One in four young people is considering emigrating from the UK, according to a poll by a neoliberal think tank that also found that only a third had never considered leaving.
According to the Adam Smith Institute’s nationally representative survey of 18 to 30-year-olds, 20% have seriously considered moving abroad, while 8% are actively planning to leave the country.
Thirty per cent of the more than 1,300 young people surveyed earlier this month said they had briefly considered emigrating from the UK, but a third (35%) said they had never thought about it.
The study also revealed concerns about housing and personal finances, in relation to young people’s future in the UK. Nearly two-thirds (65%) of young Britons believe finding affordable housing will become more difficult over the next five years, with 38% saying it will be “much more difficult” and 27% saying “somewhat more”. Only 21% expected it to get easier.
Early careers
Employment shrinking fastest among younger workers
Half of the young people (50%) surveyed said that most people their age struggle to make ends meet, while 43% say some struggle and only 5% think most do not struggle.
Emma Schubart, data and insights manager at the Adam Smith Institute, said: “The youngest generation of British workers are sending a clear message. They feel overtaxed, underhoused and undervalued. If our political class continues to ignore these warning signs, we risk exporting our talent at precisely the moment when it is most needed.
“With the country already facing a wealth exodus thanks, in large part, to its reckless decision to scrap the non-dom tax regime, the Treasury can hardly afford to lose an entire generation of ambitious young people as well. Addressing these challenges is not just a matter of fairness – it is essential to securing Britain’s long-term economic and social future.
“Young Britons urgently need evidence that ambition and hard work still translate into security and success in this country.”
Nigel Farage, Reform UK’s leader, said: “It’s sad but not a surprise that ambitious young Brits are increasingly looking overseas for opportunities. High taxes and stagnant wages have crushed aspiration and punished hard work. This can’t go on. We must give the next generation the freedom to thrive, raise families, and build a bright future here in the UK.”
The survey on young people’s intentions to emigrate from the UK found broad consensus among people surveyed, regardless of political persuasion.
A study by the British Council in December 2024 found that 72% of 18 to 30-year-olds would consider living and working in another country in the short or long term. Its report also found the desire to work and live abroad was driven by socioeconomic factors, with 63% stating that their standard of living is worse than it was for their parents’ generation, and 55% citing low wages.
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