Remitly, a leading digital financial services provider for immigrants and their families, conducted a data study which reveals that Dubai is the number one city people want to relocate to, having topped the wish lists of an incredible 60 countries.
With the prospect of working and living abroad an enticing possibility for many, it’s no surprise that international migration has increased over the past five decades, standing at a historical high. Taking this into account, Remitly analysed global search data to find which cities are the most popular for relocation. This was achieved by ranking the annual search volumes for ‘move to (city)’, with the most searched for city by each country topping the rankings.
Dubai, the most populous city in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and famed for its year-round sunshine, tax-free salaries and growing multicultural population, proved a clear favourite amongst countries including Fiji, Denmark and the United Kingdom.
Globally, the coastal metropolis of Miami was the second most popular city for people to emigrate, whilst ‘The City of Love’ Paris ranks in third position as the preferred relocation destination of ten other nations.
The World’s Top 10 Relocations Cities:
| City | Number of countries that want to move here most |
| 1. Dubai | 60 |
| 2. Miami | 12 |
| 3. Paris | 10 |
| 4= New York City | 8 |
| 4= Madrid | 8 |
| 4= Singapore | 8 |
| 7= London | 6 |
| 7= Brussels | 6 |
| 9. Toronto | 3 |
| 10= Washington DC, Buenos Aires,Christchurch, Quebec City, Bogota, Portland, Vienna, Pheonix, Chicago | 2 |
With a vast array of job opportunities, growing infrastructure, excellent health care and education, and the prospect of no income tax, it’s clear why Dubai tops the list. As a result, the city, known affectionately as ‘The Jewel of the Desert’ has seen its population continue to swell, reaching 3.6 million for the first time in 2023.
People already based in the UAE and looking to move out of the country were found to be considering a move to the port city-state of Singapore in maritime Southeast Asia — another country with a low tax rate and excellent employment prospects.
Despite Dubai’s dominance as the world’s relocation city of choice, North America proved the most popular continent with eight cities from the US and Canada featuring in the top 10.
The full findings of the research are visualised in an easily navigable map, with each country’s dream relocation city clearly marked.
Jago McKenzie, Business Management Director at Remitly commented: “People are getting used to the idea of moving to another country at least once in their lifetime, whether that be for greater job prospects, a better quality of life or an increased salary to enable them to send money back home to their families. With that in mind, it’s not surprising that so many people around the world are searching for information about the city that could be their next home.
Dubai was a clear winner in our study, and with the plethora of employment prospects and lifestyle benefits it can offer, coupled with the fantastic weather, it’s not hard to see why. Whilst there are also some eternally popular cities such as Paris, New York and London on our list, it’s great to see some more surprising entries such as Portland, Toronto and Vienna. There are so many cities that offer great job prospects and high standards of living, the only difficulty is in selecting the one that suits you best.”
To view the map, full data from the study and for further regional breakdowns, visit: https://www.remitly.com/gb/en/landing/where-the-world-wants-to-live-cities