Relocation Industry Statistics

Relocating an employee costs companies an average of $78,500 globally. The budget is a complex puzzle where temporary housing consumes 20 percent and even a family pet's move can cost $2,500.

Key Takeaways

Global average relocation cost per employee $78,500.
U.S. domestic household move average $3,200-$5,000.
International household goods shipment $15,000 average.
U.S. domestic moves totaled 27.1 million in 2022.
15% of U.S. workforce relocates for job annually.
Average U.S. domestic move distance 137 miles.
65% employee satisfaction with relocation support.
72% of relocated employees stay 2+ years.
Spousal adjustment issues cause 40% early returns.
45% of U.S. companies plan to increase relocation budgets in 2024.
62% of international assignees are men aged 30-49.
Asia is top destination for 28% of global expat moves.
The global employee relocation services market size was valued at USD 5.42 billion in 2022 and is expected to grow at a CAGR of 7.1% from 2023 to 2030.
U.S. corporate relocation market generated $14.5 billion in revenue in 2022.
The international relocation services market is projected to reach $9.8 billion by 2028, growing at 5.8% CAGR.

Relocation costs average $78,500 per employee, with international moves driving major budget pressure and growth.

01 · Category

Costs & Expenses24 stats

Global average relocation cost per employee $78,500.

U.S. domestic household move average $3,200-$5,000.

International household goods shipment $15,000 average.

Lump sum relocation allowances average $25,000 U.S.

Spousal job assistance costs $10,000 per assignee.

Temporary housing 20% of total relocation budget.

Visa and immigration fees average $8,500 internationally.

U.S. cross-country move labor costs $2,500-$4,000.

15% of relocation budgets allocated to marketing.

Average home sale assistance $12,000 per transaction.

Intercity trucking costs up 22% since 2021.

Pet relocation international average $2,500.

Language training costs $5,000-$10,000 per person.

30-day temp living expense $7,000 U.S. average.

Home finding trip reimbursement $3,500 couple.

Storage costs $200/month per container U.S.

School search assistance $4,000 average.

Relocation tax gross-up adds 25-40% to costs.

Vehicle shipment international $1,800-$3,500.

Misc. allowances (culture, utilities) $2,000 average.

28% of companies cut relocation costs by 10% in 2023.

Average U.K. domestic move £1,500.

Australia intercity move AUD 5,000 average.

Canada cross-province $4,000 CAD.

Interpretation

Costs & Expenses Interpretation

Relocating an employee is a financial obstacle course where even the family pet’s journey carries a four-figure price tag, and companies are quietly tightening the purse strings.

02 · Category

Domestic Relocations24 stats

U.S. domestic moves totaled 27.1 million in 2022.

15% of U.S. workforce relocates for job annually.

Average U.S. domestic move distance 137 miles.

43% of U.S. domestic relocations are within same state.

South region gains 52% of net U.S. domestic migrants.

Millennial-led relocations up 28% in U.S. suburbs 2023.

68% of U.S. job-related moves are promotions.

California outbound domestic moves 300,000 in 2022.

Texas inbound relocations 450,000 net gain 2022.

Florida leads U.S. states for retiree relocations at 12%.

55% of U.S. remote workers relocated domestically post-COVID.

Midwest U.S. domestic moves down 10% in 2023.

Northeast to South domestic migration 220,000 annually.

72% of U.S. families relocate for spouse's job.

Corporate domestic relocations 10% of total U.S. moves.

Average U.S. domestic household move costs $4,500.

25% increase in U.S. urban-to-rural relocations 2023.

Gen Z domestic moves for affordability up 35%.

40% of U.S. military families relocate yearly.

Pacific Northwest domestic inflows up 18% in 2023.

61% of U.S. renters relocate vs 38% homeowners.

Corporate housing for domestic relos used by 45% firms.

Average U.S. interstate move time 7-10 days.

33% of domestic relos cite cost of living as reason.

