Why 40% Of Young U.S. Women Say They'd Move Abroad — And What It Reveals About Work, Care And Culture

A growing share of young American women say they would leave the United States permanently if they could. A Gallup poll in November found that 40% of U.S. women ages 15–44 would emigrate given the opportunity — a rate roughly ten times higher than in 2014 and not mirrored among other U.S. demographic groups or by young women in many other advanced economies.

When And Why The Impulse Grew

Gallup’s data show the trend gained momentum after the summer of 2016 and continued through the Biden presidency. The poll also found a 25-point gap between women who approve of the nation's leadership and those who do not, suggesting politics — including reactions to the Trump era — is an important factor for many.

Practical Pressures: Work, Child Care And Health

But the desire to leave is often expressed in practical, nonpartisan terms. Many interviewees describe seeking a better work-life balance, more generous parental supports and a social safety net that treats child care and health care as rights rather than commodities.

“There’s not a strong work-life balance in the U.S. … I wanted to live somewhere with a different pace, different cultures, and learn a new language,” said a 31-year-old who moved from Los Angeles to Lisbon.

Child care costs in the U.S. can consume the salary of at least one parent, pushing many women out of paid work. Federal parental-leave protections are limited, and maternal health outcomes in the U.S. lag those of other high-income nations. After the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022, some women cited restrictions on reproductive care as a decisive reason to relocate.

Cultural Alternatives: Expatriation And The "Trad Wife"

For some, leaving the country feels like a direct response to these structural problems. For others, the solution takes a different form: leaving the paid workforce in favor of an idealized domestic life popularized online as the "trad wife" aesthetic.

Trad-wife creators present a highly curated vision of homemaking — sunlit kitchens, handmade breakfasts and a calm, orderly routine — sometimes mixed with conservative social or religious messaging. The movement started trending around 2016 and expanded during the pandemic, when many people began to romanticize domestic routines.

A 2025 King’s College London study found that while only a small share of female viewers (7%) endorsed men as sole household decision-makers, 79% were attracted to the calm, relaxed lifestyle that trad-wife videos project. The most successful creators can monetize this aesthetic, blurring the lines between unpaid domestic labor and paid creative work.

Shared Impulse: Escape From An Unforgiving System

Read together, the expatriate impulse and the trad-wife fantasy reveal a common desire: an escape from the choices that U.S. social and economic structures force on women — namely, choosing between caregiving and paid work or accepting both at the cost of personal well-being.

Over the past decade, women have pursued legal action, public testimony and political organizing to address harassment, discrimination and gaps in care. Still, many activists and observers see limited systemic change so far. That frustration helps explain why some women now imagine opting out — by emigrating or by retreating into curated domestic life — as the most viable path to dignity and balance.

What This Might Mean

• Policymakers focused on retention will need to address tangible costs: child care affordability, parental leave, maternal health and reproductive rights.
• Cultural trends show that aesthetic appeal (calm mornings, ritualized domesticity) can be as persuasive as political messaging.
• Whether through migration or lifestyle change, this moment reflects a broader reckoning with how societies value care and paid labor.