A new survey found that nearly nine in ten Europeans would consider moving abroad if given the chance. Most cite the cost of living, rather than a desire for adventure, as their primary motivation.
The poll, commissioned by digital insurance firm Feather, questioned two thousand adults across France, Germany, Italy, and the United Kingdom, and found only one in ten ruled out the possibility of relocating altogether.
Almost half of the respondents said they actually expect to settle in another country at some point. Topping the list of reasons were rising prices, according to more than half of those in the UK, nearly half of the French survey participants, and roughly four in ten Germans and Italians. Eurostat data shows Eurozone consumer prices rose 2.8 percent in June, keeping energy, housing, and food costs elevated.
Rising taxes, housing costs, and Spain’s growing appeal
Money is not the only driver. More than five million British residents are considering permanently relocating largely due to rising taxes, according to YouGov polling, and a record 252,000 left the country this year up to June 2025.
In Germany, one in five people aged 14 to 29 are actively planning to leave, citing housing costs and economic uncertainty.
More than a third of young Italians intend to leave altogether, with weak job prospects driving many from the south, according to an Ipsos survey cited by the Pirelli Foundation.
Spain emerged as the clear favorite and has been named the top destination by 24 percent of those in the UK and 20 percent of Italians. It is also the second most favored among the French and Germans. The Iberian country has topped Europe’s rankings for expat quality of life for four years straight, with residents praising its climate, healthcare, and safety, according to the Expat Insider 2025 survey by InterNations. Spain also ranked first worldwide on the 2026 Digital Nomad Index, aided by its remote-work visa and low living costs.
Why is moving abroad becoming so enticing for Europeans?
Greece is carving its own niche among remote workers. Despite ranking lower on formal cost indexes, its islands keep drawing digital nomads, backed by a 50 percent tax break for new residents that lasts seven years.
According to travel expert Holly Rubenstein, host of the Travel Diaries podcast, the traditional model of expat life, settling permanently in one country, is giving way to a more fluid “semi-pat” lifestyle, whereby people spend months in various places while working remotely.
Younger generations, she added, are growing up treating remote connections as a normal part of life. Careers, friendships, and identities no longer need to be centered around a single location, and moving abroad may thus become a matter of habit for Europeans rather than a permanent decision.
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