Millions of American citizens are currently living abroad. However, the United States does not formally count the number of Americans who move to other countries and does not require its citizens to register an official place of residence. This makes keeping track of American expatriates a challenge.
The United Nations Population Division currently estimates that 2,996,223 Americans are living outside the United States, while the U.S. State Department estimates that there are as many as 9 million U.S. citizens living in over 160 countries. Although there is no clear consensus, most estimates show that the numbers are rising.
Some of the most common reasons that U.S. citizens choose to live in other countries involve career opportunities, research positions, and romantic relationships. Other people move overseas because another country offers cheaper health care or a higher standard of living. (A higher standard of living is often associated with a higher gross national income. Here are the 25 richest countries in the world.)
Many retirees on a fixed income immigrate to countries with a lower cost of living. U.S. citizens may also move for religious purposes or humanitarian causes as well as for adventure, political or cultural concerns, or avoidance of legal matters. In addition, most children born in the United States to foreign citizens are American citizens by birth but may be taken back to their parents’ home country at a young age. These U.S. citizens who only have a tenuous relationship with the United States are sometimes called “accidental Americans.”
To identify the 25 countries home to the most American citizens, 24/7 Wall St. reviewed the United Nations’ International Migrant Stock 2020 published by the Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division. Data in the release was from 1990 only. Countries were ranked based on the number of U.S. citizens living there. All other data is from the UN except for gross national income per capita – a gauge of a country’s wealth. 2020 GNI per capita in current U.S. dollars using the purchasing power parity method came from the World Bank.
Nearly two-thirds of all Americans living abroad reside in just 10 countries. Unsurprisingly, the top two countries are our North American neighbors, Mexico and Canada. In addition, 10 countries in Europe are top destinations, followed by six in Asia, and four in South America.
Five of the countries speak English as the primary language, although English is commonly used in many of these countries for business and diplomacy. Of the top 25 countries that are home to the most Americans, the number of U.S. citizens has increased since 1990 in all but three countries: Greece, Italy, and Puerto Rico. (Here are the years the most Americans have moved since 2000.)
Click here for the countries with the most American expats
Source: ToniFlap / iStock via Getty Images
25. Colombia
> US citizens living in Colombia: 20,810
> Change from 1990: 7,332 – #29 largest increase
> Pct. living in Colombia out of all expats: 0.69%
> GNI per capita, 2020: $14,280 – #71 out of 135 countries
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24. Brazil
> US citizens living in Brazil: 22,410
> Change from 1990: 10,604 – #26 largest increase
> Pct. living in Brazil out of all expats: 0.75%
> GNI per capita, 2020: $14,550 – #69 out of 135 countries
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Source: nantonov / iStock via Getty Images
23. Sweden
> US citizens living in Sweden: 22,503
> Change from 1990: 11,178 – #25 largest increase
> Pct. living in Sweden out of all expats: 0.75%
> GNI per capita, 2020: $56,630 – #13 out of 135 countries
Source: HonestTraveller / Getty Images
22. Greece
> US citizens living in Greece: 23,297
> Change from 1990: -20,039 – #2 largest decline
> Pct. living in Greece out of all expats: 0.78%
> GNI per capita, 2020: $28,260 – #45 out of 135 countries
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Source: Kalistratova / iStock via Getty Images
21. Ecuador
> US citizens living in Ecuador: 28,026
> Change from 1990: 19,431 – #17 largest increase
> Pct. living in Ecuador out of all expats: 0.94%
> GNI per capita, 2020: $10,580 – #90 out of 135 countries
Source: f9photos / iStock via Getty Images
20. India
> US citizens living in India: 32,867
> Change from 1990: 27,218 – #11 largest increase
> Pct. living in India out of all expats: 1.10%
> GNI per capita, 2020: $6,440 – #104 out of 135 countries
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19. Ireland
> US citizens living in Ireland: 35,190
> Change from 1990: 19,268 – #18 largest increase
> Pct. living in Ireland out of all expats: 1.17%
> GNI per capita, 2020: $72,470 – #5 out of 135 countries
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Source: Yasonya / iStock via Getty Images
18. Netherlands
> US citizens living in Netherlands: 35,242
> Change from 1990: 21,583 – #12 largest increase
