The US Department of State’s Bureau of Consular Affairs is an agency tasked with protecting the lives and interests of US expats overseas. You may be familiar with them if you or someone you know has experienced births, deaths, disasters, arrests, or medical emergencies during your time abroad. Their latest report showed several interesting trends in expat-related issues – read below for the details!
US Expat Statistics
For fiscal year 2016, the State Department estimates that there are 9 million Americans living abroad, a significant increase from 4 million in 1999. Further, there were 70,666 registered births of US citizens abroad. 1,218 US citizens were repatriated, and 50,307 emergency passports were issued. A more unfortunate statistic is that the State Department provided aid to the families of 10,992 US expats who passed away while overseas during the year.
Other Statistics
Last year, the State Department issued 18 million passports, out of 132 million valid US passports currently in circulation. More incredible is that last year alone, international visitors contributed 246 billion dollars to the US economy! You can find more helpful information including adoption statistics, travel warnings and alerts, student travel information, and visa and passport data by going to visit the State Department’s website.
What Does This Mean For You?
The ever-increasing number of expats means that you are in good company. The global economy continues to create jobs with unprecedented flexibility – so more people than ever are choosing to reside in different countries. Expat opinions are impacting politics in a major way and expat issues have more visibility than ever before. However, expat tax issues are not going away any time soon.
Have Questions About Your Expat Taxes?
Greenback can help make the tax portion of your life as an expat hassle-free. Contact us today to get your questions answered!
