Survey: Millions of Venezuelans say they would leave if they could

In Gallup surveys over the past three years, no fewer than one in three Venezuelans have said they wanted to leave their country permanently. That includes the 36% who said so late last year before the escalating political crisis and current international efforts to unseat Maduro. This percentage translates to about 8 million adults.

Venezuela’s economic woes date back to the collapse of oil prices before Maduro. However, before Maduro’s first full year as president in 2014, no more than 15% of Venezuelans expressed a desire to leave their country. In fact, before Maduro took office, the average saying they wanted to move was 13%. Since he took office, the average has more than doubled, to 28%.