Introduction

Over the past year, the international relocation landscape has undergone significant change. Search interest around moving abroad has cooled off, driven by global economic headwinds, shifting work preferences, and increasingly complex immigration regulations. At the same time, digital marketing has become more competitive and costly, making it harder for relocation companies to attract qualified leads.

But declining demand doesn’t mean the end of growth. Movers who understand the new market dynamics, and adapt with smarter strategies and stronger partnerships, can still thrive in this evolving environment.

Search Trends Reveal a Decline in International Relocation Interest

While it may seem that interest in international relocation is cooling, the data tells a more layered story. Instead of a simple downward trend, we’re seeing volatility, with spikes tied to global events, followed by lulls that suggest a gradual decrease in consistent interest.

Google search volume for terms like “international relocation,” “moving abroad,” “international relocation companies,” and “international relocation service” has shown notable fluctuations over the past year. For instance, following the 2024 U.S. presidential election, searches for “moving to New Zealand from the US” surged by 7,600%, according to (Hari, 2024). And, “moving to Canada” spiked significantly, especially in states that favored Kamala Harris, according to (Newsweek, 2024). 

These spikes highlight how political and social events can temporarily revive relocation interest. However, looking at long-term search trend data, including our internal analysis, we observe a steady decline beginning mid-2024.

Market Search Trend Analysis

This graph, based on global search volumes on ‘international relocation’ related search terms, shows a clear peak in early 2024, followed by a sustained downward trend, ending with a drop of nearly 50% by late 2024. 

While there are some early signs of recovery at the start of 2025, it's still uncertain whether search interest will return to previous levels or stabilize at a lower baseline. 

Figure 1: Estimated global search interest for “international relocation” (July 2023 - Jan 2025) 

Not All Markets Are Affected Equally

While overall global search interest in international relocation has declined, this doesn’t mean all regions or routes are shrinking at the same rate.

For example, intra-European relocations have shown more resilience, with relatively stable search and move volumes. This could be due to easier mobility within the EU, fewer immigration barriers, and ongoing demand driven by lifestyle or work flexibility.

Movers operating in stable or emerging relocation lanes, such as within Europe or between specific regional hubs, may experience less disruption and even find new opportunities as global interest consolidates.

Especially Orientational Search Is Affected

In our own data, we see that the steepest decline is happening in orientational search behavior, where individuals are exploring the idea of moving abroad but haven’t yet made concrete plans.

These users are typically in early research mode, browsing options, comparing destinations, or casually searching for “how to move abroad.” That level of interest has softened significantly.

This means that while total search volume is declining, what remains is more focused and qualified. The users still searching tend to be further along in the decision-making process, offering higher intent and potentially better conversion value for movers. Reaching those customers is becoming more expensive though, due to increasing competition per move (same competition on fewer moves). 

What’s Driving These Shifts in Relocation Interest?

A combination of structural and behavioral changes is shaping today’s relocation landscape:

Global Economic Uncertainty

Ongoing economic challenges — inflation, wage stagnation, and cost-of-living increases — have made people more hesitant to take on the financial risk of an international move. In addition, political unrest in the US, particularly around trade policy, also has a significant impact on the global economy, and therefore, people moving globally.

Tighter Immigration Policies

Stricter immigration rules across major destination countries have added complexity, increased rejection rates, and extended processing times; all of which can deter potential relocators.

The Rise of Remote Work

Relocation used to be a job necessity. Today, many professionals can work internationally without changing their address, making full-scale moves less urgent or even unnecessary.

A Shift Toward Purpose-Driven Migration

Rather than broad trends, we’re now seeing smaller, more focused waves of people moving for specific reasons, such as retirement, climate preference, or niche career paths. The volume is lower, but the intent is often higher.

What This Means for Movers

The decline in search interest has direct implications:

• Reduced Inbound Leads: Both organic and paid channels are yielding fewer leads.​

• Increased Competition: With a smaller pool of potential customers, competition among movers intensifies.​

• Higher Advertising Costs: Cost-Per-Click (CPC) rates are rising, leading to reduced Return on Investment (ROI) from ads.​

• Visibility Challenges: Smaller and mid-sized movers may struggle to maintain online visibility amidst larger competitors.​