A fascinating reworked world map reveals which country each population would most like to relocate to for a fresh start – and it’s Canada that’s the runaway winner.
On the map – generated using Google search data – country names have been supplemented by its residents’ most yearned-for spot to emigrate to.
Canada tops 30 wish lists, including for Britain, Mexico and France.
WHERE THE WORLD WANTS TO MOVE TO – THE TOP 10
1. Canada – 30 countries want to move here
2. Japan – 13 countries
3. Spain – 12 countries
4. Germany – 8 countries
5. Qatar – 6 countries
6. Australia – 5 countries
7. Switzerland – 4 countries
8. Portugal – 3 countries
9= USA – 2 countries
9= United Kingdom – 2 countries
The runner-up spot following Canada is occupied by Japan, the relocation destination of choice for 13 nations, including America, Australia and Canada.
Spain comes third, with 12 nations naming it as the best spot for a new life, including six South American countries – Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Chile, Bolivia and Argentina – and Sweden and Finland.
The map has been drawn up by financial services provider Remitly, which looked at search data from Google for 100 countries.
It created a ranking by looking at average monthly search volumes for phrases commonly associated with a move abroad and the most-searched-for locations within the 100 countries.
It says that Canada, known for its friendly locals, beautiful scenery and well-paid job prospects, proves a clear favorite for relocation for everywhere from Qatar and the Seychelles to Belgium.
The firm added: ‘Featuring prominently in the Global Peace Index as one of the safest places to live, and boasting low unemployment rates alongside a high amount of immigration options, it’s arguably no surprise that Canada is head and shoulders above the rest of the world.’
The rest of Remitly’s ‘where the world wants to move’ top 10 ranking comprises Germany in fourth with eight countries wanting to move there the most, Qatar in fifth place (six countries), Australia in sixth (five countries), Switzerland in seventh (four countries), Portugal in eighth (three countries) and the USA and UK are joint ninth (two countries).
As well as a world map, Remitly has also produced regional breakdown maps that show the most-yearned-for emigration locations.
In Europe, Germans are longing for a move to Switzerland, Spaniards are keen to live in France while Greeks would love to pack up and settle in Germany, according to the map.
Moving to North America, those in Jamaica fancy a move north to Canada, Costa Ricans would love to up sticks and move to Spain while people on the island of St Lucia would most like to relocate to the UK.
When it comes to the Oceania region, those in New Zealand chose Fiji as the place they’d most like to relocate to and those in Fiji chose New Zealand.
Russians are keen on a big move to the United States while Qatar is the most-yearned-for destination for a fresh start for Saudi Arabians and the Japanese fancy a move to Britain, the Asia map shows.
The map for Africa reveals that South Africans would most like to live in top-ranked Canada, Moroccans’ most favoured destination for relocation is Turkey and Egyptians would like to live and work in Oman.
Jago McKenzie, business manager at Remitly, said: ‘Some of the main reasons people seek a move to another country are for greater job prospects, better pay, quality of life and to send money back home to their families, and I think for many, 2020 has been a year for assessing the choices that could change our lives for the better.
‘With that in mind, I wasn’t surprised to see that many are searching for this change and potentially thinking about making it when worldwide travel resumes.
‘While Canada topped the list, it was encouraging to see the variety of where different nationalities are looking to move to, with many places home to great job prospects with high earning potential.
‘With the need for digital remittance services for immigrants even more important after the pandemic, we hope we’ll be able to make any transition smoother.’