Nearly Two-Thirds of Young Americans Are Thinking About Getting the Heck Out of Here
America’s biggest export might soon be its own citizens. According to the American Psychological Association’s Stress in America 2025 survey, 63% of adults ages 18 to 34 have considered leaving the country this year because of “the state of the nation.” Among parents, more than half—53%—say the same.
These aren’t impulsive fantasies about Parisian cafés or permanent vacation visas. The study, conducted between August 4 and 24 among more than 3,000 adults, found that stress about the country’s future has hit a historic high. Seventy-five percent of Americans say they’re more worried about the direction of the nation than they used to be, and 76% call that fear a “significant source of stress.”
The anxiety isn’t limited to politics. Half of all adults reported feeling lonely, and 69% said they needed more emotional support this year than they received. “People are overwhelmed by societal division, technology, and uncertainty about what’s next,” said APA chief executive Arthur C. Evans Jr. “It’s affecting how they relate to each other and themselves.”
Almost Two-Thirds of Young Americans Are Thinking About Ditching the U.S. for Good
That division has started to show up physically. Among adults who named it a major stressor, 83% experienced physical symptoms in the past month, like headaches, fatigue, or anxiety, compared to 66% of those who didn’t. The same group was more likely to lose patience with family, cancel plans, or struggle to plan ahead.
AI is also creeping into the collective stress index. Fifty-seven percent of adults now say the rise of artificial intelligence adds to their anxiety, up from 49% last year. Among students, that number has nearly doubled to 78%. As automation expands and misinformation spreads, Americans are increasingly uneasy about how technology will reshape work, privacy, and even identity.
Still, the survey found that most people haven’t given up. Seventy-seven percent say they have some control over their personal futures, and 84% believe they can build good lives despite national instability. Family, friendships, and health remain top sources of meaning.
But optimism has its limits. Sixty-six percent of adults think they’ve sacrificed more than previous generations, and many feel the country isn’t keeping up its end of the bargain. For young Americans, especially, the American dream feels more like a relocation plan.
As stress levels rise and passports renew, the question hanging in the air isn’t whether they love their country, it’s whether they can still live in it.
Scottie's Playtime 
I can’t entirely blame them, it gets harder and harder to function at their accustomed level–but I would bet serious money that within a year most of them would be back…they’re only looking at Right Now. Not what happened before, or What this might mean later on…and where would they go? Wherever they go they’ll need a passport, possibly a new language skill, a new way to count money, and acceptance. Above all, acceptance in a foreign country.
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and this: “many feel the country isn’t keeping up its end of the bargain.” That comment intrigues me: the longer I look at it, the stranger it gets…
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Hi Judy. I agree that the country has not held up the job of working for the common good and the welfare of the public. The government in the constitution is charged with that.
This principle is articulated in the Preamble to the United States Constitution, which states that one of the government’s purposes is to “promote the general Welfare.” This reflects the Founding Fathers’ intention for the government to work for the benefit of all citizens.
But our government got captured by special interests of greed and profit. The special interests are a small minority of fundamentalist evangelical Christians who are working desperately to make the country follow their church doctrines to please their god enough to return for them, but makes the rest of us have to give up our desires / wants / needs / freedoms / thoughts / and civil rights to please those people. They can live anyway they wish and have their beliefs but they don’t have the right to oppress others making them live the same way. Us we have today. Hugs
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Hi Judy. Both Ron and I have wished we could move to an English speaking country. If we were in our 30s or younger we would try to go to Canada or Ireland. If I could really learn another language I would learn Spanish and go to a Spanish speaking countries. Our reasons are the respecting our rights as gay people and our marriage as a couple. The SCOTUS just turned down the chance to over tern same sex marriage by rejecting bigot Christian Kim Davis request to dismiss and undo her convictions and fines. But if they had taken away our marriage we would have to try to move. If we were still young and of working age we would love to have healthcare. So yes I can understand why young people would want to move to another country for a better life. For us it was not so much about tRump but how regressive and pushing to recreate the 1950s the US has become. Hugs
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