The Millionaire Migration Index is Millionaire.news's own measure of where wealthy people and business owners are moving. It is built only from official records, published with its full method and data, and updated every quarter.
The index measures relocation signals, not a count of millionaires. No public source counts millionaires moving between countries, so we track the evidence that does exist: where the people who control UK companies live, residence permits issued to UK citizens across Europe, the residence-only permits most golden visas use, and search interest in moving.
Key figures
- 60,925 British nationals who control UK companies and live outside the UK (Companies House) (as of 1 October 2026)
- 110.6 index score of Italy, the top-ranked destination (100 means signals in line with the median destination) (as of 1 October 2026)
- 21 destinations with enough evidence to be ranked in this edition (as of 1 October 2026)
- 49,244 first residence permits issued to UK citizens across the EU and EFTA in 2025 (Eurostat) (as of 31 December 2025)
- 6,281 residence-only first permits (the route most golden visas use) issued to UK citizens across the EU and EFTA in 2025 (as of 31 December 2025)
- 96,180 UK Google searches about leaving the UK in the 12 months to September 2026 (as of 1 September 2026)
Latest edition: UK edition, October 2026
The current edition ranks 21 destinations with enough evidence to score. The five strongest relocation signals point to Italy, Poland, Malta, Cyprus, Netherlands. As of October 2026, 60,925 British nationals who control UK companies live outside the UK.
Read the full UK edition: Are millionaires leaving the UK?
Top 10 destinations, UK edition, October 2026
| Rank | Destination | Score | Confidence | Signals with data | British business owners living there |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Italy | 110.6 | high | searches, EU first permits, EU residence-only permits, business owners | 1,120 |
| 2 | Poland | 107.9 | high | EU first permits, EU residence-only permits, business owners | 340 |
| 3 | Malta | 107 | high | searches, EU first permits, EU residence-only permits, business owners | 415 |
| 4 | Cyprus | 105.8 | high | searches, EU first permits, EU residence-only permits, business owners | 940 |
| 5 | Netherlands | 105 | high | EU first permits, EU residence-only permits, business owners | 985 |
| 6 | Singapore | 103.3 | medium | searches, business owners | 1,130 |
| 7 | Denmark | 102.4 | high | EU first permits, EU residence-only permits, business owners | 315 |
| 8 | United Arab Emirates | 102.3 | medium | searches, business owners | 4,575 |
| 9 | Sweden | 101.8 | high | EU first permits, EU residence-only permits, business owners | 510 |
| 10 | Spain | 100.4 | high | searches, EU first permits, EU residence-only permits, business owners | 5,035 |
Source: Millionaire.news calculation from Companies House, Eurostat, Home Office and Google Ads data. 100 means signals in line with the median destination; above 100 means stronger growth signals. Missing signals count as neutral
What the index measures
- British nationals controlling UK companies, resident in the country (Companies House), weight 40%
- First residence permits issued to UK citizens (Eurostat), weight 25%
- Residence-only first permits to UK citizens, the route used by most golden visas (Eurostat), weight 20%
- UK Google searches about moving there (leading indicator), weight 15%
Each signal is compared with the same point a year earlier and standardised across destinations, so a score above 100 means stronger growth signals than the median destination. A country needs at least two signals and at least 200 British business owners living there to be ranked. The full method is on the methodology page.
Use and cite the data
The data behind every edition can be downloaded as CSV from this page and from the UK edition, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 with attribution to Millionaire.news. Please cite as:
Millionaire.news (2026). Millionaire Migration Index, UK edition, October 2026. https://millionaire.news/millionaire-migration-index/
Journalists and researchers can contact the editor, Louis McKeeve, using the editorial contact on the editorial policy page.
Release schedule
New editions are published quarterly, on 10 March, 10 June, 10 September and 10 December. Business-owner figures refresh monthly; Eurostat permit figures are annual and Home Office visa figures are quarterly, so each edition uses the latest release of every source.
What changed since the last update
This is the first edition of this page; the next refresh will show what has changed.
How we calculate this
Signals are standardised with robust z-scores and combined with fixed weights; missing signals count as neutral, small counts are withheld and the rest rounded, and every input is linked to its official source. See the methodology for the formulas, sources, limits and corrections log.
Frequently asked questions
Does the Millionaire Migration Index count millionaires?
No. No public source records millionaires moving between countries. The index measures official signals of wealthy people and business owners relocating, such as where the people who control UK companies live and residence permits issued to UK citizens, and says so on every page.
Where does the data come from?
Companies House (people with significant control of UK companies), Eurostat (residence permits issued to UK citizens across the EU and EFTA), the Home Office (investor, founder and talent visas) and Google Ads search volumes. Every source is official or first-party and linked on the page.
How often is the index updated?
Quarterly, on 10 March, 10 June, 10 September and 10 December. Some inputs change monthly and others yearly; each edition uses the latest release of every source and states the date each figure is true for.
Can I use the data?
Yes. The CSV is free to reuse under CC BY 4.0. Please cite Millionaire.news and link to this page or the edition you use.
Download the data
Download the tables as CSV (data as of 1 October 2026).
Related statistics
- Are Millionaires Leaving the UK? Migration Index October 2026
- Cheapest citizenship by investment 2026
- Countries with no income tax in 2026
- Golden visa countries and minimum investment amounts 2026
- How many millionaires in the UK? 2.43 million in 2025
- How many millionaires in the US? 23.6 million in 2025
- How many millionaires in the world? 57.5 million in 2025
- Millionaire Migration Index methodology (mmi-1.0, 2026)
- UK Company Formations Statistics 2026
- UK Sponsor Register Statistics 2026
Sources
- Companies House: persons with significant control snapshot
- Eurostat: first residence permits by reason and citizenship (migr_resfirst)
- Eurostat: first permits issued for other reasons (migr_resoth)
- Home Office: immigration system statistics data tables
- Google Ads search volumes via DataForSEO
- Millionaire Migration Index methodology
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0 (Companies House PSC data). Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0 (Home Office immigration statistics). Source: Eurostat. Licensed under CC BY 4.0.
Updated 18 October 2026. This page is refreshed automatically when new data is published; figures carry the date they are true for. Permanent link: https://millionaire.news/millionaire-migration-index/
Last verified: 2026-10-18
