Should You Move Out of the USA if Possible?

There are many considerations here: one’s age, occupation, income, family status, foreign language abilities, potential destination, etc. Clearly moving to Central Africa would be unwise but what about moving to a country notably better in terms of happiness? One could consult the UN’s World Happiness Report where the US was ranked #17 and move to a happier country like Denmark or Sweden. (See http://www.ibtimes.com/worlds-happies...)

But it isn’t that simple. If one didn’t speak the language of the destination country then one would be isolated. So for our purposes let’s consider English-speaking developed countries, the kind that a US citizen might reasonably consider like Canada, England, Australia or New Zealand. Suppose you were a young married couple with a newborn considering such a move and you could get a job transfer to one of these countries. Would it be wise to do so?

In some respects it obviously would. The chances your child would be the victim of sexual assault or gun violence for example would drop dramatically. And if you were concerned about economic equality or a strong social safety net,  all of the above countries would be more aligned with your values than in the USA’s “winner-take-all” society. Still, suppose you had to leave extended family in the move? Would it be worth it then?

Consider the following thought experiment. Suppose you had to live in terrible conditions, say in a concentration camp or one of the worst countries in the world but surrounded your loved ones, or you could move by yourself to Denmark, the world’s happiest country, where you had a good job and spoke the language fluently. In that case moving to Denmark is the obvious choice, and anyone who loved you would encourage you to move.

Now suppose the move was between a country where your loved ones were to a country you thought a little bit better to live in but to which you family could not move? (Let’s say you could still see your loved ones once a year or so.) In that case most would probably stay put. The benefits of the support and comfort of grandparents, aunts, and uncles, would probably outweigh moving to a slightly better country.

Of course all of this depends on your best estimate of a country’s future. In the case of the US, increasing social corruption and political dysfunction make the future seem bleak but, on the other hand, it is nearly impossible to predict future trends. In the end  then we make life’s decisions with imperfect information; that is the state of the world that we must accept. And all advice is imperfect too.

With that caveat in mind I would advise all young people to seriously consider emigrating from the US if they have the chance, especially if their loved ones could accompany them. After observing trends over the last 50 years I believe America will increasingly become a worse place to live, except for the very wealthy. But I could be wrong.