The Top 5 Women Friendly Countries To Move To

Latley, as I was scrolling social media, a frightening statistic popped up on my feed. It said that in 2025:

40% of women aged 15 to 44 say they would move abroad permanently if they had the opportunity.

– Gallup

I raced to the computer to fact check this. It turns out, accourding to Gallup polls, it’s true! Gallup has been tracking this statistic across demographics and since, 2014. And since the Obama era to Biden, and especially now, they’ve seen a large elevated desire in women who want to leave the United States.

Does this mean America has lost it’s status as the Land of Opportunity? Well, Being a Canadian female expat myself with American lady expat friends, we all agreed there are more women friendly countries than the USA Out there. But that’s not all. I decided to ask them what motivated them want to leave the USA too.

I consulted 3 of my inner circle of female expat friends from the USA, and they’ve entrusted me with their opinions and expertise on what they look for in a country and, maybe more importantly, the reasons why they as women, left the USA in the first place.

In this article I will reveal what they said – straight from the horses mouth. The results may be shocking as some points are not often hit on by the news or the pollsters.

What’s Causing the Increase in Women Wanting to Leave the USA?

So, before we jump into which are the most women friendly countries outside the USA, and what countries may intrest you as a women yearning to leave the USA, lets take a look at what factors are driving these women out of the US in the first place.

Uneasy Political Leadership

Women have grown sour of American politics at a rapid pace. Gallup has found that since 2017, after Trump’s inauguration, the share of women who say they would like to permanently leave the U.S. jumped sharply, creating a double-digit gap compared to men. As a 35-year-old Canadian expat watching from the outside, it is hard not to see this as more than frustration with one politician. It points to further exhaustion with stale leadership and stalled progress on reproductive rights.

Loosing Faith in America’s Institutions

Also reported in the Gallup study, was women loosing faith in the America’s institutions. You don’t have to be a lady to recognize this either. In fact, according to Pew Research Center, Americans’ trust in government is around 35% down from close to 80% back in the 1960s

Now these are what was reported in big name pollsters like Pew Research and Gallup, but here’s what I heard personally after catching up with m women expat friends.

The main reason women want to flee the USA stems from these lesser reported issues.

Gun Violence

A lot of women are simply tired of wondering if the next headline or lockdown drill will involve their child’s school, their local mall, or their office. Wanting to raise kids where gun violence is rare, and not a normal part of the news cycle, is a huge quiet reason many start looking at countries with stricter gun laws and far fewer shootings.

Rising healthcare costs

Healthcare in the U.S. is brutally expensive, especially for women in their prime working and childbearing years. Paying hundreds of dollars a month for coverage, then worrying an accident or diagnosis could still wipe out your savings, creates a constant low-level fear. For many women, moving to a country with public or heavily subsidized healthcare feels less like a luxury and more like basic emotional survival.

Cost of living increases

As a Canadian who left partly because of rising costs, I know how demoralising it feels to “do everything right” and still fall behind. Young women are waking up to the fact that their salaries no longer buy what their parents’ did, and they are starting to ask whether their future might simply be brighter in a country where rent, food, and everyday life are not eating half their income.

Lack of community

America’s car culture, big-box plazas, and spread-out suburbs make it surprisingly hard to build real community. Many women look at walkable European cities or lively Latin American neighbourhoods and crave that everyday street life, where you can wander to a café, see familiar faces, and actually feel part of something bigger than your own front door.

Safety and stability for kids

For most women, children come first, even if they are just a future “maybe” for now. The idea of raising a family somewhere safer, with better public services, more stable schools, and room for kids to just be kids, is a powerful pull. That alone can be enough to make them question whether staying in Canada or the U.S. is really the best long-term plan.

What’s Important For Women Leaving The USA?

Now that you know what pushes a woman to look for greener pastures, it helps to understand what she is actually searching for when she types “safest countries for women” into Google at 2 a.m after staying up late watching the news.

