Where are they?

[V]

The U.S. Government says that in excess of 1,000,000 American citizens live, in residence, in Mexico. But, where are they?

I understand there are about 12,000 in San Miguel de Allende; and, perhaps 40,000 live near Lake Chapala. I suspect Baja California would be the home of many of them.

But, I don't get the sense that many of them live in the Cancun/Maya Riviera area. Anybody got a figure on it?

[rawkus]

V: How many would reside in DF? Cuernavaca? Ive met quite a few in both places, obviously hard to estimate how many live there.



According to the Embassy, I was the 811th Swede to move to Mexico, haha. Most of us live in Monterrey, DF, Cuernavaca, Morelia, Guadalajara and Riviera Maya.

We have a bout 1 million Swedes living outside Sweden. Not that many per say, but considering that the population IN Sweden is about 9.5 million, its quite a few.


(Didnt mean to hijack your thread V, just thought it could be interesting to compare between various nations )

[V]

Not at all, Rawkus, it's interesting to compare. There are said to be three million Americans living in residence in foreign countries, according to U.S. Government stats, with Mexico being the most popular destination, for many reasons.

As you point out, the percentage of Swedes living outside their country is much higher. I wouldn't equate that with supposed unhappiness with Sweden, however. Many Americans live in the U.S. simply because they don't know any better!

Is the grass always greener? Not necessarily, but for those who like some variety in their lives, a change of country can do it for them, for a time. I've lived in seven different ones, so far, and I'm starting to get itchy feet!

Something a little hard for me to understand is those Americans who take offense if their countrymen prefer living abroad, and there seem to be quite a few who do.

[GONZO]

Originally Posted by V

Many Americans live in the U.S. simply because they don't know any better!

OUCH!

Got a job for me to be able to live there, comfortably???

[rawkus]

V: Many of the Swedes have stayed in various countries after studying, and many of us are business owners, which is WAY better abroad under the current Govt. Also, quite a few retirees that cant take 5-7 months of sh*t weather(-15 to -25 Celsius, 2 hours of sun per day and snow up to your waist...)

I doubt Ill ever move back "home". Dont think I could handle a winter like that again... Im happy to see the world. Rest and such, I can do when I die, haha.

[V]

Got a job for me to be able to live there, comfortably???

You got me, there, Gonzo. Those with the most opportunity to live abroad are those with either a reasonably well financed retirement, or relatively easily transferable job skills. And, even if they care to try it, there are a number of practical hurdles for anyone to get over, no matter what. However, with the tight job market in the U.S., some countries are attracting U.S. citizens who intend to go to work, and hope to find better opportunities abroad.

I've got a friend who did the opposite: she had lived and worked with unusual success in Mexico for nine years, but missed home. She went back, expecting to be able to reestablish herself by first going for a graduate degree. When she found that there would be no grants for education available to her, and that she, like the majority of Americans would have to borrow large sums, she decided to look for work. The best she's been able to do is a waitress position, while here she was a well paid manager of a department within a successful local business which had nearly 200 employees.

It was a big and unexpected comedown for her.

China is now attracting a fairly large number of Americans, looking for more oppportunity than they can find back home at this time.

It's the old story of migration, still at work today.

[Steve]

Here you go V:
http://www.inegi.org.mx/inegi/conten...enotropais.pdf

There's about 2,000-3,000 Brits here which doesn't make the top 20 immigrant nationalities in Mexico.

An estimated 5.5 million of 60 million Brits live outside the UK, increasing at 4,000 a week. Reportedly, the UK has more people living abroad than any other country in the World.

Another little factoid: Only 37% of US citizens hold a passport, in the UK it's 71%.

[ToriB]

WOW Steve. Those numbers made my jaw drop. Are Brits a minority in GB?

[Steve]

Originally Posted by ToriB

Are Brits a minority in GB?

No, not yet but in some places it sure feels like it. Although 5.5 million Brits have left, there's still 54.5 million who haven't.

Certainly the culture is changing, as the 'traditional British' emigrate and are replaced by immigrants from places such as Asia and the Middle East who tend to have larger numbers of children.

Did you know the most popular boys name in Britain for 2010 was Mohammed or variations thereof (which was in third place in 2009)?

Mohammed is now the most popular name for baby boys ahead of Jack and Harry | Mail Online

[V]

18,500 is the ballpark number of foreigners living in Qroo, based on the 2010 census of Mexico. This would include all nationalities, and Steve's list shows they're from everywhere!

Living here, I don't get the feeling that there are any great number of foreigners living in Cancun, itself. There may be a higher percentage of the total in some communities like Playa, or Puerto Morelos, which are not so big to start with.

I'm told that, a number of years ago, there were charter flights offered Canadians to come for a look around Cancun, with an eye to buying here and perhaps retiring to a warmer climate. That activity seems to have slowed, markedly....