In their quest to draw in highly skilled foreign professionals, countries make it a priority to create excellent living conditions for expats. Professionals have high expectations for the country they choose to live in, and the benefits of having skilled workers in high-demand jobs are clear. Comparing the economic contributions of expatriates and regular immigrants shows that the former group comes with greater advantages. To decide on the best country for expats, you need to be aware of the advantages these jurisdictions boast and the perks they offer.
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Here’s why expats are such a great asset for the new country’s economy:
- Skills and expertise: Expats have impressive professional skills and abilities.
- Financial independence: They can support themselves financially.
- Less strain on social security: Expats don’t burden social security funds.
- High-demand jobs: Their occupations are often in high demand and allow for flexible remote work, so they don’t need special workplace conditions.
- Adaptability and integration: Expats can easily adjust to different social conditions and fit into society.
- Financial responsibility: Expats are responsible with their finances, paying taxes diligently and staying away from illegal activities.
- Minimal conflicts of interest: There is a low risk of expats competing for jobs that could be filled by local residents.
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Expat Insider 2023: overview
Different rankings have been developed to show which places expats prefer to live in. All of these rankings are important, but the one supported by InterNations is considered the most reliable. The data for this research comes from members of the InterNations community, making Expat Insider one of the fairest and most specialized rankings available. A key reason for this trust is the clear and open way the results are analyzed and interpreted.
Expat Insider 2023, basic characteristics:
- Survey conducted: February 1–28, 2023.
- Number of participants: 12,065.
- Surveys were completed by representatives of 171 nationalities from 53 countries.
- For a country to be included in the ranking, a minimum of 50 votes from its citizens or permanent residents was required.
- Participants rated each criterion on a scale of 1 to 7.
- A total of 56 factors that influence expat choices were evaluated.
- The final ratings were grouped into 16 subcategories, divided into 5 thematic indices.
Gender distribution:
- men – 50%
- women – 49%
- self-identified individuals or those who declined to answer – 1%.
Relationship status (official or informal, i.e., not legally registered):
- couples – 57%
- singles – 43%.
Family status:
- with children – 20%
- without children – 80%.
Age (average age: 46.2 years):
- 25 years and below: 4%
- 26–30 years: 9%
- 31–35 years: 13%
- 36–40 years: 14%
- 41–45 years: 12%
- 46–50 years: 11%
- 51–55 years: 10%
- 56–60 years: 8%
- over 60 years: 18%.
Education level (82% of respondents are university graduates):
- no higher education – 2%
- high school – 8%
- vocational education – 8%
- bachelor’s degree – 34%
- master’s degree – 41%
- doctorate degree – 7%.
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Motivation of expats, their nationality, and geographical factors
To meet the needs of expats, it’s important to understand what they want. The reasons why people move can be different, especially for expats in search of the best expat countries compared to regular immigrants. The best country to live in permanently will depend on whether it suits expats who work remotely or people who simply moved abroad.
Jobs and careers:
- engaged in independent job search after relocation – 15%
- found suitable job opportunities abroad – 10%
- relocated with the agreement of their employer – 9%
- plan to start their own business – 2%.
Lifestyle expectations:
- desire to improve quality of life – 8%
- aspiration for change – 5%
- retirement expectations – 4%
- desire to live in a specific country or city – 3%
- desire to live abroad – 3%
- financial expectations – 3% (often unspecified by respondents).
These factors illustrate the general characteristics of expats who opt to move to another country. The total sum of all criteria amounts to 101% (with 1% accounting for statistical margin of error and inadvertent errors).
Intended duration of stay abroad:
- less than 6 months: 2%
- 6 to 12 months: 4%
- 1 to 3 years: 11%
- 3 to 5 years: 11%
- more than 5 years: 21%
- indefinite term (many expats stay in another country for a long time, often permanently)
- undecided: 16%.
The information above strongly supports the idea that expats are among the most beneficial types of temporary immigrants.
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The below countries and regions are particularly favored by expats:
- United Kingdom
- Germany
- Spain
- Italy
- Canada
- Netherlands
- United Arab Emirates
- United States
- France
- Switzerland.
Expats belong to the following nationalities:
- Americans
- British
- Dutch
- Indians
- Italians
- Canadians
- Germans
- Turks
- Filipinos
- French.
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Expat Insider 2023: ratings
Mexico has once again come out on top for the second year in a row. This might be surprising, but the data is accurate. Since the launch of Expat Insider in 2014, Mexico has consistently been ranked among the top 5 countries. It keeps excelling in different areas, showing that the best countries for people in general and for expats in particular are often different.
