Azoreans faced many hardships that led to emigration from their homeland, including high birthrates, lack of available land for farming, and economic adversity stemming from a decline in prices for exported goods.

Historically and in 2026, emigration from the Azores has been driven by a combination of economic necessity and geological instability. The archipelago’s location at a triple tectonic junction makes it prone to frequent earthquakes and volcanic eruptions; major events, like the Capelinhos eruption in 1957, destroyed livelihoods and led to the "Azorean Refugee Act" in the US, which triggered a massive wave of emigration to New England. Economically, the islands' "insular" nature traditionally limited job opportunities to agriculture and whaling. This led generations of young Azoreans to seek a "better life" in the United States, Canada (specifically Montreal and Toronto), and Brazil. Even today, while tourism has bolstered the economy, the "brain drain" continues as students leave for universities in Lisbon or Porto and stay there for higher wages. This history has created a massive Azorean diaspora—estimated at over one million people—which is four times larger than the actual population living on the nine islands today.