A surge in the range of Google searches has been one of the outcomes of the pandemic. People have been asking Google various queries and if its statistics are any indication, Covid has pushed people to ponder about their lives.

This has led to life-altering searches on moving abroad. So where do most want to move to? Are good locales a priority? What about the weather? Are dream destinations different for different people and cultures? Or is it only about a stable job, education and good healthcare?

Remitly, an American online remittance service, looked at almost 164 countries and analysed the search volume for the phrase ‘move to (city)’. The analysis was generated using 12 months of Google search data. A reworked world map thus emerged establishing the most-searched-for relocation destination in each country over the past year. On the map, country names have been supplemented by the cities their residents want information about.

Interestingly, Dubai came number one amongst the cities that people most want to move around the world. Searches for ‘move to Dubai’ topped in 60 countries, including the UK, the US and Australia. Miami came second, ranking top among 12 countries. The metropolis set along the Floridian coast was popular amongst these countries including Greece and Argentina.

The French capital Paris came third, with residents of 10 countries, including Madagascar and Senegal, curious about moving there. New York tied for the fourth place with Madrid and Singapore, each ranking top in eight countries worldwide. London and Brussels tied for the fifth place, reigning supreme in six countries.

Residents of Portugal, Spain and Germany were keen to move to London, while people from Monaco and Switzerland were curious about a relocation to Brussels.

Toronto ranked sixth, topping among three countries – Bermuda, Turks and Caicos and Palau. The seventh place again was a tie. North American destinations Washington DC, Chicago, Quebec City, Portland and Phoenix shared the seventh place berth with Buenos Aires, Bogota and Vienna. They each proved to be the most popular relocation destinations in two countries worldwide.

Even though Dubai tops the podium, North America proved to be the most popular continent overall with eight cities from the US and Canada featuring in the top-7 ranking.

Focusing solely on European searchers, the most popular relocation destination was Germany, which topped the list for eight countries within the continent.

Benefits of the country include its excellent universal healthcare system, a thriving economy, fantastic public transport, low crime rates, clean environment and excellent job opportunities.