New research from The TEFL Academy argues that young Britons are leaving the UK earlier in life as economic pressure and changing career expectations reshape decisions about work and mobility. Drawing together official migration data, labour market evidence, and survey findings among adults aged 18 to 34, the report concludes that under-35 emigration is increasingly being driven by Gen Z rather than older Millennials.
According to the report, departures among Britons aged 20 to 29 reached between 130,000 and 140,000 in the year to June 2025, compared with around 92,000 to 95,000 in 2018. Over the same period, emigration among people in their early 30s fell from roughly 78,000 to 81,000 in 2018 to between 55,000 and 65,000 in 2025. That points to a marked change in timing, with relocation decisions now happening earlier rather than being delayed into people’s 30s.
The broader pattern is significant. Citing analysis from the Migration Observatory at the University of Oxford, the report states that about 195,000 Britons under 35 left the UK in the past year, equivalent to 76% of all British emigrants. It also points to the post-pandemic rebound in long-term migration, arguing that international mobility among younger adults has not simply recovered, but shifted structurally.
Survey responses in the report place cost-of-living pressure at the centre of that shift. More than 86% of respondents agreed that UK wages do not reflect living costs, around 79% said they feel constant financial pressure in the UK, and respondents rated the impact of the cost of living on their ability to progress at 4.29 out of 5 on average. Optimism about their long-term future in the country was rated at 2.44 out of 5.
The research also frames mobility less as a gap-year impulse and more as a career strategy. Among respondents aged 18 to 34 who were already interested in international work, 33% said they had already moved abroad, 26% were actively planning to move, and 30% were seriously considering it. Asia was the most popular destination among those considering relocation, at 47%, followed by Europe on 26%, and Australia or New Zealand on 17%.
Rhyan O’Sullivan, Managing Director at The TEFL Academy, said: “Young Britons aren’t running away from the UK, they’re running toward opportunity. For many graduates, teaching English abroad offers a practical way to gain international experience, improve quality of life and build global careers.”
Teaching English abroad is presented in the report as one of the more accessible international career routes for graduates and young professionals, particularly because qualifications can be completed online and applied across multiple regions.
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