Gen Z Parents Are Leaving America & Moving To These 3 Countries To Have Kids, According To New Survey
With everything going on in the United States, many prospective parents are choosing to have children elsewhere.
Shine Nucha | Shutterstock It’s no secret that the United States isn’t in a great place. No matter which side of the political divide you’re on, you’re bound to feel the effects of extreme animosity, a tanking economy, and concern for what's to come. Because of this, many people have found themselves feeling worried for the future youth of America. What kind of country will be left for them?
Some young parents are choosing to bypass this question entirely. A new survey showed that Gen Z parents are having children in other countries in increasing numbers. There are various reasons for where they’re choosing to go and why.
A new survey found that more Gen Z parents are giving birth abroad.
As many Gen Zers come of age and begin to settle down and start their own families, an interesting trend has emerged for the generation — they’re choosing to do so outside of the U.S. This is according to a survey performed by Greenback Expat Tax Services, who questioned 466 American expats, 18% of whom were Gen Z.
Overall, 54% of American expats reported giving birth in other countries. For Gen Z specifically, 28% have already had a child in another country, and another 63% were giving it serious consideration.
Obviously, having a child is no easy decision to make, no matter where you choose to do it. But, it would seem that giving birth in another country could potentially bring up even more nerves. 59% of Gen Z expats admitted to being concerned about having a child in the country they lived in, but they didn’t let that stop them, especially when they considered all of the factors that went into making that decision.
For those parents, their top consideration was “quality of medical care.” This was closely followed by “future citizenship benefits for my child,” “parental leave and government support,” and “cost of childbirth.” Unsurprisingly, 80% of parents found that it cost significantly less to have a child in another country.
Which countries are most Gen Z expats choosing to have children in?
Overall, the top three countries where Gen Zers living abroad had their children were the United Kingdom, Canada, and Australia. But, when specifically looking at the countries parents chose based on their citizenship benefits, the top three were the U.K., Canada, and Germany.
As the survey noted, “A child born abroad may gain dual citizenship in certain countries, opening doors to expanded travel, education, and work opportunities later in life.”
According to the Immigration Advice Service, for a child to hold dual citizenship in the U.K. or Germany, at least one parent must be a citizen of the country in which the child is born for them to automatically have citizenship. Otherwise, you may be able to apply for citizenship in those countries.
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In Canada, things are completely different. It is one of only two G7 countries to have birthright citizenship (the other being the U.S., of course). Therefore, if you are born in Canada, you are automatically a Canadian citizen.
Furthermore, the U.S. Department of State said that a child born in or out of wedlock to two U.S. citizens or just one U.S. citizen can obtain U.S. citizenship at birth.
Despite family pressure, Gen Z expats are still having children abroad.
Of the expats surveyed, 47% said they faced pressure from their families to return home to have their babies. Twenty-two percent chose to move forward with their plans to have their babies in another country, though. Another 75% said they chose to return home after having their babies for the relative ease of raising a child in a familiar country.
Even though it’s not easy to have a baby in a new country (or any country, for that matter), many families are finding hope in moving to new places to give their children a fresh start.
Mary-Faith Martinez is a writer with a bachelor’s degree in English and Journalism who covers news, psychology, lifestyle, and human interest topics.
