To ask where in the world would you move to?

[Changesarecoming]

Hi mumsnetters,

Just sat watching the news this evening and the UK stories were dominated by the unemployment rate among young people and violent crimes, deaths, assaults.

We have 2 children, one a teen, one at primary and in all honesty, I don't think this country has much to offer the school age generation, and it's worrying. We are lucky that we have good jobs that are fairly secure, so I am not concerned about our situation.

I haven't made any secret that I want to move overseas but obviously brexit, work opportunities make me question whether it's wise to move.

So, my question, if you could move anywhere in the world, where would you go?

I live in Edinburgh and wouldn’t realistically move from here. I live in a nice part of town and love how walkable and safe it feels (I moved from London). I don’t recognise a lot of the complaints the others have of the UK.

In a dream world, where I didn’t have to work or anything, I’d love to live in Canada or Japan for a few years. But I’d still move back here eventually.

I wouldn’t :) I travelled the world in 2024 and one thing I noted was that we’re actually very lucky from sanitation and food prices to weather and social funding and even our beaurocracy works well (looking at you JAPAN).

I think the only other countries I would live in (and only if I spoke the language and had a UK income) would be Italy and China. Japan was cool, but it was too cold and people did not want you to integrate - I left after 6 months. Although they were impeccably honest about things - I lost my phone and a stranger got it back to me a week later!

To be fair around 90% of people in scandi countries are fluent English speakers so you’d be fine. My DH’s best mate has lived in Denmark for many years and still hasn’t learnt the language. They all speak English where he works. Not saying this is ideal but you also usually learn while living in a place.

When Trump /MAGA land have buggered off I’d like to live in the States for a while.

I’ve lived in the USA (east coast), France, Spain, here (London and Isle of Wight). I don’t think moving countries is the answer, but a change in mindset. Switzerland, New Zealand or the Netherlands are ranked highly for low crime and robust job market. Otherwise Japan - but there is strict corporate job culture there and of course a likely language barrier.

I would like to move to one of the smaller Scottish islands. They might be difficult to get to and from sometimes, they are very exposed in the winter, and everything runs on island time (i.e. behind), but the ones that I've visited are rural and have a strange sense of peace, and a better sense of community. As a result, the general news seems to be irrelevant, and the crime rate is zero. I mean, everyone knows who you are, and you can't escape off the island at great speed, which would definitely deter shoplifting or something (if the island has a shop or two, of course). Some of the schools are absolutely tiny, and older ones have to board on the mainland for secondary school. The children might not go to a gazillion extracurricular activities, but they have more freedom (providing that they are old enough to understand why we don't go too near the edges of the cliffs), and that in itself is a luxury for little ones these days.

There’s a saying about Japan that it’s a great place to visit, but not a great place to live. Like you I was there for a few months and loved it, but I was lucky enough not to have to work.

I will go back again to visit, but probably not to live long term. People think of it as a utopia but it has problems just like everywhere.

The work culture seems awful - long hours, low pay, very hierarchical, not much vacation time. Plus if you don’t speak the language your options are very limited.

I’ve been learning Japanese for a few years (hence my username) and it’s tough - 3 different writing systems, completely different grammar structure, pitch accent - it’s a hard slog.
Without Japanese you will struggle to make local friends, as the level of English spoken is low, plus if all your friends are expats they will likely leave after a few years.

The people who seemed to do well were those married Japanese people so had family connections, but even they struggle. I know an American guy who has lived there for many years with his Japenese wife, has kids there, speaks the language very well. He still gets asked on a regular basis why is he there, when is he going home.

You will always be an outsider, and they can be quite hostile to foreigners, especially in the media recently there is alot of anti foreigner sentiment. Also, if you try and rent an apartment, many will explicitly say ‘no foreigners’, there’s no law against it.

Like I said, it’s a wonderful place to visit.

Also, forgot to add the summers in Japan are disgustingly hot - can get up to 40 degrees celsius plus 80 percent humidity.

*Edited just to add the constant threat of volcanoes, earthquakes, tsunamis, typhoons. The threat of natural disasters are something Japanese people just have to live with.

Thanks all, it's great to get different opinions.

To answer some questions, we live in London, not rural and have loads of activities for the kids, and they do make use of local facilities.

I travelled extensively before becoming a parent, so a move then would look completely different to a move now as I have far more to consider.

