YouTubers flock to a European micronation

The Future. The Principality of Andorra, a microstate with a population of 84,000 between France and Spain, is attracting a large number of European YouTubers and other digital influencers because it’s just a thing right now. As the battle between locals and digital nomads reaches a fever pitch, it may test the limits of the work-from-anywhere philosophy.

Viral nation
Andorra has an influencer problem.

• While influencers come for the beautiful mountain vistas, they end up staying because of the low taxes and banking discretion (read: a perfect place to keep and park money).
• The financial perks are so good that Andorra has a higher GDP per capita than Germany and Sweden.
• And that’s creating a housing crisis where new, rich, foreign residents are pushing out native Andorrans (the only nation where Catalan is the official language).
• With real estate prices spiking 30% since 2018, many Andorrans have had to move across the border — typically to northern Spain.

Andorra is trying to curb the moneyed migration, instituting new tax laws, residency requirements, and language tests to help preserve the country’s culture.

But Andorrans say the roadblocks are easily passable and will eventually turn Andorra into a rich-kid playground like Monaco… putting residents of a country that’s been around since 1278 on a collision course with international influencers who fell in love with the fresh backdrop.