The media narrative is that more and more Americans are leaving the U.S. – which in the media’s view is the worst country in the history of the world, it seems.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But who actually is leaving the U.S.? Probably not who you suspect given the media stories.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\nThe majority of those renouncing U.S. citizenship are long-term expatriates, Americans who have lived abroad for many years, often decades, and who already hold citizenship in another country. This ensures they are not rendered stateless, a situation the U.S. government explicitly warns against and seeks to avoid during the renunciation process. Recent\u00a0research<\/a>\u00a0confirms that the surge in renunciations in the past decade is primarily driven by these long-term residents abroad, with the main catalyst being the increased compliance burden associated with U.S. tax laws, especially following the implementation of the FATCA, which has made it more difficult for Americans abroad to maintain banking relationships and comply with tax reporting requirements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cAccidental Americans\u201d<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
A significant subset of renouncers are so-called \u201caccidental Americans\u201d<\/a> \u2014 individuals who acquired U.S. citizenship by birth (either in the U.S. or through American parentage) but have lived most or all of their lives abroad. Many of these individuals only became aware of their U.S. citizenship and the associated tax obligations after FATCA required foreign banks to identify U.S. account holders. Despite having little or no practical connection to the United States, they are subject to the same complex tax and reporting requirements as other citizens, which often prompts them to renounce their citizenship.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Rise in U.S. Citizenship Renunciations: What\u2019s Driving It? | Boundless Immigration Research<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
And:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\nThere\u2019s no official count of how many Americans live overseas. The government\u2019s Federal Voting Assistance Program (FVAP) estimated<\/a> about 4.4 million U.S. citizens abroad in 2022<\/strong>. More recent data<\/a> from non-profit the Association of Americans Resident Overseas (AARO) puts the number closer to 5.5 million in 2024. <\/strong>The U.S. State Department has acknowledged that it does not maintain comprehensive lists of U.S. citizens residing overseas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n