home
Menu
Create
Random
0
0
0
thumbnail

Most Desired Destinations for Potential Migrants

According to a Gallup survey, an estimated 640 million people say they would like to leave their country permanently. Guess the 15 most popular countries they would like to emigrate to.
Based on this survey, which was taken between 2009 and 2011
Quiz by relessness
Rate:
Featured Quiz
Last updated: December 9, 2019
You have not attempted this quiz yet.
More quiz info >>
First submittedNovember 28, 2016
Times taken45,836
Average score80.0%
Rating4.85
Quiz and answer stats >>
Friends stats >>
4:00
Enter country here
0
 / 15 guessed
The quiz is paused. You have remaining.
Scoring
You scored / = %
This beats or equals % of test takers also scored 100%
The average score is
Your high score is
Your fastest time is
Keep scrolling down for answers and more stats ...
#
Country
150 mil
United States
45 mil
United Kingdom
42 mil
Canada
32 mil
France
31 mil
Saudi Arabia
#
Country
26 mil
Australia
26 mil
Germany
25 mil
Spain
18 mil
Italy
13 mil
United Arab Emirates
#
Country
12 mil
Japan
9 mil
Switzerland
8 mil
South Africa
6 mil
Russia
6 mil
Sweden
Suggested Quizzes See all >>
Countries that Start with B
Countries that Start with E
Countries that Start with I
NBA MVPs Quiz
More from relessness See all >>
100 Biggest U.S. Cities on a Map
Most Appealing Cities for Working Abroad
Geography by Picture - R
Countries Bordering France
85 Comments
Denfisksson
+30
Level 53
Nov 28, 2016
Saudi Arabia, Incredible!
buck1017
+14
Level 78
Dec 9, 2016
I figured there had to be at least one "stable" middle eastern nation for the rest of the political refugees in the area to get to without having to travel very far. Maybe Saudi Arabia and UAE are on the list for that reason.
QRU
+7
Level 74
Dec 9, 2016
The survey is of 2011, so I guess not. But I believe, for some muslims it would be appealing to live near their most holy cities.
tschutzer
+19
Level 92
Dec 10, 2016
UAE is the land of opportunity for Indian migrants, especially. Tons of high-paying jobs, safe, modern, very low taxes, and just about as Western as you can get in that part of the world. Something like 90% of the population there are expatriates from other countries.
Quizmaster
+5
Level ∞
Dec 10, 2016
Yeah. I imagine that a lot people polled in South Asia know people who emigrated to UAE or Saudi Arabia and are sending back checks. But a desire to emigrate to Japan is kind of strange since Japan doesn't really allow immigration.
Tramp
+14
Level 76
Feb 22, 2017
@ Quizmaster Regarding immigration laws don't matter - the question is just asking "where would you like to move permanently". If you asked me "would you like to be a billionaire", I'd answer yes. It's unlikely to ever happen, but I'd still like it.

Also, plenty of people live Permanently in Japan. Citizenship is rarer, but there are plenty of long term/permanent expats throughout all of East Asia.

kalbahamut
+15
Level 81
Feb 24, 2017
Saudi Arabia accepts almost zero refugees. People don't go there because they're fleeing ISIS. They go there to work or to be close to Mecca. Most refugees fleeing the Middle East don't want to stay in the Middle East. They want to get to the United States or Germany or the UK. Of those that flee to neighboring countries, a large portion end up in Jordan. And huge numbers have funneled in to Turkey. But those that go to Turkey usually try to keep going on to Greece and then to the EU. Saudi Arabia is a dead end, and... I think most residents of the Middle East don't have a very high opinion of the place anyway. Most of the expats there come from South or SouthEast Asia or Africa.
TheLonelyAlula
+1
Level 55
Aug 25, 2024
I don't know what the situation was like in 2017, but an estimated 5% of the population of Saudi Arabia are refugees according to the Saudi government and UNHCR. Which is a lot higher than any western country. Although a lot of refugees seem to be treated as foreign workers in instead. So, definitely not almost zero refugees.
kaislash
+5
Level 53
May 4, 2022
@QRU

It's probably not about living near the holy cities, most Muslims either don't go there at all or only go there once in their lifetime. It's more about jobs, there are a lot of expats working in the Gulf countries, most of whom come from south and southeast Asia.

