The United States is now the preferred destination of 15% of adults around the world who would like to emigrate permanently, according to Gallup World Poll data. That is the lowest share Gallup has recorded in almost two decades of asking the question.
Between 2007 and 2009, the US was the first choice of 24% of those wanting to emigrate. The figure stayed near 20% until 2016 and has not risen above 18% since 2017, although the US is still the most frequently named single destination.
The results, published on 23 April 2026, draw on interviews with more than 144,000 people aged 15 and over in 140 countries and areas, including 2023 data for China.
Where Would-Be Migrants Want to Go Instead of America
Canada ranks second worldwide at 9%, compared with 7% in Gallup's first measurement. Over the same period, the UK fell from 7% to 4%. Germany, Australia, Spain, France, Japan, Italy, and Saudi Arabia each sit at roughly 3% to 5%.
In several regions, the US is not the top choice. In Southeast Asia, 23% of would-be migrants name Japan and 12% name the US. In the Middle East and North Africa, Germany (13%) and Saudi Arabia (12%) are both ahead of the US (9%). In the European Union, Spain (11%) and Switzerland (8%) rank above the US (6%).
On Gallup's Potential Net Migration Index, which measures how much a country's adult population would change if everyone wishing to move in or out did so, Canada scores +225% on pooled data for 2023 to 2025, up 78 points on 2015 to 2017. The US reads +37%, down nine.
Interest in Moving to the US Falls Sharply in Honduras and Mexico
Honduras recorded the largest fall of any country in 2025, with the share of would-be migrants there choosing the US dropping from 71% to 36%. In Mexico, the figure was 21%, equalling the lowest readings of 2017 and 2018.
Across Latin America and the Caribbean, it dropped to 28% in 2025 from 33% a year earlier. Gallup also recorded statistically significant falls in Southeast Asia and sub-Saharan Africa.
Fewer people want to leave home at all. The share of adults worldwide who would like to migrate slipped to 15% in 2025, after four years at a record 16%. Gallup said a desire to migrate does not mean a person intends to move.
Four in 10 American women aged between 15 and 44 told Gallup in 2025 that they would settle permanently in another country given the chance, compared with one in 10 in 2014.
US Migration Figures Fall as Visa Rules Tighten
Gallup noted that its latest data were collected as migration into the US slowed sharply and immigration policy changed. The US Census Bureau estimates that net international migration, the number of people arriving minus those leaving, fell to 1.3M in the year to 30 June 2025, from 2.7M the year before, and projects about 321,000 for the following year if current trends continue.
Christine Hartley, assistant division chief for Estimates and Projections at the bureau, said 'the sharp decline in net international migration is the main reason for the slower growth rate we see today.' The bureau said the US could record net negative migration for the first time in more than 50 years.
In September 2025, President Donald Trump introduced a $100,000 (£74,700) payment for new H-1B skilled-worker visa petitions filed for workers outside the US. On 18 September 2026, he extended it to September 2027. The proclamation states that the restrictions 'have proven to be highly effective' and that the payment has been made on more than 700 petitions.
The fee is currently blocked by court order. US District Judge Leo Sorokin in Massachusetts ruled on 8 June 2026 that it was a tax only Congress could impose, then paused his order on 12 June pending appeal.
On 24 July 2026, the US Court of Appeals for the First Circuit declined to extend that pause, and US Citizenship and Immigration Services has not been collecting the fee since late July. The government's appeal continues. A federal court in Washington, DC upheld the fee in December 2025.
A separate proclamation restricting entry for nationals of 39 countries took effect on 1 January 2026, covering student and exchange visitor visas for 38 of them.
New international student enrolments had already fallen 17% in autumn 2025, according to an Institute of International Education snapshot survey of 828 US institutions. NAFSA: Association of International Educators and JB International project up to 111,000 fewer international students this autumn, with up to $3.4B (£2.5B) in lost revenue and nearly 40,000 fewer jobs.
Canada Lowers Its Own Immigration Targets
Canada's 2026-2028 Immigration Levels Plan sets a target of 380,000 new permanent residents a year, down from a 2025 target of 395,000. Its target for new temporary resident arrivals falls to 385,000 in 2026, from 673,650 in 2025.
