A survey of parents whose children attend independent schools in the UK has found that half of them plan to move out of the country over the next few years.
It also suggests that around one in 10 parents intends to relocate abroad to avoid paying VAT on private education fees, as set out in the October 2024 autumn Budget, although many said they had been thinking of moving before the VAT changes were announced.
The survey report from international schools group GEMS Education, Exodus and Education: Why British Parents Are Moving to the UAE, explores what one expert has described as a “growing global trend” among affluent families who are seeking alternatives to “increasing uncertainty and perceived instability at home”.
Increasing interest in relocating abroad
GEMS Education data shows an 8 per cent year-on-year increase in the number of British families enrolled in their 44 United Arab Emirates (UAE) schools, as well as a 26 per cent year-on-year rise in inquiries from the UK.
Spain, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the US and the UAE are, says GEMS, among the most popular destinations for families considering moving abroad.
The research involving 500 parents, whose children are being educated at private schools in the UK, finds that:
- A third of parents are planning to move out of the country in the next few years.
- Among those thinking of leaving, 32 per cent said their child’s schooling is their number one priority.
- A tenth of parents (11 per cent) say they would relocate to avoid paying the VAT on private education fees.
- Some 61 per cent cite a generally better lifestyle as the top reason to move, while others point to a better future for their child (40 per cent).
- Other factors include job opportunities (29 per cent), better wages (21 per cent), housing (19 per cent) and healthcare (19 per cent).
- 73 per cent say they had been thinking of moving before news of the changes around VAT.
‘Increasing uncertainty and perceived instability’
Johanna Waters, a professor of human geography at University College London who has been researching the link between education and migration for over 20 years, said that the report’s findings “are an important confirmation of the trends we’ve been seeing lately”.
She said that education had been a primary driver of “international relocation” for many years, adding: “The report highlights a growing global trend in well-resourced families seeking schooling overseas when faced with increasing uncertainty and perceived instability at home.”
GEMS Education commissioned a OnePoll report focusing on families moving from the UK to the UAE. Some 500 parents with children at independent schools were polled in January 2025.
Lisa Crausby, group chief education officer at GEMS Education, said: “The report shows that, for many families, moving away from the UK could become a reality in the near future. It is interesting to note that education - leading to a better future and job opportunities - is one of the key factors influencing this decision to move abroad.
“Today, it is easier than ever for expat families to find high-quality schools that teach the national curriculum for England in all parts of the world.”
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