// BBC BUSINESS NEWS — FINANZA
The grads ditching the UK for a fresh start abroad
Charlie West, left, Rachel James and Owein Iveson have all moved overseas
Last year Rachel James quit her corporate job in London, packed a suitcase and booked a one-way ticket to Sydney, without a job lined up or a plan in place.
"I went for a fresh start," says the 26-year-old from Surrey. "To take a risk and try something completely different. With the worst case being there will always be a flight home if all fails."
More than one in 10 UK university students are now planning to move abroad for better opportunities after they have graduated, up from 7.8% two years ago, according to a survey, external of 15,000 final year university students.
Meanwhile, a study by the Institute of Student Employers (ISE) says that competition for graduate jobs in the UK was at a three-decade high.
UK employers now receive 140 applications per graduate vacancy on average, an increase of 14% from 2025, and up from just 30 applications per vacancy 20 years ago, according to the ISE's report, external.
For young British adults going abroad, where are they heading?
While there is no age-specific data for which countries people go to, Australia remains by far the most popular nation for British adults overall who move abroad, official figures show., external
In addition to Australia's weather and use of the English language, another reason is its visa-friendly policy. Under its Working Holiday Maker programme,, external British passport holders between the ages of 18 and 35 can live in Australia for up to three years.
Rachel James says that Sydney is a nicer place to live and work than London