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.
Related reading
01 · Category
Costs & Expenses24 stats
01
Global average relocation cost per employee $78,500.
02
U.S. domestic household move average $3,200-$5,000.
03
International household goods shipment $15,000average.
04
Lump sum relocation allowances average $25,000U.S.
05
Spousal job assistance costs $10,000per assignee.
06
Temporary housing 20% of total relocation budget.
07
Visa and immigration fees average $8,500internationally.
08
U.S. cross-country move labor costs $2,500-$4,000.
09
15% of relocation budgets allocated to marketing.
10
Average home sale assistance $12,000per transaction.
11
Intercity trucking costs up 22% since 2021.
12
Pet relocation international average $2,500.
13
Language training costs $5,000-$10,000 per person.
14
30-day temp living expense $7,000U.S. average.
15
Home finding trip reimbursement $3,500couple.
16
Storage costs $200/month per container U.S.
17
School search assistance $4,000average.
18
Relocation tax gross-up adds 25-40% to costs.
19
Vehicle shipment international $1,800-$3,500.
20
Misc. allowances (culture, utilities) $2,000average.
21
28% of companies cut relocation costs by 10% in 2023.
22
Average U.K. domestic move £1,500.
23
Australia intercity move AUD 5,000 average.
24
Canada cross-province $4,000CAD.
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
01
U.S. domestic moves totaled 27.1 million in 2022.
02
15% of U.S. workforce relocates for job annually.
03
Average U.S. domestic move distance 137 miles.
04
43% of U.S. domestic relocations are within same state.
05
South region gains 52% of net U.S. domestic migrants.
06
Millennial-led relocations up 28% in U.S. suburbs 2023.
07
68% of U.S. job-related moves are promotions.
08
California outbound domestic moves 300,000 in 2022.
09
Texas inbound relocations 450,000 net gain 2022.
10
Florida leads U.S. states for retiree relocations at 12%.
11
55% of U.S. remote workers relocated domestically post-COVID.
12
Midwest U.S. domestic moves down 10% in 2023.
13
Northeast to South domestic migration 220,000 annually.
14
72% of U.S. families relocate for spouse's job.
15
Corporate domestic relocations 10% of total U.S. moves.
16
Average U.S. domestic household move costs $4,500.
17
25% increase in U.S. urban-to-rural relocations 2023.
18
Gen Z domestic moves for affordability up 35%.
19
40% of U.S. military families relocate yearly.
20
Pacific Northwest domestic inflows up 18% in 2023.
21
61% of U.S. renters relocate vs 38% homeowners.
22
Corporate housing for domestic relos used by 45% firms.
23
Average U.S. interstate move time 7-10 days.
24
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
01
65% employee satisfaction with relocation support.
02
72% of relocated employees stay 2+ years.
03
Spousal adjustment issues cause 40% early returns.
04
85% report higher job satisfaction post-relocation.
05
Family support boosts retention by 25%.
06
55% would relocate again for career growth.
07
Poor housing support drops satisfaction to 42%.
08
68% of millennials value relocation flexibility.
09
91% loyalty to companies offering relocations.
10
Culture training improves satisfaction by 30%.
11
47% cite work-life balance improvement post-move.
12
Early repatriation rate 12% due to dissatisfaction.
13
76% recommend employer relocation program.
14
Remote preview tours raise satisfaction 22%.
15
62% Gen Z prioritize relocation perks.
16
Dual-career support retains 80% spouses employed.
17
70% report better team integration post-reloc.
18
Pet policy inclusion boosts family satisfaction 35%.
19
58% satisfied with financial transparency.
20
Wellness programs cut stress, up satisfaction 18%.
21
82% U.S. employees view relocation positively.
22
Onboarding speed correlates to 90% retention.
23
65% international assignees exceed performance post-move.
24
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.
More related reading
04 · Category
International Relocations26 stats
01
45% of U.S. companies plan to increase relocation budgets in 2024.
02
62% of international assignees are men aged 30-49.
03
Asia is top destination for 28% of global expat moves.
04
Average length of international assignment is 28 months.
05
35% of companies use virtual assignments for international relocations.
06
Europe-to-Asia relocations up 25% in 2023.
07
18% failure rate for U.S. expats on international assignments.
