# brain drain

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/brain-drain
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

The migration of educated or talented people from less economically advanced areas to more economically advanced areas, especially to large cities or more developed nations.

## Examples

- Many doctors leave, causing a serious brain drain in rural areas.
- Our small town faces a brain drain as graduates move to bigger cities.
- Low salaries often lead to a brain drain in the nursing profession.
- The country's best engineers moved abroad for better pay, creating a brain drain that slowed local development.
- Local tech startups are struggling to grow because the recent brain drain has pulled all the top software developers toward high-paying jobs in the capital city.
- The university is worried about a brain drain if the most talented researchers decide to accept better offers from private laboratories across the border.
- Despite government incentives to retain skilled workers, the relentless brain drain continued as young professionals fled to wealthier nations in search of opportunity and stability.

## Origin

Coined by spokesmen for the Royal Society of London in the early 1950s to describe the outflow of scientists and technologists to the United States and Canada.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.