Record Number of Young Women Want to Leave the US

Pretty damning poll results from Gallup this week, and one that reflects broader trends in mobility: many people are unhappy with where they're at, and they want to move. Salient points from the article for me:

• Dramatic surge in younger women wanting to leave: 40% of American women aged 15-44 say they would permanently move abroad if they could in 2025, which is four times higher than the 10% who felt this way in 2014.
• Record gender gap: There's now a 21-percentage-point difference between younger women (40%) and younger men (19%) wanting to leave the U.S. It's the widest gap Gallup has ever recorded on this trend, and wider than any country had shown before 2025.
• Canada is the top destination: Among younger American women looking to leave, 11% name Canada as their preferred destination, followed by New Zealand, Italy, and Japan (all at 5%). This aligns well with Canada continuing to be top 3 destinations each year for US Expats (see here).
• Political polarization plays a major role: Only 4% of those who approve of the country's leadership want to leave, while 29% of Americans who disapprove of the country's leadership desire to migrate. This gender-agnostic split is much higher than the historical average and suggests an overall population that has become increasingly politicized.
• Institutional confidence has plummeted: Younger women's confidence in national institutions (government, military, judiciary, election integrity) has dropped 17 points since 2015. While this is a broader trend for pretty much all of Gen Z, this is a steeper decline than any other demographic group, with judicial system confidence falling furthest from 55% to 32%. I have to imagine overturning Roe v. Wade was a major reason for the drop.

Overall a pretty bleak but accurate look at what many of my friends stateside, especially women, are feeling.