The World Citizenship Report (WCR) 2026 revealed that 71.6% of HNWIs are increasingly choosing second citizenship for their long-term future planning. According to the report, most of these HNWIs worldwide come from some of the world’s most developed and powerful nations.
The WCR 2026 revealed that Americans account for the highest number of applications to Citizenship by Investment (CBI) programmes globally. Around 21% of global CBI applicants are nationals of the United States, which is the largest share of the application from a single jurisdiction in the investment migration industry.
Not only this, the United Kingdom is another developed nation facing a similar trend, with HNWIs increasingly leaving the country and considering second citizenship.
The WCR challenges the traditional perception that demand for second citizenship is primarily driven by individuals seeking to leave uncertainties in the developing countries. Instead, the report highlights that affluent individuals from advanced economies are increasingly seeking additional citizenship to enhance their long-term opportunities, security, and global mobility.
According to WCR 2026, HNWIs are losing confidence that their existing citizenship will continue to provide the same level of stability and opportunities over the next decade.
As a result, mass affluent individuals are no longer relying on a single jurisdiction to secure their future, instead using multiple citizenships to protect their wealth, families, and long-term interests amid an increasingly unpredictable global landscape.
“The value of jurisdictional flexibility increases for the mass affluent as a direct function of the need to diversify risk, navigate uncertainty and align with future opportunity and outcomes,” the findings of the WCR 2026 noted.
HNWIs removing one jurisdiction barriers
The World Citizenship Report 2026 added that HNWIs view geopolitical instability and global volatility as fundamental conditions of the modern world rather than temporary disruptions. Instead of trying to avoid these challenges, they are preparing for them by removing jurisdictional barriers for their secure future and quality of life.
While calling citizenship “as a framework for the future,” the WCR 2026 outlined the shifting mindset of the high-net-worth-individuals (HNWIs) towards second citizenship. In the current scenario, second citizenship has become an integral part of discussions among HNWIs when planning for their security, quality of life, financial well-being, business interests, and long-term family future.
Micha Rose Emmett, CEO of CS Global Partners also described the situation and called Citizenship Planning, “a default setting.”
Even wealthy parents are seeking to provide frictionless access to global education, jobs and lifestyles to their children that their existing jurisdiction can no longer guarantee. According to the WCR 2026, a child’s citizenship now matters more than their degree or what they study, as being limited to a single jurisdiction can restrict their earning potential and opportunities regardless of their academic qualifications.
“A child with strong citizenship can choose the best programme anywhere, intern globally without administrative friction and relocate for the highest-paying roles,” the findings of WCR added.
As a result, HNWIs and wealthy parents are incorporating second citizenship into their future plannings for their families and their children. They are building citizenship portfolios that hedge against fragmentation, secure access to the best global markets, and protect the next generation from forces beyond any single nation’s control.
Factors leading HNWIs towards second citizenship
Around 27.3% of mass affluent individuals consider quality of life as the primary factor influencing their citizenship choices, according to the WCR 2026. HNWIs are increasingly seeking better access to healthcare, improved environmental quality, and overall well-being, prompting them for second citizenship.
Secondly, 17.2% of the HNWIs are making citizenship choices for safety and security as they want access to a safer or more stable country. “Security has become deeply embedded in citizenship considerations for HNWIs, particularly for those who take a forward-looking approach,” the report’s findings added.
Greater freedom of movement ranks third at 18.7% as a driver of second citizenship in the World Citizenship Report.
The report indicated that second citizenship is no longer viewed merely as a mobility tool but as a key component of long-term planning for HNWIs. From securing a better quality of life and greater safety to expanding global mobility and opportunities, affluent individuals are increasingly using second citizenship to build resilience and prepare their families for an uncertain future.
