Brain drain latest: Number of Brits choosing to move abroad doubles
The rate at which UK taxpayers are moving abroad has more than doubled in the past three years, according to official data which experts warned could be understating the true speed of departures.
The average number of P85 forms submitted to HMRC per month rose from 2,500 in 2022 to as much as 5,150 per month this year, the body said, a rise that will expound fears the UK is undergoing a ‘brain drain‘ as an increasing number if citizens seek opportunities overseas.
UK taxpayers are supposed to submit the forms to HMRC when they choose to live or work abroad. And data from the tax authority showed the number of P85s it received accelerated dramatically in recent years.
Between 2024 and 2025, the number of forms submitted to the body rose by just shy of 30 per cent, in a sign the rate of departures from the UK accelerating in the face of spiralling rises to the cost-of-living and and a rapidly cooling jobs market.
Work-life balance and lower taxes
Bryan Myrie, director at Citrus Relocation, told City PM his firm was facilitating moves for a growing number of Brits who wanted better work-life-balance, lower taxes, or just sought somewhere with better weather.
“We see this as a clear indicator of the diverse needs within the international community,” he said.
Meanwhile Peter Ferrigno, director of tax services at Henley & Partners, warned the official figures will invariably understate the rate and level of departures from the UK.
“The P85 form isn’t mandatory, and people who file self-assessment returns often don’t complete them, this number is likely to only be part of the numbers leaving,” he said.
But the numbers will pile further scrutiny on Britain’s ability to stem its brain drain and retain some of its brightest and most ambitious citizens as relocating becomes increasingly easy and more widespread.
A recent poll from the Adam Smith Institute found that more than one in four 18-30 year olds were either heavily considering leaving or already making plans to emigrate.
Respondents overwhelmingly cited the UK’s supply-starved housing market and their generation’s financial struggles as driving their aspiration to move abroad and add to the UK’s brain drain worries.
Relocation comparison site Compare My Move said Spain – a traditionally popular destination for UK expats – remained the top destination for Brits looking to move abroad and work. Australia and the US were the second and third most sought after emigration targets.
“Spain being the top spot for British movers again is no surprise; the country has been a favourite for British ex-pats for decades, but it’s also one in which you may be tempted to work remotely from,” said David Sayce, the firm’s co-founder and managing director.