The patterns are pretty clear. When you look at research like the Global Women, Peace and Security Index from Georgetown University, which ranks countries by women’s safety, inclusion, and access to justice, you start to see why the same destinations keep popping up again and again:

Here is what most women say they want in a woman-safe country:

1. Safety
   This is usually non-negotiable. Women look for low rates of violent crime and harassment, reliable policing, and a culture where walking home at night does not feel like a calculated risk. Countries that rank higher on the Women, Peace and Security Index tend to be the ones that feel calmer and more predictable in day to day life.
2. Lower cost of living
   Safety is great, but it has to be affordable. Many women are searching for places where rent, groceries, healthcare, and basic services do not eat their entire paycheck. The goal is simple: more life, less financial stress.
3. Sense of community
   A lot of women are actively seeking places with real neighbourhoods, not just parking lots and strip malls. They want walkable streets, local cafés, markets, and public spaces where it is normal to see the same faces and slowly build a support network.
4. Nightlife and adventure
   Feeling safe does not mean wanting a quiet, boring life. Many women want cities where they can go out at night, travel on weekends, meet new people, and explore nature or culture without constantly worrying about their personal safety or being harassed.
5. Affordable housing
   Finally, there is the simple question of where you sleep. Women are drawn to countries and cities where it is still possible to rent a clean, secure place in a decent area without handing over 50 percent of their income every month. Having stable housing is what makes everything else feel possible.

What Are The Most Women Friendly Countries To Move Outside USA?

1. Slovenia

Slovenia feels like the quiet overachiever of Europe. It ranks among the safest countries in the world on the Global Peace Index, and shows up in top lists for solo female travellers, which usually means low street harassment, solid public transport, and decent lighting and infrastructure. The cost of living is generally lower than big North American cities, yet you still get clean streets, drinkable tap water, and good healthcare. For women who want mountains, lakes, and a slower pace without feeling like they dropped out of modern life, Slovenia is a strong contender.

2. Portugal

Portugal has become a bit of a “quiet favourite” among women expats who want safety plus sunshine. It shows up often in rankings for peace and female friendly travel, and it scores well on overall safety and political stability. Rents in cities like Lisbon and Porto have risen, but once you step into smaller cities or coastal towns, your money often stretches further than in most US metros. Add in good healthcare, a slower social rhythm, and an easy going culture around walking, cafés, and public spaces, and it feels much more livable for women who are tired of car dependent, high stress life in North America.

3. Netherlands

The Netherlands is not perfect, but on a global scale it is still a big step up for many women coming from the US. Reports on gender equality show it scoring relatively well overall, although there is room to grow on economic participation and parental leave, which locals also complain about. From a daily life perspective, what many women notice first is the bike culture, the normalized solo walking at night in cities like Utrecht or Groningen, and a social safety net that is simply stronger than back home. If you want European urban living, good rail, and a more feminist leaning everyday culture, the Netherlands is worth putting on the long list.

4. New Zealand

New Zealand often lands very high in both peace rankings and gender equality reports, which is a rare combo. It is English speaking, has a relatively transparent legal and political system, and offers that “small country” feeling where institutions are easier to navigate than in the US. Daily life is outdoorsy, relaxed, and very family friendly, which matters for women thinking about kids and long term quality of life. It is far away, and that distance is real, but for those who want safety, nature, and a slower pace, the tradeoff can be worth it.

5. Uruguay

If you are curious about Latin America but want something more stable and rights focused, Uruguay is the little outlier that keeps popping up in serious research. On the Women, Peace and Security Index it is one of the top ranked countries in Latin America, with comparatively low levels of organized violence and strong legal rights for women. The cost of living, especially outside of central Montevideo, can be gentler than big US cities, and you still get decent healthcare and infrastructure. The culture feels more relaxed and less frantic, which can be a big relief if you are coming from a grind focused American lifestyle.