"Reverse migration" exposes deep fractures in American society (In-depth analysis)

(Under the original title: The number of people moving abroad from the U.S. and renouncing their citizenship continues to rise; in 2025, a phenomenon of net immigration inflow reversing appears. “Reverse immigration” exposes deep fractures in American society (in-depth observation))

In recent years, the number of Americans moving abroad and renouncing U.S. citizenship has been steadily rising, and the “reverse immigration” phenomenon has attracted media attention. Especially in 2025, the U.S. saw the first net immigration inflow reversal in more than half a century. U.S. media analysis suggests that a combination of multiple dilemmas—continuously climbing costs of living and healthcare, insecurity under the “kill line,” and political and social tearing—are all important reasons pushing Americans to “vote with their feet.” This phenomenon not only punctures the illusion of the “American Dream,” but also has far-reaching impacts at the level of U.S. politics and society.

Every year, the number of people renouncing U.S. citizenship is 5,000 to 6,000

This year in January, a report released by the Brookings Institution showed that, affected by multiple factors including strengthened law-enforcement efforts, expanded levels of deportation/return, and people voluntarily leaving the country, the number of immigrants in net outflow from the U.S. in 2025 is between 10,000 and 295,000, and this trend is expected to continue in 2026. The U.S. newspaper The Wall Street Journal, combining this data and after conducting a systematic analysis, concluded that in 2025 the U.S. had net immigration outflow of about 150,000, marking the first net immigration outflow reversal since the Great Depression in the 1930s.

Meanwhile, the number of Americans living abroad continues to expand. According to the Wall Street Journal, as of 2022 the total number of Americans living overseas had reached 4.4 million, up 42% from 2010. Notably, those choosing to settle abroad are not mainly wealthy people holding “golden passports;” most are middle-class professionals and others. Through applications for long-term residence permits overseas, they seek lower tax burdens, greater purchasing power, and improved quality of life.

The number of Americans renouncing U.S. citizenship is also surging. Statistics from the U.S. Federal Register show that in the first quarter of 2025, 1,285 people renounced U.S. citizenship, up more than 100% quarter-over-quarter. “In recent years, political factors have been increasing in weight in considerations for relinquishing citizenship.” An article by The Washington Post said that the number of people renouncing U.S. citizenship each year has remained stable at 5,000 to 6,000. More and more Americans are feeling desperate about issues such as domestic political polarization and gun violence, seeking to live abroad to escape a worsening political and social environment.

Related survey data further confirms this trend. A July 2025 survey by the Greenback Company found that among Americans who have been living abroad long-term, 49% plan to or seriously consider renouncing their U.S. citizenship, up sharply from 30% the previous year. A survey by Gallup Consulting last November showed that about 1/5 of Americans said that if they had the opportunity, they would permanently move to another country; among female respondents aged 15 to 44, 40% had this idea, which is four times the figure in 2014.

Jennifer Stevins, executive editor of the U.S. “International Living” website, analyzes that the growing prevalence of remote work reduces geographic constraints, and heightened concern among people about instability in the U.S. further intensifies; “living abroad is becoming an alternative for more Americans.” She said bluntly: “Rising living costs (especially healthcare and housing costs), and intensifying social and cultural divisions, are the core factors prompting Americans to move abroad. Everyone is making plans ahead of time.”

67% of Americans become “spend-it-all at month’s end”

For a long time, the U.S. has positioned itself as a “democracy beacon.” It is a traditional immigrant nation. More and more people are choosing to leave the U.S., which powerfully refutes this illusory narrative. As well-known U.S. media personality Atossa Abrahmeng wrote in an article in New Yorker magazine, “While it is historically abnormal that Americans are increasingly inclined to emigrate abroad, the reasons for moving overseas are highly similar to the original intent behind global immigrants rushing to the U.S.: it’s all about seeking a more dignified, safer way of life.”

Although the U.S. gross domestic product (GDP) per capita in 2025 is approaching $90,000, an unfair economic system has led to severely imbalanced wealth distribution. “The U.S. is no longer a place of dreams for everyone; it’s a paradise for the rich and a living hell for the poor.” A senior official from Oxfam said that a report published by the organization last November shows that the richest 1% in the U.S. hold nearly 50% of stock market value; the top 10% hold more than 87%; while the bottom 50% hold only slightly more than 1%. Over the past year, the wealth of the top ten billionaires surged by $698 billion, and the gap between the rich and the poor has kept widening.

