Canada Is University Grads' Dream Destination 🇨🇦

What We're Showing

The top 20 most attractive countries for university graduates in 2010-12, 2013-15, 2016-18, and 2021-23, ranked by The Economist's "Footloose index."

The index is based on data from the Gallup World Poll, an annual survey of 150,000 people around the world, and asks if people want to move abroad and, if so, where.

Only respondents who said they had completed an undergraduate degree were included.

The first graphic shows rankings by potential total net immigration, while the second graphic shows potential net immigration relative to each country's existing graduate population (e.g., a 100% increase means doubling the current number of graduates through migration).

Key Takeaways

• Canada has fluctuated between first and third place since 2010 as the place most graduates would want to move to.
• By per graduate net immigration, New Zealand has been the destination of choice since 2010.
• Portugal saw one of the biggest jumps in rankings, rising from 24th in 2010 to 13th 2023 in total rankings, and 25th in 2010 to eighth in 2023 in per graduate rankings. The country has focused heavily on positioning itself as an attractive base for remote workers, with polices like the Digital Nomad Visa.