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Reasons for emigration
Reasons given by male and female respondents for emigration
Percentage indicating ‘yes’ to a list of specified reasons, n= 2070 male=1153, female=919
Reasons ranked by popularity of total response.
| Male (%) | Female (%) | Total (%) | |
| Better employment opportunities | 49.3 | 34.2 | 42.6 |
| Professional development | 42.9 | 27.4 | 36.1 |
| Higher income | 38.2 | 25.1 | 32.4 |
| Promotion/career advancement | 28.9 | 17.2 | 23.7 |
| Lifestyle | 22.2 | 23.8 | 22.9 |
| Marriage/partnership | 17.0 | 29.1 | 22.3 |
| Overseas job transfer | 23.1 | 14.7 | 19.4 |
| Education/study | 16.0 | 12.5 | 14.5 |
| Partner’s employment | 4.6 | 21.4 | 12.1 |
| To be close to family/friends | 4.4 | 7.0 | 5.6 |
| To establish/expand business | 4.3 | 0.8 | 2.8 |
| Separation/divorce | 1.2 | 2.1 | 1.6 |
Source: quoted from Hugo et al (2002) in The Senate: Legal and Constitutional References Committee (2005). They still call Australia home: Inquiry into Australian expatriates (Department of the Senate, Parliament House, Canberra)
Working overseas was once an unusual adventure. It is still an adventure, but an adventure shared by many more people.
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