Millionaires find it easier than less well-off people to move from country to country. Based on the statistics of the outflow of millionaires, it is quite easy to draw conclusions about the state of the business environment. For example, the introduction in France in 2012 (for two years) of a 75% tax on excess income immediately led to the relocation of the rich to neighboring Belgium and Great Britain.

According to the Millionaire Migration in 2015 report by the New World Wealth project, about 2,000 dollar millionaires left Russia last year. According to the authors of the project, this is about 2% of their total number in the country. In absolute numbers, Russia is in sixth place in terms of millionaire outflow, behind France (lost 10,000 millionaires), China (9,000), Italy (6,000), India (4,000) and Greece (3,000), and in percentage terms, it is in third place, after France (5%) and Greece (3%).

The authors of the study believe that millionaires are being driven out of France by growing religious tensions between Christians and Muslims, and out of Italy and Greece by the crisis of their national economies. Russia is repelling millionaires primarily with its “unhealthy level of government intervention in business” and “anti-American stance,” which is preventing foreign companies from entering the Russian market.

The number of people with a net worth of over $30 million has decreased for the first time in 10 years

Economy / World Economy

Russia's rich leave regularly: in the ranking of the total outflow for 2003-2013, Russia took fifth place, having lost about 14,000 millionaires over these 10 years. There is plenty to flee from: businesses complain about the tightening of the screws under the slogans of caring for the interests of the state, about the strengthening of control and the endless string of criminal cases against private entrepreneurs and managers of state companies.

In the last two years, new reasons for emigration have emerged. Confrontation with the West, which has led to economic sanctions, is making international business more difficult. Domestically, pressure on entrepreneurs has increased. Deoffshorization and capital amnesty programs have led to an increase in the popularity of non-residency – many businessmen have begun to spend more time abroad than at home; this increases income taxes, but allows them to avoid deoffshorization restrictions.

Where are millionaires going? Previously, Great Britain was in the lead, but in 2015, Australia took first place (plus 8,000 millionaires), followed by the United States, Canada and Israel. London has recently been popular with wealthy Russians; but growth is possible in other destinations as well. For example, according to the W1 Evans agency, Russians have been in the top 6 for requests for the American EB-5 investor visa for the second year in a row. And if previously the reason was mainly business interest, now many applicants are considering moving to the United States for permanent residence.

How millionaires are seen off