we have the best quality of life, we are the best country in the world, everyone wants to move here'", stated Caitlin Joyce, a researcher at Temple University.

In a recent online conference last month hosted by the relocation support company Expatsi, nearly 400 Americans registered to learn how to move to Albania, a country in southeastern Europe. Albania offers a special visa allowing US citizens to live and work there, does not tax foreign income for one year, and requires minimal bureaucracy.

"Previously, Americans who left were typically highly adventurous and highly educated. Now, they are ordinary people like me", said Jen Barnett, Expatsi founder, originally from Alabama, who moved to Yucatan, Mexico, in 2024.

Kelly McCoy, a New York native, struggled to make ends meet on an 80.000 USD salary until she moved to Albania in summer 2024 on a visa for Americans. She often recounts being treated for a concussion and a broken arm at an Albanian hospital without incurring any medical fees.

McCoy, 45, later moved to Romania and now consults other Americans wanting to leave the country. "In Albania, you can live comfortably on 1.000 USD a month", she said, noting she has helped 15 American clients relocate there.

Dallas Fort Worth Airport in Texas on 23/1. Photo: Reuters

In Barcelona, Spain, Lia Mashaka also runs a business assisting newly arrived Americans, from guiding them through visa applications to finding pediatricians. She noted that many initially come, telling themselves they will only stay for one year, but then "I've never had a client choose to return to the US".

In 2024, her husband, Akida, opened Barcelona High School, an American-style school, with the idea that it would ease their son's return to the US for college after graduation. However, their son ultimately chose IE University in Madrid, which now has an equal number of American and Spanish students.

On a recent morning at Barcelona High School, 30 new families attended an orientation. The school anticipates enrolling 600 students in september, an increase from 300 two years prior.

"Families previously came primarily from New York or California. But now we have Alaska, Utah, Texas, Colorado, Kentucky", stated Amanda Slefo, the school's director.

Thanh Tam (According to WSJ, Mint)