Interpretation

Domestic Relocations Interpretation

The American workforce is in a state of perpetual motion, with 27.1 million of us annually chasing promotions, sunshine, and affordability, yet never quite escaping the $4,500 bill or the fact that moving company logistics often move slower than our own life-changing decisions.

03 · Category

Employee Satisfaction & Retention24 stats

65% employee satisfaction with relocation support.

72% of relocated employees stay 2+ years.

Spousal adjustment issues cause 40% early returns.

85% report higher job satisfaction post-relocation.

Family support boosts retention by 25%.

55% would relocate again for career growth.

Poor housing support drops satisfaction to 42%.

68% of millennials value relocation flexibility.

91% loyalty to companies offering relocations.

Culture training improves satisfaction by 30%.

47% cite work-life balance improvement post-move.

Early repatriation rate 12% due to dissatisfaction.

76% recommend employer relocation program.

Remote preview tours raise satisfaction 22%.

62% Gen Z prioritize relocation perks.

Dual-career support retains 80% spouses employed.

70% report better team integration post-reloc.

Pet policy inclusion boosts family satisfaction 35%.

58% satisfied with financial transparency.

Wellness programs cut stress, up satisfaction 18%.

82% U.S. employees view relocation positively.

Onboarding speed correlates to 90% retention.

65% international assignees exceed performance post-move.

Feedback loops improve programs by 25% satisfaction.

Interpretation

Employee Satisfaction & Retention Interpretation

The numbers reveal a clear truth: when companies treat relocation as a family transition rather than a logistics problem—proactively supporting spouses, housing, and even pets—they build profound loyalty and performance, but cutting corners on that human support almost guarantees costly disappointment.

Statistics · Storage Moving RelocationMoving Industry Statistics

04 · Category

International Relocations26 stats

45% of U.S. companies plan to increase relocation budgets in 2024.

62% of international assignees are men aged 30-49.

Asia is top destination for 28% of global expat moves.

Average length of international assignment is 28 months.

35% of companies use virtual assignments for international relocations.

Europe-to-Asia relocations up 25% in 2023.

18% failure rate for U.S. expats on international assignments.

Singapore hosts 35% of Asia-Pacific expat relocations.

42% of international relocations are to emerging markets in 2023.

Average international relocation package costs $150,000 per assignee.

55% of multinationals increased international assignee numbers in 2023.

China outbound expats 120,000 annually pre-COVID, recovering to 90%.

UAE receives 45,000 corporate relocations yearly.

67% of international assignees receive spousal support.

Latin America inbound relocations up 15% to Mexico in 2023.

22% of global CEOs relocated internationally in career.

India inbound expats 25,000 from U.S. in 2022.

38% use localization policies for long-term international stays.

Africa relocations 5% of global total, led by South Africa.

75% of international packages include home leave trips.

Digital nomad visas boosted relocations by 30% in Europe.

49% of assignees prefer short-term international rotations.

Brazil expat community grew 12% to 1.2 million in 2023.

60% of international relocations now hybrid/remote start.

Top languages for relocators: Mandarin 22%, Spanish 18%.

31% of global relocations involve families of 4+.

Interpretation

International Relocations Interpretation

Despite bold corporate ambitions to conquer emerging markets with hefty budgets and a steady stream of middle-aged male expats, the industry remains a costly, complex chess game where high-stakes moves often overlook families, falter 18% of the time, and still can't seem to shake a very persistent gender gap.

05 · Category

Market Size & Growth30 stats

The global employee relocation services market size was valued at USD 5.42 billion in 2022 and is expected to grow at a CAGR of 7.1% from 2023 to 2030.

U.S. corporate relocation market generated $14.5 billion in revenue in 2022.

The international relocation services market is projected to reach $9.8 billion by 2028, growing at 5.8% CAGR.

North America holds 42% share of the global relocation services market in 2023.

Asia-Pacific relocation market expected to grow fastest at 8.2% CAGR through 2030.

Global corporate relocation assignments increased by 12% in 2023 post-pandemic.

