The World's 12 Most Popular Dream Retirement Locations

After decades of punching the clock, many people crave a change of scenery, and moving to a new country is a way for retirees to mark the start of their golden years. When they're bored at work, these are the countries most people dream about retiring to.

Researchers a Money.co.uk looked at worldwide Google search data to determine the most popular locations of workers' retirement fantasies. According to their report, France is the country most of the world is searching for when Googling retirement plans. The European nation is most likely to end the search query "retire to..." in 20 countries, including Morocco, Switzerland, and Italy.

Canada comes in second place, dominating search data in 14 countries. Aspiring retirees in Albania, Armenia, and Ethiopia are considering a move to the Great White North later in life. Argentina, Portugal, Australia, and Thailand also rank high on the list. You can view the full list of the most popular countries the world wants to retire to below.

If the logistics of moving abroad are too complicated, spending retirement in a different part of the country can still provide a fresh start. Here are the best (and worst) U.S. states for retirement in 2021.

1. France
2. Canada
3. Portugal
4. Australia (tied with Thailand)
5. Thailand (tied with Australia)
6. Spain
7. Costa Rica (tied with Germany)
8. Germany (tied with Costa Rica)
9. New Zealand
10. Turkey
11. Belgium (tied with Malaysia)
12. Malaysia (tied with Belgium)