@kalbahamut

Syrian here, a lot of refugees aren't able to reach European countries, which is why Turkey, Lebanon, and Jordan host the largest numbers of Syrian refugees.

WolfCam
+7
Level 66
Feb 22, 2017
Honestly compared to the rest of the Middle East, the Arabian Peninsula is considerably more stable,
ponnuki
+22
Level 58
Mar 6, 2017
With the exception of Yemen, I guess.
HydratedMite
+1
Level 67
Dec 8, 2023
So just the Gulf States (apart from Iraq but like 50 km coastline isn't much)
kalbahamut
+8
Level 81
Feb 22, 2017
People go to Saudi Arabia mostly either for the high pay checks and no taxes, or because they are deluded Muslims who believe that the land of Muhammad is going to be some kind of paradise untouched by the evils of Western/American decadence. About 95% are in for a seriously rude awakening when they get there, while the other 5% somehow manage to live with their heads in the sand the whole time. Those ones always irritated the hell out of me.
kalbahamut
+2
Level 81
Feb 22, 2017
Also Saudis don't like to work so they recruit heavily in other countries... and in places like Bangladesh, India, the Philippines, Egypt, or Sudan it's quite likely that people have a friend or family member who got a job there.
IsleAuHaulte
+2
Level 90
Jul 1, 2018
Money. You know you're coming from somewhere bad or a pure misogynist if Saudi Arabia seems perfect.
Quizmaster
+3
Level ∞
Dec 9, 2016
Japan is the country that surprises me the most!
Tramp
+24
Level 76
Dec 9, 2016
Why? It's rich, clean, well developed, and a lot of people are interested in Japanese culture.
Djilas
+3
Level 83
Dec 10, 2016
But people who wish to emigrate there don't know this yet
caribdevist
+20
Level 61
Dec 11, 2016
The Japanese are some of the most xenophobic people on Earth.
Tailin
+2
Level 48
Dec 28, 2016
That is not true
kalbahamut
+7
Level 81
Feb 22, 2017
The Japanese are some of the friendliest people on Earth. So many times in Tokyo people would just stop and ask me if I needed any help with anything. And Japan is a great country; Tokyo an amazing city; with a culture as pervasive and attractive as any other except of course for America's. One of the most successful economies in the world. No surprise at all that people would want to move there.
morequizzes4u
+19
Level 33
Feb 22, 2017
That doesn't change the fact that they are xenophobic. Only they do not tell it to your face, because they are polite.
manchesterutd10
+11
Level 58
Feb 22, 2017
Only .2% of asylum applications in Japan are accepted...there is extreme reluctance there when accepting refugees
FinlandForever19
+12
Level 83
Feb 22, 2017
That's probably why there are never any terrorist attacks in Japan. Or skyrocketing rape rates.
Yamaneko
+17
Level 72
Feb 22, 2017
Bernard62601 -> In 1995, Aum Shinrikyo gased the Tokyo Metro with sarin. Not a lot of deaths or critical injuries but it impaired roughly 5,000 people for days. This sect also tried to bring some Ebola strain in an "humanitarian mission" from Zaire, in the hope of farming it and release it. The Japanese Red Army was also responsible of some hijackings and killings. So you see that even the arguably most secure country in the world can breed its own terrorist threats.
kalbahamut
+2
Level 81
May 17, 2019
This quiz is not on the subject of which countries are most willing to accept refugees or hand out citizenship, it's about which countries people would like to move to if they could. And it makes perfect sense why people might like to move to Japan, given my explanation. Very nice place to live. Nice people. Clean. Modern. Vibrant attractive culture. Pervasive popular culture. Fairly strong economy. It's surprising that anyone would be surprised by this.
obi500
+5
Level 26
Sep 22, 2017
I'm currently living in Japan, and xenophobic is a word I would never use in describing Japanese people. That said, they're so homogenized that they are often clueless to the world outside a lot of the time. That said, from working in a school, they are (or at least my schools are) trying very hard to change this and educate their children with a more international understanding. They do live in this 'Japanese bubble'; for example, the people I work with think foreign people are interested in Japanese culture because it's such a mystery to them. Likewise, they can be clueless about other cultures, but they're always interested and want to learn more about them. I can't speak about government policies, but Japanese people tend to shy away from politics and expressing their own opinions, hence no outcry to let more people in.
KanzazKyote
+5
Level 89
Mar 11, 2020
I'm assuming you are white and either American or European, and know little about how Japanese people really think, like many expats. Japanese people love Americans because 1. They know Americans have no interest in immigrating and ruining their culture and 2. they still are grateful that America did not kill everyone in Japan like they thought they would.

