72% of young French people want to move abroad

Young people want to go abroad

In 2018, 7 out of 10 young French people (18-24 years old) plan to move abroad.

The causes of this decision would be their wish for adventure (46% of their answers) and their search for better career opportunities (40.4%).

Compared to the results observed two years ago, 51% of 18- to 24-year-olds would be more likely to move abroad.

But young people are not the only ones who want to live abroad. A third of French people are more likely to emigrate than they did two years ago. If we look at the data, we go from one million French expatriates worldwide in 2000 to more than 2 million in 2017.

The majority of French people would be looking for a lower cost of living (44.3% of the respondents) or a better standard of living (43%).

Last but not least, 23% of the French planning to leave want to do it for life.

The most considered destinations according to this survey are Canada, Portugal and Spain.

And after we leave?

Other recent surveys have been conducted on French expatriates around the world.

Among expatriates, having already made the leap, 46% would say they would not consider returning to France soon. More than half of French expatriates would reside outside France for more than five years. In a panel interviewed by My Expat in 2016, 23% reported living abroad between 5 and 10 years, and 39% had lived there for more than 10 years.

The causes of these expatriates’ departures are mainly family: 32% of expats report having followed or joined someone abroad. The taste for a new culture and the desire to change one’s life come next. In fourth place are opportunities for professional careers as a cause of expatriation.

The preferred destinations for expatriates are Europe: 32% of the French expatriates were registered in the continent, and Asia. There were 26% French expatriates in Asia in 2016. North America came in 5th place with only 8% French expatriates.

It is difficult to name the preferred destinations of expatriates, as this varies greatly depending on the panel surveyed. But no matter which destination you choose, it’s always a unique and rewarding experience for our expatriate clients. And Mondassur is making every effort to provide them withinternational health insurance that will allow them to leave peacefully.

According to a study by Yougov for TransferWise