I agree the grass is not always greener and I couldn't name a country that doesn't have issues. BUT the needless violence that I see on the news, some of it local, is what worries me about the kids future. Not many other countries have this level of violent crime and being more confident that my children won't face those worries is a big driver in this.
Re future for the children, agree that unemployment is high across a lot of western countries but combined with all other issues I feel let the UK down, makes me consider a move.
Another part of the UK sounds promising.
Thanks all.

I decided I was going to move to Finland at some point in my life when I was a child. In year 10 we had to write 5 year and 10 year plans and it was in my 10 year plan. 5 years later I was living in Finland and I never looked back.

I have two children here and I am so so glad they are going to school here rather than in the UK. We live in a small safe town where even a bicycle theft makes the news. On the downside its too small for a teenager so my oldest is ready to move away to the nearest city when she goes to high school.

There are good and bad sides to everywhere you live. Finland has high unemployment with a strong bias in many companies against employing people with foreign names (unless for low paid jobs like cleaning and picking berries) and it can be difficult to make friends. The language is very difficult for an English speaker to learn. Doesn't have prawn cocktail crisps either and no one knows how to roast potatoes properly. But it has beautiful nature everywhere, clean water that you can swim in knowing its not had sewage running into it, less corrupt government (not incorrupt, but less), better functioning health system (though the current government seems to be intent on ruining that), and proper snow in winter (proper cold too though, which some find hard to cope with)

Exactly
People all over the world are complaining too,
The UK is one of the better places to live tbh
Have a friend who has just moved to Andorra and loves it there .

I don’t think I know enough about another country to decide if I would want to live there. Having said that (and having never been) I would never live or probably visit Australia. I just don’t get the hype.

Capetown or Thailand…actively working towards a year in Thailand then settling in Capetown. Both DH and I work remotely. We just want better weather, polite society, flaura and fauna etc. Mind you I don’t hate the UK, I am grateful for he opportunities this country has given us, I just need a different environment.

This is an interesting take because couldn’t you say the exact same thing about the UK but swap out hot for cold? The Milburn report highlighted the dire situation facing young people in the UK, reform/restore on the rise and house prices in both countries and unaffordable for most. Both my DDs are thriving here and have part time jobs, lots of lovely multicultural friends and we currently have the heating on so def not too hot!

‘Polite society’? In the second most crime-ridden province of a country with a very high rate of violent crime? — Western Cape saw just under 1000 murders between January and March 2026. You must have very odd ideas about ‘polite society’.

China. I lived there for a few years and loved it. It's absolutely nothing like the way it's portrayed in the West. So family orientated, early retirement age, very affordable healthcare, lovely people.

Snap, for China! Love it. Would love to be able to move there permanently.

Not much to offer children? Do you live very rural?
Within 10 minutes of our house my teens have access to a gym/astro courts/paddle/golf/climbing/cinema/ swimming pools/tennis courts, I could go on. Public transport is excellent and plentiful.

Plenty of Londoners wouldn’t have the above within 10 mins walk & traffic would mean it wouldn’t take 10 mins driving or on public transport!

How do you know not many other countries have this level of crime? When I lived overseas I heard very little about crime in the UK unless I specifically watched uk news. Same for my family here, they had no idea about crimes in the country I lived in because it’s not broadcast here.

id personally move to Australia, Perth maybe, but DH wouldn’t. For me I want the heat, I love the culture there, food and I’m shit at languages. Saying that moving to a country where my DCs get the opportunity to learn multiple languages would absolutely appeal to me.

i couldn’t raise children in London. I lived there for 3 years, loved it, I was young and single and had a great time, I will happily visit but I couldn’t cope with living there long term. I prefer less crowded areas now.

California is my vibe but Trump. Realistically it would be another European country. I don’t mind the UK but wages are shit & I think we haven’t invested in our young which is a shame.

I think it depends on what area you are in, I’ve been to cpt numerous times and I have found the people polite, the quality of life great, the food, the views etc. I accept it’s not for everyone, however OP asked where would “you” move to. So it happens to work for me. I hope this makes sense x

Like a couple of other posters, I live in Edinburgh. As another pointed out, an affluent area here feels very removed from the rest of the world! It’s like a wee bubble.
I’ve never felt unsafe here.

I've lived in the Netherlands, and that or Denmark would be my top pick at the moment. I love living in the UK but I wish it were a bit more outdoorsy.

Perfectly happy where I am.