In reality, Japanese are incredibly racist towards the rest of us Asians, mainly Koreans due to the fact that there are so many there but also Chinese people. It is not fun. They are unapologetic for the war, snobby, and generally unpleasant people to be around.

TheKindCowboy
+1
Level 55
Mar 28, 2023
Japan had a pretty rough history with Korea
alburquirky
+4
Level 56
Dec 10, 2016
To all potential migrants to the UK, be warned! It is not the land of milk and honey that some perceive it to be.
relessness
+6
Level 46
Dec 11, 2016
You can say that to pretty much every Western country.
travelfan
+14
Level 67
Dec 12, 2016
Of pretty much every country period, western or not.
sleekcollins
+4
Level 68
Feb 22, 2017
But are faaaaaar better than most for any hardworking individual, opportunity-wise. That's the difference. I would know, as I am one of those immigrants.
kalbahamut
+6
Level 81
Sep 21, 2017
Not true. Americans love dairy.
divantilya
+3
Level 36
Mar 18, 2018
Why anyone would choose to live in the UK over France or Monaco is beyond me. Have you tasted their food?!
Berney
+8
Level 82
Nov 20, 2018
You obviously havent tasted enough to make a rational comment. Good British food would compare just as favourably with good food from the other countries you mention.
akbadry
+5
Level 51
Jun 13, 2020
I've never understood this stereotype that British have bad food. Ignore the traditional stuff, go to the restaurants there and see what the supermarkets are selling. The food offered is varied and delicious.
JackintheBox
+2
Level 80
Mar 3, 2021
In addition to that I love 'traditional food' like fish and chips, shepherd's pie, bangers and mash etc...
LuigiDood227
+1
Level 64
Oct 25, 2021
Theres not enough room in Monaco
FlickerP
+2
Level 74
Apr 6, 2022
I have had excellent food in the UK and terrible food in France, as well as vice versa. Most British people do not have a full English every morning or fish and chips every evening any more than the French live on a diet of snails and frogs legs or Americans eat hot dogs and donuts on a daily basis. Stereotypes are easy to use as the norm. As for Monaco, check out the property prices and see if it is a reality for many
TheKindCowboy
+1
Level 55
Mar 28, 2023
That's what I was gonna say. Monaco is way to expensive for the average person. Not to mention they can only have so many people before it loses its charm.
kapulani3
+13
Level 74
Dec 11, 2016
The biggest problem I see with people who want to emigrate to other countries is most don't seem to want to integrate. They want the new country to bend to their culture, then trying to integrate the culture that they were emigrating from. Maybe people should consider that the culture as a whole that they are leaving is part of the reason those countries are in such as state that would make them want to leave.
samiamco
+24
Level 69
Dec 13, 2016
You're watching too much Fox News.
chondrichthyess
+12
Level 61
Dec 20, 2016
"You're watching too much Fox News"

This exact outlook towards migrants is what got 13 people killed and 50+ wounded in Berlin, and several people shot in Switzerland yesterday. These people want to destroy the West and the West refuses to acknowledge the problem.

