Economy suffers brain drain as Britain’s population takes flight

WE all know of the millions of Mexican emigrants who have left their country in the hope of a better life, usually to head to America.

WE all know of the millions of Mexican emigrants who have left their country in the hope of a better life, usually to head to America. Among OECD member states, Mexico counts the largest number of emigrants – some 9.4m of them across the globe. But what few realise is that the second-largest group of exiles – some 3.4m at last count – are the British.

Each day, 1,500 people come to settle here – a figure which is quite familiar, and has political attention. But each day, 1,000 pack their bags for good and skedaddle. A disarming proportion of them are young, well-educated wealth creators who feel – like the Mexicans – that it is time to leave for better opportunities. This silent exodus is laden with economic implication.

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