The “kill line” has become a metaphor for Americans’ financial fragility: a single illness or an unexpected bill can easily become a fatal blow that triggers a financial collapse, sending them plunging into the abyss of debt default and even homelessness. “My monthly paycheck barely hits, and rent, health insurance, and living expenses are gone—I don’t even dare to have unexpected spending.” The remark by an ordinary American encapsulates the predicament of countless people. A report released in 2025 by the nonprofit organization ALICE Coalition shows that in 2023, 42% of households across the U.S. had incomes below the “ALICE threshold” (they have jobs but limited assets and tight income), while the share of households below the “Federal Poverty Line” was 13%. High medical expenses, a heavy tax burden, and credit risks that can erupt at any time have become the “sword of Damocles” hanging over many people. In the third quarter of 2025, total household debt in the U.S. rose to a historical high of $1.86 trillion; 67% of Americans became “spend-it-all at month’s end.” Nearly four in ten adults cannot pay for a $400 unexpected expense with cash, and 44% of people say they find it difficult to afford medical costs.

A Washington Post article discussing the renunciation phenomenon is titled directly: “No longer proud to be American—Fed up expatriates renounce U.S. citizenship,” capturing some Americans’ disappointment and alienation from the country. A U.S. writer living in Australia wrote anonymously to the British newspaper The Guardian: “America, you still have many things worth loving about you, but we have to break up.”

Multi-faceted impacts on the U.S. economy and society

In migration studies, the classic “push-pull theory” states that population migration is the result of both the “push” force from the place of origin and the “pull” force from the destination place working together. This theory fits well with the U.S. “reverse immigration” wave; at its core, the “push” force is formed by the failure of domestic systems in the U.S. and the intensification of development dilemmas, combined with the “pull” force created by relatively stable social environments and improved welfare protections in parts of overseas countries. This phenomenon not only reflects profound changes in the U.S. political and social ecosystem, but will also have an irreversible effect on its long-term development.

Currently, U.S. emigrants overseas mainly concentrate in Canada, Latin America, and Europe. Surveys show that among Americans living abroad, 85% believe that overall quality of life has improved, 79% feel safer, and 72% think that physical health and mental health have improved. The experience of the African American man Sky is quite representative: he grew up in Chicago and later moved to Amsterdam, Netherlands. He said on social media, “After leaving the U.S., you no longer have to worry about your kids’ safety. There are no large-scale mass shootings here, and you won’t be subjected to baseless harassment by police.”

Sky’s concern is not an isolated case. “You can see news about shootings every day; even when sending your kids to school, you’re on edge.” One American’s words capture the widespread panic caused by gun violence. Data show that in 2025, on average at least 110 people in the U.S. were injured or killed every day due to shootings, with frequent shooting incidents in public places such as schools and malls. At the same time, incidents of police violence and judicial injustice targeting African Americans are not uncommon. Recently, the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement only stopped and questioned passersby based on skin color and accent, and media exposed these scenes; all of them have become important “push” forces driving people to flee the U.S.

Disappointment with the political situation also prompts people to leave. Photographer Bain from Texas, dissatisfied with the U.S. political ecosystem and settling in Europe, said in an interview: “At first we still had hope and thought things would always get better, but reality has repeatedly let people down. The ‘American Dream’ is just a carefully implanted illusion. What I want is a place that truly cares about the public.”

U.S. media generally predicts that as economic pressure and political differences intensify, more and more Americans will turn their attention overseas. Wendy Edelberg, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, analyzes that “reverse immigration” has had a direct impact on the U.S. economy. Not only does it slow the growth of labor supply and reduce consumer spending, it also causes the U.S. GDP to fall by between $40 billion and $60 billion in 2025. She emphasizes that the deeper impact lies in damage to the U.S.’s international reputation, which will lead to further global talent loss. This will directly weaken its technological competitiveness and economic vitality and constrain the U.S.’s long-term development.