Gamer1162
+6
Level 59
Dec 25, 2016
And I assume you watch too much CNN.
CaoMaru
+20
Level 49
Jan 31, 2019
Tinkle Pork. You do realise that most terrorists are actually born and bred in the country they commit the crime in. It is extremely rare for immigrants or refugees (yes, there is a big difference), to commit crimes in countries they come to, and in fact, they benefit the economy enormously, and are far less likely than the original inhabitants to lean on welfare systems.
Gamer1162
+4
Level 59
Dec 25, 2016
This statement can be seen especially applied to Germany.
Jerry928
+2
Level 76
Feb 22, 2017
No it can't, because that story about of refugees-out-of-control in Germany at Christmas has been outed as a lie. It was fake news about something that never happened.
Quizmaster
+4
Level ∞
Feb 22, 2017
@Jerry, I think you are confusing the New Years attacks (real) with the Christmas attacks (fake).
RJF
+1
Level 63
Oct 25, 2022
The New Year's attacks were real, but the number of rapes on that day was 3, while the average is about 7500 per year in Germany. Of course each case is tragic, but that single event was blown massively out of proportion because it involved refugees. So the idea that refugees have made Germany measurably more unsafe, and that the New Year's attacks would be a clear indication of that, is false.
relessness
+9
Level 46
Jan 2, 2017
I wouldn't say most don't want to integrate, I do know what you mean. Head to the Spanish coast, and it is full of British people who do little integration with the locals.
Malbaby
+3
Level 70
Feb 22, 2017
The major problem with tourist regions such as the Spanish Coast that you mention, is that the locals want the trade and the money, they just don't want to be bothered with a gang of foreigners. The tourists want the sunshine and relaxed life, they just don't want to be bothered with a gang of foreigners.
sensfan123
+3
Level 22
Mar 3, 2017
Yup, they come and take welfare, but don't contribute.
CaoMaru
+9
Level 49
May 27, 2019
That's not true, and statistics will prove my point.
rabble
+1
Level 68
Jul 16, 2024
Look for data. Why is data so hard to find. It's available, it answers questions. You want it, I want it, why isn't it easy to find?

Here's some for Denmark, 2022:

https://www.statbank.dk/statbank5a/SelectVarVal/Define.asp?MainTable=STRFNA14&PLanguage=1&PXSId=0&wsid=cftree

Danes committed 773 sexual offenses. Immigrants and their descendants 260.

Immigrants committed more than 15% of the violent crime. More than 15% of the assaults of public officials. Almost half of the public disturbances. 25% of the murders. 25% of the shoplifting. 17% of the fraud. Over 10% of the malicious damage to property. 25% of the perjury. 16% of all traffic violations. 15% of the drunk driving.

Who's telling you that immigrants don't commit crimes? Why isn't the media reporting it? How many public resources do you think it takes to cite someone for a traffic violation - let alone assault, rape, murder? Without insultingly waving away the damage to that victim's family and community?

