Given the chance, a majority of Filipinos would consider building a life beyond the country’s shores. Whether for work, family, education, or a better quality of life, the prospect of living abroad continues to appeal to many Filipinos, particularly younger generations, new survey data show.
According to OCTA Research’s first-quarter 2026 Tugon ng Masa survey, 57% of Filipinos are willing to live or work abroad if given the opportunity, compared with 39% who are not and 4% who remain undecided. Conducted from March 19 to 25 among 1,200 respondents aged 18 and above, the survey has a margin of error of ±3 percentage points at a 95% confidence level.
The appeal of migration cuts across income groups. Willingness to move abroad was virtually identical among socioeconomic classes, reaching 57% among Classes D and E and 56% among Class ABC.
Geography made little difference as well. Respondents in Balance Luzon recorded the highest willingness to migrate at 59%, followed by Mindanao at 56%, the Visayas at 55%, and the National Capital Region at 53%. Metro Manila also registered the highest share of respondents unwilling to migrate, at 45%, while the Visayas recorded the lowest at 34%.
What stood out most, however, was the sharp divide between generations.
Among Filipinos aged 18 to 24, fully 81% said they would be willing to move abroad. The figure remained high among those aged 25 to 34, at 75%. By contrast, reluctance to migrate increased with age. Sixty-nine percent of respondents aged 65 to 74 said they were unwilling to leave, while 53% of those aged 55 to 64 shared the same view.
OCTA said the figures suggest that younger Filipinos increasingly assess their prospects in a global rather than purely domestic context.
“Younger Filipinos are evaluating their future prospects within a broader international context, where employment opportunities, career growth, and quality of life can be compared across countries,” the research group said.
The reasons respondents gave for considering migration reveal what they believe is available abroad. Economic considerations dominated the list, but respondents also pointed to broader aspirations tied to personal development and family life.
Among those willing to move overseas, 67% cited better job opportunities, making it the most frequently mentioned reason. Higher wages followed at 61%, while 58% pointed to a better quality of life.
Other considerations ranked considerably lower. Educational opportunities and gaining international experience were each cited by 20% of respondents. Family reunification was mentioned by 16%, while safety or political stability accounted for just 14%.
The survey findings mirror broader migration trends. Preliminary data from the Department of Migrant Workers showed that deployed land-based overseas Filipino workers reached 2,154,773 in 2025, up 17.89% from 1,827,799 a year earlier. The United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia were the leading destinations for land-based overseas Filipino workers in 2025, receiving 397,892 and 386,699 workers, respectively, followed by Singapore with 221,492, Hong Kong with 202,415, and Qatar with 160,890.
The attraction of overseas opportunities is reinforced by the scale of Filipino communities already established abroad. Based on 2024 estimates from the United Nations Population Division cited by the Migration Policy Institute, the United States is home to by far the world’s largest Filipino immigrant population, with more than 3.4 million people. Canada hosts the second-largest Filipino diaspora at nearly 836,000, followed by Saudi Arabia with about 755,000, the United Arab Emirates with 529,000, and Australia with 357,000. Such communities often provide family ties, social networks, and employment connections that can make migration a more accessible option for future migrants.
The pattern, OCTA argued, points to a significant distinction. Filipinos are not primarily seeking to leave because of political turmoil or security concerns. Instead, they are pursuing opportunities and living conditions that they believe are more readily available elsewhere.
The survey’s findings led the research group to a broader conclusion about the Philippine labor market.
“Filipinos are not leaving because of instability or insecurity; they are leaving because the jobs available at home do not pay enough, offer sufficient career growth, or provide adequate work-life balance,” OCTA said.
The group added that migration pressures could be eased through measures that improve domestic employment prospects, including higher wages, expanded access to quality jobs, better working conditions, and clearer paths for career advancement. It also cited the need to reduce contractualization, strengthen social protections, and improve workplace environments.
Taken together, the results suggest that migration remains a mainstream aspiration rather than a preference confined to particular sectors of society. For many Filipinos, the prospect of living or working abroad continues to represent a practical route toward greater economic security, professional growth, and a better quality of life for themselves and their families.
As policymakers debate how to retain talent and create opportunities at home, the survey highlights a persistent reality: for a majority of Filipinos, the comparison is no longer simply between one job and another, but between different visions of the future and where those futures might best be realized.
“The question is not why Filipinos leave—it is whether the country gives them a reason to stay. Whether jobs are available. Whether wages are fair. Whether careers are real. Whether the Philippines is a country worth staying in,” OCTA said.
“Until those questions are answered, leaving will remain the unstated life plan of a majority of Filipinos,” the research group added.
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