Gen Z exodus: Report finds three in four now quitting UK aged under 35

More than three quarters of people quitting the UK are under the age of 35, a new report has found – and the cost of living seems to be what is driving them out. 

Record numbers of Britons are leaving the country and are no longer waiting until their 30s to do so, with about 140,000 people aged between 20 and 29 emigrating last year.

The numbers had dramatically risen from pre-pandemic levels of an estimated 95,000 in 2018 for the same age group. 

And the reason for the ‘great Gen Z’ exodus seems to be financial, as 79 per cent said they felt constant financial pressure living in the UK while 86 per cent said UK wages were not reflecting the cost of living. 

The new research by TEFL used data from 4,000 Gen Z and young millennial adults aged between 18 and34 and found that where expats had traditionally been in their 30s, emigration in this age group had declined significantly over the same period – while Gen Z departures rose dramatically. 

Emigration among those in their early 30s, which had been about 78,000 to 81,000 in 2018, fell to between 55,000 and 65,000 last year, marking a shift in migration patterns where Britons are deciding to leave the country earlier than ever before. 

Almost half of the young adults surveyed also said Asia was their preferred relocation destination, as they looked to improve their ‘quality of life’ while facing tough economic realities in the UK. 

Asia has lower living costs and a strong demand for English speakers in many professions, including teaching.  

In total, about 195,000 Britons under the age of 35 left the UK in the past year, meaning 76 per cent of all British emigrants were now young adults. 

This loss of thousands of young professionals in the UK during their most economically productive years is mainly driven by the cost of living they face in the UK, the report found. 

This is supported by findings from the British Council, who found that 72 per cent of UK adults aged 18-30 said they would consider living and working abroad, while 63 per cent believe their standard of living is worse than that of their parents’ generation. 

This latest report comes after other studies have found that Gen Z are changing the workplace – often in unexpected ways. 

Research by Trinity College London last year found that almost 70 per cent of Gen Z people starting work did not want to go into the office. 

More than two-thirds said they were terrified to set foot in an office and would prefer to work from home, with their fears including having to make small talk and pick up the phone. 

And the biggest anxiety, shared by 42 per cent of those entering the workplace, was having to interact with new people. 

Despite the risk that AI could make certain office roles redundant, those surveyed, aged between 16 and 29, were far more concerned about having to deal with their colleagues than any threat to their job security.

Meanwhile, a survey in March of 2,000 UK office workers by Ecotone found that almost half of Gen Z thought workers should get a monthly paid day off work to reconnect with nature.

The so-called ‘Green days’, in which workers will swap the office for a forest, mountain, or sunny beach, come as youngsters take to social media discussing the benefits of getting out in nature and shun traditional office work.