A recent Gallup survey has revealed a concerning trend: a record number of young American women are contemplating leaving the United States for good. The survey indicates that 40 percent of women aged 15 to 44 expressed a desire to move abroad if given the opportunity. This figure starkly contrasts with just 19 percent of men in the same age group, highlighting the largest gender disparity ever recorded by Gallup on this issue.
The roots of this trend go back over a decade. In 2014, only 17 percent of young women stated they wanted to leave the country. Interest surged in 2016, coinciding with the tail end of former President Barack Obama’s second term, and this sentiment has persisted through the subsequent Trump and Biden administrations. The data reveals a broader pattern: more and more women feel disenchanted with life in the U.S.
Interestingly, marital status and parenthood have become less significant predictors of this desire to leave. Between 2024 and 2025, 41 percent of married women and 45 percent of unmarried women indicated they wanted to relocate abroad. Notably, this is a significant jump from the previous year, where these figures stood at 22 percent and 38 percent, respectively. Older women are following suit, though at a much lower rate than their younger counterparts. In 2025, 14 percent of women over 45 expressed the desire to leave, surpassing the 8 percent of men in that age group. In 2024, a mere 6 percent of older women shared this sentiment compared to 14 percent of their male peers.
This shift in attitudes among young women is also reflected in recent elections. For instance, young women backed Democratic candidates in significant numbers, with support percentages reaching 81 percent for candidates like Abigail Spanberger in Virginia, Mikie Sherrill in New Jersey, and 84 percent for Zohran Mamdani in New York City, according to NBC News exit polls. On the flip side, young men showed less enthusiasm for Democratic candidates, backing Spanberger by 58 percent, Sherrill by 57 percent, and Mamdani by 67 percent. Nationally, nearly 60 percent of young women identified as or leaned toward Democrats, in stark contrast to 39 percent of men.
Underlying these observations is a troubling decline in trust towards America’s foundational institutions among younger women. Gallup’s findings show that since 2015, this demographic has seen the steepest drop in trust in the government, judiciary, military, and elections, plummeting by 17 points overall. Particularly following the Supreme Court’s 2022 decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, confidence in the courts took a significant hit, falling from 55 percent to just 32 percent.
The data paints a picture of disillusionment among young women in America. Their desire to leave reflects not only personal discontent but also a larger shift in trust and confidence in the nation’s institutions. As the country navigates these cultural and political changes, the implications of these sentiments among young women will likely resonate for years to come.
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