The world’s rich are migrating overseas in unprecedented numbers driven economic, tax and lifestyle factors, according to a new report.

The report, an analysis of investment migration sentiment by Forbes Magazine, says rich people and entrepreneurs are increasingly opting to move countries, reshaping financial flows and national competitiveness worldwide.

The report says 142,000 millionaires moved to new countries last year, with that number predicted to rise to around 165,000 in 2026 – the highest annual global relocation of high-net-worth individuals on record.

The United Arab Emirates is the leading destination for wealthy migrants, with an estimated net influx of nearly 10,000 millionaires in 2025, largely due to generous tax concessions.

The US also remains a popular destination, welcoming more than 7,000 affluent newcomers annually; many through long-standing investment-linked programs that offer permanent residency in exchange for economic commitments.

Other wealth magnets include Italy, Switzerland and Saudi Arabia, appealing to the global elite with their combined mix of lifestyle appeal and business opportunities.

At the same time, several traditionally popular destinations are seeing outflows of wealthy residents.

The United Kingdom is projected to see the largest single-country net departure of millionaires, with an estimated 16,500 high-net-worth people leaving, driven in part by changes in tax and immigration regimes.

Other countries facing losses include China, India and other large European economies, where rising tax rates regulatory uncertainty or political pressures are seen as factors.

The report says this mass movement of capital and people is more than a demographic trend; it has significant implications for global economic influence.

Nations that successfully attract wealthy individuals benefit not only from new investment flows but also from the entrepreneurship, innovation and global networks these individuals bring with them, it says.

Conversely, countries experiencing sustained outflows risk a reduction in private capital, slowing economic dynamism and diminished tax revenues, posing new challenges for policymaking in an increasingly competitive global landscape.