Jerry928
+3
Level 76
Feb 22, 2017
It would be interesting to see the total number of people wanting to leave each country, then recalculate all countries' populations assuming all these wished-for moves happened.
Epicx
+1
Level 22
Feb 22, 2017
We will see USA from that Trump, I bet that Canada + UK would get a lot bigger
CaoMaru
+1
Level 49
Aug 26, 2018
If the terrible brexit goes ahead the UK will become less appealing.
BlackpilledAnglo
+1
Level 68
Feb 3, 2020
If you don't like the UK, go away to France.
CaoMaru
+4
Level 49
Jun 25, 2021
You can like the UK and not like Brexit. Just saying. On another note, it was Brexit that ruined the ability to do just that....
BlackJohn
+1
Level 75
Feb 2, 2023
The UK is fine, the English on the other hand..
kalbahamut
+1
Level 81
Feb 22, 2017
I thought I commented on this before.. ? but the methodology for this survey is very flawed IMO. There are huge disparities in the representation of certain areas. They use different methods to survey in different places. Many countries are left out. etc.
relessness
+1
Level 46
Feb 22, 2017
Yeah I'm sure there are many flaws. Still interesting though, and you can't beat the usual comments of globalists vs isolationists. I think you commented on a different quiz, the one about most popular cities to move to.
kalbahamut
+1
Level 81
Feb 22, 2017
perhaps.
kalbahamut
+1
Level 81
Feb 22, 2017
I seem to recall the methodology being even more seriously flawed than this polls'... so that makes sense. It might have been different polls.
matt78
+4
Level 33
Feb 22, 2017
I've know hundreds of immigrants to the US. I don't know any that don't want to become an Americans. They typically like to keep their religious customs and family traditions. But, they all want to wear jeans and tee shirts and shop at malls and go to chain restaurants. If the US was the horrible place that it is often painted to be, I have to suppose the immigration "problem" would fix itself. It all boils down to whether American citizens want the government to require immigrants to be here legally, or turn a blind eye to those here illegally. At the end of the day, the US is far from perfect. However, it does offer a better way of life than many face in their home countries.
FinlandForever19
+1
Level 83
Feb 22, 2017
It seems we have a much better system than Europe. They just let people pour in, must of whom are young men and aren't Syrian.
CaoMaru
+6
Level 49
Aug 26, 2018
So you'd only accept a small number of refugees and then leave the rest to potentially die. Very humanitarian of you.
ketchupkawawa
+1
Level 51
Feb 22, 2017
I got all of them except Italy... Ugh
raneman11
+2
Level 67
Feb 22, 2017
150 million, or a little less than 50% of the current US population. Yeah, I imagine that would go swimmingly. It's so terrible that we have a president who has no interest in allowing anything like that to happen, then we could be as great as Canada or Sweden
fuanacdc
+4
Level 86
Feb 23, 2017
I've got to imagine if the data were complete, South Korea would make the list.
Canuckquizzer1981
+3
Level 64
Feb 23, 2017
Crazy when you think that the number of people who want to immigrate to Canada is actually higher than the current population of Canada! Bring em on! We could use some more people up here.
JBrommit
+2
Level 65
Feb 24, 2017
Then a 90%-immigrant Toronto will take up the entirety of Southern Ontario, because nobody ever wants to go anywhere ELSE when they arrive. Except maybe Vancouver and they're even worse off than Toronto is right now regarding being able to actually afford to live there and finding some actual born-here Canadians living in it that aren't just attending school. I like my Canada sparsely populated and wild, thanks.
divantilya
+1
Level 36
Mar 18, 2018
It is my understanding that the waiting list to get into Canada is huge and the criteria for admission as an immigrant virtually guarantees rejection.
Carry
+3
Level 63
Mar 6, 2017
I think some people are confusing refugees with immigrants. And a poll with reality. Just because people say they'd like to leave their country doesn't mean they will and vice versa.
CaoMaru
+3
Level 49
Jul 30, 2018
Agreed. Confusing refugees with immigrants is one of the biggest problems today. Some people seemingly just cannot understand the difference.
palstek
+1
Level 52
Feb 12, 2019
Haha, Switzerland gonna more than double the population then!
GeoDude
+2
Level 47
Feb 21, 2019
Sweden should probably be higher, I think. (not a Swede)

Also Holland/Belgium.

andreidomata
+2
Level 27
Oct 5, 2019
wtf saudi arabia
surya474
+1
Level 15
Feb 10, 2021
It's very popular among people looking for jobs in the subcontinent (India and neighbours), also Muslim holy destination.
elcampeador
+2
Level 79
May 24, 2023
(per Google) 38.4% of Saudi Arabia is made up of immigrants, and nearly all are temporary workers. The Arabian Peninsula is a popular destination for South Asian workers, despite the working conditions. There has been a lot written about it. The holy sites do not come into it.
MassLumpBlockClod
+1
Level 84
Aug 5, 2022
When I was struggling to get the 15th answer I typed in Fiji because of the Truman Show but apparently not enough people share Truman's desire to emigrate there. It seems like a more pleasant option than some of the ones that made the list.

I'm guessing many people who took the survey can't do the Countries of the World Quiz as easily as JetPunk users and aren't aware of all the options, especially for Pacific island nations.

MCdoesgeography
+3
Level 69
Aug 16, 2023
As with most quizzes on this site, kalbahamut needs to stfu
SMFlex
+2
Level 54
Jan 25, 2024
Kalbahamut left JetPunk because of people like you, so you won’t need to worry about that anymore.
MCdoesgeography
+1
Level 69
Dec 19, 2023
No Netherlands? Surprising.
Save Your Progress

Copyright H Brothers Inc, 2008–2024

Contact Us | Go To Top | View Mobile Site