U.S. household goods moving market revenue reached $19 billion in 2022.

Europe relocation services market valued at €6.5 billion in 2023.

Domestic relocation segment accounts for 65% of total market revenue globally.

Relocation management services projected to grow at 6.5% CAGR to 2032.

U.S. international relocation volume hit 250,000 assignments in 2022.

Global relocation tech market to reach $2.1 billion by 2027.

Corporate relocation spend in UK rose 15% to £2.3 billion in 2023.

Latin America relocation market growing at 4.9% CAGR from 2023-2030.

U.S. small business relocation services market up 18% YoY in 2023.

Global expat relocation market valued at $7.2 billion in 2023.

Canada relocation services revenue $1.8 billion CAD in 2022.

Australia corporate moves market $1.5 billion AUD, growing 5% annually.

Middle East relocation market to hit $1.2 billion by 2025.

India domestic relocation market $800 million USD in 2023.

China international outbound relocations 180,000 in 2022.

Brazil relocation services market $450 million in 2023.

South Africa corporate relocations up 22% to 15,000 in 2023.

Global relocation services M&A deals 45 in 2023.

U.S. military relocation contracts $8 billion annually.

Tech sector drives 28% of global relocations in 2023.

Healthcare relocations 12% of U.S. corporate moves.

Finance industry relocations down 5% in 2023 globally.

Energy sector up 20% in international relocations 2023.

Retail relocations represent 8% of domestic U.S. market.

Interpretation

Market Size & Growth Interpretation

The global relocation industry is a multi-billion-dollar game of musical chairs where everyone is moving to a better seat, the music is getting faster, and North America is still hogging the couch.

06 · Category

Supplier & Service Statistics25 stats

Top 500 suppliers handle 70% of global relocations.

SIRVA manages 1 million moves annually.

250+ vans lines in U.S. relocation network.

Cartus handles 15% of Fortune 500 relocations.

Graebel Relocation services 300+ clients yearly.

80% suppliers use AI for route optimization.

Average supplier fleet size 500 trucks U.S.

Brookfield GRS operates in 190 countries.

45% market share by top 5 relocation firms.

Employee count in industry: 500,000 globally.

65% suppliers offer sustainable moving options.

Tech integrations in 70% of supplier platforms.

Average supplier revenue $50M U.S. firms.

120,000 certified relocation counselors worldwide.

Supplier consolidation: 20% mergers in 2023.

55% use blockchain for inventory tracking.

U.K. 150+ BAR registered movers.

Australia 200+ AFRA accredited firms.

Canada 100+ CAM certified movers.

Insurance coverage average $500K per move.

40% suppliers partner with real estate firms.

Training hours per consultant: 80 annually.

Customer NPS average 72 for top suppliers.

75% digital claims processing adoption.

VR home tours used by 60% large suppliers.

Interpretation

Supplier & Service Statistics Interpretation

While a handful of giants move the world’s workforce with algorithmic precision, the true texture of global relocation is found in the half-million human hands, 120,000 certified counselors, and surprisingly decent 72 NPS that ensure your life, not just your luggage, arrives intact.

Reference

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APA

Samuel Norberg. (2026, February 13). Relocation Industry Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/relocation-industry-statistics

MLA

Samuel Norberg. "Relocation Industry Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/relocation-industry-statistics.

Chicago

Samuel Norberg. 2026. "Relocation Industry Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/relocation-industry-statistics.

Sources & references

100 sources cited across this report

Key Takeaways

Related reading

Costs & Expenses24 stats

Costs & Expenses Interpretation

Domestic Relocations24 stats

Domestic Relocations Interpretation

Employee Satisfaction & Retention24 stats

Employee Satisfaction & Retention Interpretation

More related reading

International Relocations26 stats

International Relocations Interpretation

Market Size & Growth30 stats

Market Size & Growth Interpretation

Supplier & Service Statistics25 stats

Supplier & Service Statistics Interpretation

Cite This Report

Sources & references