08
Singapore hosts 35% of Asia-Pacific expat relocations.
09
42% of international relocations are to emerging markets in 2023.
10
Average international relocation package costs $150,000per assignee.
11
55% of multinationals increased international assignee numbers in 2023.
12
China outbound expats 120,000 annually pre-COVID, recovering to 90%.
13
UAE receives 45,000 corporate relocations yearly.
14
67% of international assignees receive spousal support.
15
Latin America inbound relocations up 15% to Mexico in 2023.
16
22% of global CEOs relocated internationally in career.
17
India inbound expats 25,000 from U.S. in 2022.
18
38% use localization policies for long-term international stays.
19
Africa relocations 5% of global total, led by South Africa.
20
75% of international packages include home leave trips.
21
Digital nomad visas boosted relocations by 30% in Europe.
22
49% of assignees prefer short-term international rotations.
23
Brazil expat community grew 12% to 1.2 million in 2023.
24
60% of international relocations now hybrid/remote start.
25
Top languages for relocators: Mandarin 22%, Spanish 18%.
26
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
01
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.
02
U.S. corporate relocation market generated $14.5 billion in revenue in 2022.
03
The international relocation services market is projected to reach $9.8 billion by 2028, growing at 5.8% CAGR.
04
North America holds 42% share of the global relocation services market in 2023.
05
Asia-Pacific relocation market expected to grow fastest at 8.2% CAGR through 2030.
06
Global corporate relocation assignments increased by 12% in 2023 post-pandemic.
07
U.S. household goods moving market revenue reached $19 billion in 2022.
08
Europe relocation services market valued at €6.5 billion in 2023.
09
Domestic relocation segment accounts for 65% of total market revenue globally.
10
Relocation management services projected to grow at 6.5% CAGR to 2032.
11
U.S. international relocation volume hit 250,000 assignments in 2022.
12
Global relocation tech market to reach $2.1 billion by 2027.
13
Corporate relocation spend in UK rose 15% to £2.3 billion in 2023.
14
Latin America relocation market growing at 4.9% CAGR from 2023-2030.
15
U.S. small business relocation services market up 18% YoY in 2023.
16
Global expat relocation market valued at $7.2 billion in 2023.
17
Canada relocation services revenue $1.8 billion CAD in 2022.
18
Australia corporate moves market $1.5 billion AUD, growing 5% annually.
19
Middle East relocation market to hit $1.2 billion by 2025.
20
India domestic relocation market $800 million USD in 2023.
21
China international outbound relocations 180,000 in 2022.
22
Brazil relocation services market $450 million in 2023.
23
South Africa corporate relocations up 22% to 15,000 in 2023.
24
Global relocation services M&A deals 45 in 2023.
25
U.S. military relocation contracts $8 billion annually.
26
Tech sector drives 28% of global relocations in 2023.
27
Healthcare relocations 12% of U.S. corporate moves.
28
Finance industry relocations down 5% in 2023 globally.
29
Energy sector up 20% in international relocations 2023.
30
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
01
Top 500 suppliers handle 70% of global relocations.
02
SIRVA manages 1 million moves annually.
03
250+ vans lines in U.S. relocation network.
04
Cartus handles 15% of Fortune 500 relocations.
05
Graebel Relocation services 300+ clients yearly.
06
80% suppliers use AI for route optimization.
07
Average supplier fleet size 500 trucks U.S.
08
Brookfield GRS operates in 190 countries.
09
45% market share by top 5 relocation firms.
10
Employee count in industry: 500,000 globally.
11
65% suppliers offer sustainable moving options.
12
Tech integrations in 70% of supplier platforms.
13
Average supplier revenue $50M U.S. firms.
14
120,000 certified relocation counselors worldwide.
15
Supplier consolidation: 20% mergers in 2023.
16
55% use blockchain for inventory tracking.
17
U.K. 150+ BAR registered movers.
18
Australia 200+ AFRA accredited firms.
19
Canada 100+ CAM certified movers.
20
Insurance coverage average $500K per move.
21
40% suppliers partner with real estate firms.
22
Training hours per consultant: 80 annually.
23
Customer NPS average 72 for top suppliers.
24
75% digital claims processing adoption.
25
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 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level