More US citizens than ever before are leaving their country – and for the first time more Americans are moving to Germany than Germans are moving to the USA.

Since the beginning of Trump’s second term, the numbers have exploded

US authorities do not provide precise statistics on emigration numbers. But data on residence permits and property purchases abroad as well as research by the “Wall Street Journal” (WSJ) show that that more US citizens are moving away from America than ever before. Their most popular destinations include Canada and Europe – especially Portugal, Spain, the Netherlands and Ireland. The trend began before Trump’s second term in office, but it appears to have increased since the beginning of 2025.

In addition to the cheaper cost of living in Europe, medical care and security also play a major role – as does politics. Some US media are already talking about a “Donald Dash” – i.e. a “Donald shot” as the number of emigrants has skyrocketed since Trump’s second presidency. In a 2025 Gallup poll, 20 percent of all Americans surveyed said they would like to leave the United States. In 2008 it was 10 percent.

Favorite destination for emigrants: Europe

According to WSJ reports, the number of Americans living in the EU is higher than ever and continues to rise. In Portugal, their number has increased by 500 percent since the start of the pandemic. The number of American residents has almost doubled in Spain and the Netherlands and more than doubled in the Czech Republic. Around 10,000 US citizens moved to Ireland in 2025 – more than twice as many as in 2024. And for the first time in history, more Americans moved to Germany than Germans moved to the USA last year.

Annabelle Hackney from Austin (Texas) is also moving to Berlin with her partner this September. “We have both traveled a lot and have wanted to live abroad for a long time,” the 31-year-old tells FOCUS online. “We visited Berlin for the first time last summer. We immediately fell in love with the city. The culture, the history, the restaurants and museums – we were blown away. What a cool city! American friends of ours have been living there for a few years and love it. We can’t wait to move there too.”

Stability and an affordable life speak for Europe

Hackney and her boyfriend work as consultants. Your customers and projects remain in the USA. “As long as we have our laptops, we can work from anywhere. With the time difference it might be a little difficult at times, but otherwise little will change in our work.”

Mitchell Larson of South Carolina agrees. The veterinarian moved to Canada last April for political reasons and has been living in Ontario since April. “It’s so good to no longer be at the mercy of the toxic atmosphere in America. In the USA it’s always about Trump. People either think he’s terrible or great. But there’s no escape.” Trump also makes headlines in Canadian news every day, the 32-year-old told FOCUS online – “but it’s still something different when the stress isn’t constantly caused by your own government.”

Larson likes his new life in Canada: “Work at the veterinary practice is going well, my colleagues are very nice and I’ve had a girlfriend here for a few months now. I miss my family in America, but nothing else.”

Only once did a dog owner hesitate to follow his medical advice when she heard that his license came from the USA. “My treatment method was probably a little different than what she had hoped for. But then she changed her mind. And as a typical Canadian, she was of course totally tactful and anything but confrontational.” From today’s perspective, a return to the USA is out of the question for him: “I hope that the pendulum swings again. But my life is here now.”