Top 10 European countries where native-born citizens are leaving faster than they return

 

While immigration continues to dominate public debate across Europe, another migration trend is unfolding alongside it. Across much of the continent, many native-born citizens are also choosing to leave their home countries, often moving elsewhere in Europe or beyond for work, education, family reasons or new opportunities.

New figures from Eurostat, analysed by DataPulse Research, show the net migration of native-born residents across selected European countries in 2024. The data measures the balance between native-born citizens returning home and those leaving. A positive figure means more citizens returned than departed, while a negative figure means more people left than came back.

Among the countries included in the dataset, only Lithuania and Bulgaria recorded net gains. The remaining countries all experienced net losses, highlighting a wider shift in where Europeans choose to build their lives and careers.

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Here are the top 10 countries featured in the data.

1. Lithuania

Lithuania recorded the strongest result in the dataset, with a net migration rate of 2.67 per 1,000 inhabitants.

It was the only country to post a result above two per 1,000 people, showing that more Lithuanian-born citizens returned home than left during 2024. The figures point to continued return migration after years of outward movement.

2. Bulgaria 

Bulgaria ranked second with 0.88 per 1,000 inhabitants.

Like Lithuania, it recorded more returning native-born citizens than departures, making it one of only two countries in the dataset with a positive balance.

3. Czechia 

Czechia recorded -0.13 per 1,000 inhabitants, the smallest negative figure among the countries with net losses.

The data shows that departures only slightly exceeded returns, placing Czechia close to an even balance.

4. Slovenia 

Slovenia reported -0.29 per 1,000 inhabitants.

Although more native-born citizens left than returned, the difference remained relatively small compared with many other countries in the dataset.

5. Finland 

Finland recorded -0.40 per 1,000 inhabitants.

The figures indicate that outward migration among Finnish-born citizens exceeded return migration during 2024, continuing a trend seen across several European countries.

6. Slovakia 

Slovakia posted a net migration rate of -0.53 per 1,000 inhabitants.

The result means that more Slovak-born citizens left the country than returned over the course of the year.

7. Norway 

Norway recorded -0.57 per 1,000 inhabitants.

The figures show that even countries with established labour markets are not immune to outward migration among their own citizens, as people continue to relocate for a range of personal and professional reasons.

8. Spain

Spain reported -0.65 per 1,000 inhabitants.

While Spain remains a destination for many international migrants, the data also shows that Spanish-born citizens continue to move abroad, illustrating the different migration flows taking place at the same time.

9. Croatia 

Croatia recorded -0.88 per 1,000 inhabitants.

The figures reflect a continued net loss of native-born residents, with departures exceeding returns during 2024.

10. Austria 

Austria also recorded -0.88 per 1,000 inhabitants, matching Croatia’s result.

Despite differences in population size and economic structure, both countries experienced the same level of net loss among their native-born populations.