Top 3 Destinations for France Expats (2023 Data via 2025 OECD Report)

The report estimates that 104,000 French citizens left for other OECD countries in 2023, down 5% from the year before. That's the same number as the US, by the way.

All three are neighbors. No surprises there. Switzerland's combination of proximity, high wages, and shared language makes it the obvious first pick for French expats.

So if the French are headed to Switzerland, Spain, and Belgium, where are those countries sending their people?

Emigration of Swiss citizens (to OECD countries) was 9,700 in 2023. ~22% went to Spain, 20% to Germany, and 7% to the Netherlands.

Emigration of Spanish citizens (to OECD countries) was 80,000 in 2023. ~18% went to Germany, 13% to the Netherlands, and 12% to France.

Emigration of Belgian citizens (to OECD countries) was 28,000 in 2023. ~28% went to France, 21% to Spain, and 12% to the Netherlands.