CS Global Partners is pleased to announce the launch of the 2026 World Citizenship Report.
The report applies a data driven framework across 188 jurisdictions and five core motivators to reflect how globally mobile individuals weigh security opportunity and mobility in an era of persistent instability.
It shows that citizenship functions as strategic asset rather than simple legal status. Families treat it as portfolio insurance that protects generational outcomes.
Key findings show quality of life drives decisions
Quality of life ranks as the single most important feature of citizenship at 27.3% ahead of financial business or career opportunities at 18.9% and freedom of movement at 18.7%.
Germany claims first place in the 2026 quality of life rankings with a score of 90.6 followed closely by Norway at 90.2 Switzerland at 89.7 Finland at 89.6 and Sweden at 89.5.
Northern and Western European nations dominate thanks to strong healthcare environmental standards and social infrastructure.
Education and healthcare feature prominently among government shortcomings identified by respondents at 39.9% and 42.7% respectively. This positions second citizenship as a practical way for families to optimise living standards across borders.
UK wealthy exhausted by constant policy shifts
Richard Montague, Private Wealth Partner at BDO, highlights that only 18% of ultra wealthy individuals considering departure from the UK cite the lowest tax rates as their top priority while 42% point to stability of government and certainty in taxes.
The scrapping of the non dom regime and changes to inheritance tax trigger change fatigue. Many remain in the research phase because family considerations, such as children’s education and elderly relatives, outweigh pure tax calculations.
Popular destinations include Spain, Portugal and Italy, which offer residency packages tailored to mobile wealthy individuals.
The United Arab Emirates attracts talent with modern infrastructure, although regional developments test its stability pitch.
Montague notes that predictability may prove the UK’s most powerful retention tool if the government delivers a clear long-term roadmap for personal taxation.
Citizenship and education
Family security and generational protection dominate when respondents weigh the strategic benefits of second citizenship for future scenarios.
Top countries across the index deliver frictionless access to global education jobs and lifestyles that a single strong degree from a lower-ranked jurisdiction can no longer guarantee.
Parents view citizenship as an intergenerational mobility play. A child with strong citizenship inherits cleaner air, better public services and access to the world’s fastest-growing markets.
The 2026 data confirms that the most valuable advantage for high-net-worth families may come from the passport rather than the diploma.
