Why Professional Expats Are On The Move

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Why Professional Expats Are On The Move

Research aimed at explaining why professional expats move between countries has thrown back some baffling results.

Close to 200,000 expats were asked about their travels and the results were sifted to put together a list of the top five countries they leave and are attracted to. Four of the countries appeared on both lists.

According to the survey by international removals firm Movehub, expats have the same reason for leaving a country as others do for arriving.

What the research found

Researchers found that expats had seven main reasons for moving to another country and that any mix of these factors could be involved in the decision:

  • Seeking a better quality of life
  • Improved career prospects
  • Economic reasons
  • Family ties
  • A bid to change lifestyles
  • Political issues
  • Just wanting to travel

The poll also disclosed a special group of migrants who are professional expats.

Two thirds are aged between 24 and 39 years old and a third have a job before moving, while 10% have a moving allowance or other help from an employer to ease relocation.

These professionals move for work, improving their finances and new experiences. The top five countries for professional expats moved to in the year ending March 2016 were France, Britain, the USA, Australia and Spain.

The top five countries professional expats left were Britain, France, Australia, the USA and Ireland.

France and Britain top tables

The report pinpoints most of the expats moving to Britain are from the USA and Australia.

The top two are the go to destinations for professional expats. France (22%) and Britain (17%) account for the largest share of all professional expat moves. No other country is in double figures.

Other expat destinations, such as the Gulf States and Singapore score relatively low. The United Arab Emirates (2.42%) is the only Middle East country to show and Singapore accounts for less than 1% of expat moves.

Britain (33%) and France (27%) are both way ahead on the ‘leave’ table as well. Again, no other country hits double figures.

Of those leaving Britain, 54% gave poor weather as a reason. The high cost of housing was quoted as another reason.

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