> Pct. living in Netherlands out of all expats: 1.18%
> GNI per capita, 2020: $58,300 – #12 out of 135 countries
Source: Robert CHG / iStock via Getty Images
17. New Zealand
> US citizens living in New Zealand: 35,989
> Change from 1990: 27,684 – #10 largest increase
> Pct. living in New Zealand out of all expats: 1.20%
> GNI per capita, 2020: $42,770 – #25 out of 135 countries
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Source: Ooriya Ron / iStock via Getty Images
16. Philippines
> US citizens living in Philippines: 37,857
> Change from 1990: 20,111 – #14 largest increase
> Pct. living in Philippines out of all expats: 1.26%
> GNI per capita, 2020: $9,030 – #95 out of 135 countries
Source: Sanga Park / iStock via Getty Images
15. Switzerland
> US citizens living in Switzerland: 38,779
> Change from 1990: 19,463 – #16 largest increase
> Pct. living in Switzerland out of all expats: 1.29%
> GNI per capita, 2020: $69,190 – #6 out of 135 countries
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Source: sorincolac / iStock via Getty Images
14. Peru
> US citizens living in Peru: 41,292
> Change from 1990: 35,146 – #6 largest increase
> Pct. living in Peru out of all expats: 1.38%
> GNI per capita, 2020: $11,510 – #85 out of 135 countries
Source: Ibnul Asaf Jawed Susam / iStock via Getty Images
13. Bangladesh
> US citizens living in Bangladesh: 45,115
> Change from 1990: 16,556 – #19 largest increase
> Pct. living in Bangladesh out of all expats: 1.51%
> GNI per capita, 2020: $5,390 – #110 out of 135 countries
Source: Dar1930 / iStock via Getty Images
12. Italy
> US citizens living in Italy: 54,011
> Change from 1990: -9,744 – #3 largest decline
> Pct. living in Italy out of all expats: 1.80%
> GNI per capita, 2020: $42,400 – #27 out of 135 countries
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Source: Eloi_Omella / E+ via Getty Images
11. Spain
> US citizens living in Spain: 57,112
> Change from 1990: 44,925 – #5 largest increase
> Pct. living in Spain out of all expats: 1.91%
> GNI per capita, 2020: $38,570 – #33 out of 135 countries
Source: kanonsky / iStock via Getty Images
10. Japan
> US citizens living in Japan: 58,340
> Change from 1990: 19,965 – #15 largest increase
> Pct. living in Japan out of all expats: 1.95%
> GNI per capita, 2020: $42,460 – #26 out of 135 countries
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9. France
> US citizens living in France: 61,668
> Change from 1990: 21,408 – #13 largest increase
> Pct. living in France out of all expats: 2.06%
> GNI per capita, 2020: $47,450 – #22 out of 135 countries
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Source: Reabirdna / Getty Images
8. Republic of Korea
> US citizens living in Republic of Korea: 68,050
> Change from 1990: 56,337 – #3 largest increase
> Pct. living in Republic of Korea out of all expats: 2.27%
> GNI per capita, 2020: $43,650 – #24 out of 135 countries
Source: vladi79 / iStock via Getty Images
7. Israel
> US citizens living in Israel: 76,794
> Change from 1990: 29,262 – #8 largest increase
> Pct. living in Israel out of all expats: 2.56%
> GNI per capita, 2020: $41,960 – #28 out of 135 countries
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Source: Francesco Ricca Iacomino / iStock via Getty Images
6. Australia
> US citizens living in Australia: 116,620
> Change from 1990: 63,045 – #2 largest increase
> Pct. living in Australia out of all expats: 3.89%
> GNI per capita, 2020: $51,330 – #20 out of 135 countries
Source: wingmar / E+ via Getty Images
5. Germany
> US citizens living in Germany: 152,639
> Change from 1990: 52,804 – #4 largest increase
> Pct. living in Germany out of all expats: 5.09%
> GNI per capita, 2020: $55,770 – #14 out of 135 countries
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Source: Martin Wheeler / iStock via Getty Images
4. Puerto Rico
> US citizens living in Puerto Rico: 159,515
> Change from 1990: -67,968 – #1 largest decline
> Pct. living in Puerto Rico out of all expats: 5.32%
> GNI per capita, 2020: $24,000 – #51 out of 135 countries
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Source: Blackbeck / iStock via Getty Images
3. United Kingdom
> US citizens living in United Kingdom: 170,771
> Change from 1990: 28,953 – #9 largest increase
> Pct. living in United Kingdom out of all expats: 5.70%
> GNI per capita, 2020: $45,170 – #23 out of 135 countries
Source: Vincent_St_Thomas / iStock via Getty Images
2. Canada
> US citizens living in Canada: 273,226
> Change from 1990: 34,228 – #7 largest increase
> Pct. living in Canada out of all expats: 9.12%
> GNI per capita, 2020: $47,580 – #21 out of 135 countries
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1. Mexico
> US citizens living in Mexico: 799,248
> Change from 1990: 601,018 – #1 largest increase
> Pct. living in Mexico out of all expats: 26.68%
> GNI per capita, 2020: $18,150 – #61 out of 135 countries
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