Ranked on what $1,000,000 of income keeps over 10 years, with what China charges on the way out.
In short, current to September 2026
Source: the Patrician.ch board, an original ranking of 100 residence addresses across 48 countries and territories. Tax rates, thresholds and routes are sourced. Cost, safety, schools, sun and beauty are Patrician.ch editorial indices. Figures current to September 2026. Updated . Cite as: Patrician.ch, Moving from China 2026: where a high earner keeps most, patrician.ch/answers/moving-from-china/, September 2026.
Ordered by what a single filer keeps over 10 years after income tax, on Patrician.ch's 2026 model, with the flight time from China. The engine reorders this on your own income, liquidity event, passports and household.
The same ranking, kept to addresses a direct flight of 5 hours or less from China.
Model note. Effective rates use indicative 2026 headline brackets and any special regime for arriving foreigners. Social contributions, deductions and treaty relief are not included. Flight times are great-circle estimates. The exit charge from China is modeled separately and is not netted into the figures above.
On $1,000,000 of income, Gustavia keeps the most over 10 years, $10M, followed by Abu Dhabi and Dubai.
Within 5 hours of China, Hong Kong keeps the most. The ranking changes with the passports held, the household and a liquidity event, all of which the engine takes as inputs.
No exit tax and no deemed sale on departure.
A Chinese national who emigrates and cancels the household registration (hukou) must first file and clear every tax owed, including the year of departure.
There is no deemed disposition on departure from China.
Residence is broken under the local test, and the date it breaks is the fact counsel will want evidenced.
36 of the 100 addresses on the board levy no personal capital gains tax, among them Abu Dhabi, Anguilla, Bora Bora, Christophe Harbour, Dubai, Geneva.
The engine takes what you earn and what you hold, then orders every address on the board against it.
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The general case, ranked: Where should high earners live in 2026 · Best country to live in if you are rich · Best countries for high earners after tax · Europe · United States · Americans moving abroad · Tax calculator
Tax figures use a simplified marginal model with indicative 2026 brackets for a non-US single filer, ignore social contributions, most deductions, wealth taxes, and treaties, and are not advice. Residence rules change often. Verify before acting.