Younger American women are now more likely to imagine their futures outside the U.S. than any group Gallup has ever tracked. Their desire to leave has surged in tandem with collapsing confidence in national institutions and rising political polarization—setting them apart both from older Americans and from younger women in other advanced economies.
A Dramatic Shift Among Younger Women
- In 2025, 40% of women aged 15–44 say they would move abroad permanently, quadruple the 10% who said so in 2014.
- Their desire to migrate began rising sharply around 2016, continued through both the Trump and Biden administrations, and remains near historic highs.
- This has produced a 21-point gender gap between younger women (40%) and younger men (19%), the largest Gallup has ever recorded in any country.
A U.S.-Specific Trend
- Younger women in other OECD countries show no similar increase; their migration desire has stayed steady at 20–30%.
- Younger U.S. men remain less likely than their OECD peers to want to migrate.
Political Attitudes Matter
- A 25-point gap now separates Americans who approve vs. disapprove of national leadership in their desire to leave—an unprecedented politicization.
- Younger women lean strongly Democratic (59%), helping explain their much higher inclination to consider leaving.
Marriage and Children Are No Longer Barriers
Younger women’s migration desire is high regardless of life circumstances:
- 41% of married younger women want to move.
- 45% of single younger women want to move.
- Women with children (40%) and without children (44%) show similar levels.
Institutional Confidence Has Collapsed
- Younger women have experienced the steepest drop in trust in national institutions of any demographic.
- Their National Institutions Index score fell 17 points since 2015.
- Confidence in the judiciary dropped from 55% → 32%, the biggest decline of any group.
- While the Dobbs ruling likely accelerated this decline, the desire to migrate predates it.