This will have economic consequences for the places they flee and their destinations
|San Francisco|5 min read
After stepping down as New Zealand’s prime minister in 2023, Jacinda Ardern took up a role at Harvard University. Now she is based in Sydney. Ms Ardern’s decision to live abroad has struck a nerve with Kiwis, who were already worried about high levels of emigration. Anxiety over the former prime minister’s living arrangements hints at a wider trend across the West. Politicians focus on how many people migrate to their country. Less noticed is that people are leaving in record numbers. The rise of the “expat economy” will have profound consequences.
This article appeared in the Finance & economics section of the print edition under the headline “The expat economy”
From the March 28th 2026 edition
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