The lowest-ranking country here is Kuwait, and expats highlight the following aspects:
- limited leisure opportunities
- excessive control over private life
- no freedom to openly express their opinions
- high prices.
Based on the integral rating, these are the top countries for expats (positions 1–10):
- Mexico
- Spain
- Panama
- Malaysia
- Taiwan
- Thailand
- Costa Rica
- Philippines
- Bahrain
- Portugal.
According to the integral rating, the countries listed below are the worst for expats (positions 53–44):
- Kuwait
- Norway
- Turkey
- South Korea
- Germany
- South Africa
- Italy
- Malta
- New Zealand
- Japan.
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NB: Please be aware that the Expat Insider 2023 rating reflects the preferences and choices of expats. So, if you’re considering a country for permanent residency, don’t let the lower rankings of popular places like Norway, Turkey, Germany, and Malta discourage you!
Expat Insider 2023: main categories
When trying to decide what country is the best overall, you should look at all the factors. Relying solely on one indicator might not be completely accurate. People have different priorities and value certain things more than others. So, we have listed the top 10 countries that excel in specific areas to help you make an informed decision.
Quality of life (aggregate indicator comprising 5 subcategories):
- Spain
- Taiwan
- Finland
- United Arab Emirates
- Austria
- Singapore
- Portugal
- Switzerland
- Luxembourg
- Denmark.
Leisure options:
- Spain
- Mexico
- Hong Kong
- Colombia
- Brazil
- United Arab Emirates
- Thailand
- Portugal
- United States
- Czech Republic.
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Travel:
- Singapore
- South Korea
- Taiwan
- Austria
- Luxembourg
- China
- Czech Republic
- Qatar
- Switzerland
- Spain.
Healthcare system:
- Taiwan
- South Korea
- Qatar
- Spain
- Luxembourg
- France
- Japan
- Austria
- Thailand
- United Arab Emirates.
Safety:
- Luxembourg
- Switzerland
- Finland
- Denmark
- Netherlands
- Norway
- Portugal
- Taiwan
- United Arab Emirates
- Estonia.
Climate and environment:
- Switzerland
- Finland
- Costa Rica
- Sweden
- Portugal
- Austria
- Spain
- New Zealand
- Australia
- Canada.
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Ease of acclimatization (aggregate indicator comprising 3 subcategories):
- Mexico
- Brazil
- Philippines
- Panama
- Kenya
- Indonesia
- Costa Rica
- Greece
- Bahrain
- Oman.
Friendliness of people and culture:
- Mexico
- Panama
- Philippines
- Brazil
- Greece
- Spain
- Costa Rica
- Portugal
- Kenya
- Indonesia.
Ease of building friendships after relocation:
- Mexico
- Brazil
- Philippines
- Indonesia
- Vietnam
- Oman
- Costa Rica
- Thailand
- Kenya
- Greece.
Working abroad (aggregate indicator comprising 4 subcategories):
- Netherlands
- Luxembourg
- Sweden
- United Arab Emirates
- Finland
- Denmark
- Canada
- Ireland
- Taiwan
- Australia.
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Career opportunities:
- United States
- United Arab Emirates
- Ireland
- Saudi Arabia
- Luxembourg
- Qatar
- Netherlands
- Australia
- Canada
- United Kingdom.
Opportunities for work and recreation:
- Finland
- Sweden
- Denmark
- Czech Republic
- Netherlands
- Vietnam
- Estonia
- Australia
- Philippines
- Spain.
Payroll rate and employment security:
- Luxembourg
- Switzerland
- Taiwan
- Norway
- Netherlands
- Denmark
- Saudi Arabia
- United Arab Emirates
- Germany
- Austria.
Work culture:
- Estonia
- Sweden
- Finland
- Netherlands
- Denmark
- United Arab Emirates
- United States
- Canada
- United Kingdom
- Australia.
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Opportunities for personal banking (aggregate indicator comprising 1 subcategory):
- Vietnam
- Mexico
- Philippines
- Thailand
- Malaysia
- Indonesia
- Colombia
- Panama
- India
- China.
Living conditions for expats (aggregate indicator comprising 4 subcategories):
- Bahrain
- United Arab Emirates
- Oman
- Malaysia
- Estonia
- Qatar
- Panama
- Kenya
- Saudi Arabia
- Finland.
Digital resources and opportunities:
- Finland
- Denmark
- Estonia
- Sweden
- Singapore
- Netherlands
- Switzerland
- Bahrain
- United States
- South Korea.
Ease of handling administrative matters:
- Bahrain
- Estonia
- Luxembourg
- United Arab Emirates
- Singapore
- Netherlands
- Switzerland
- Oman
- Canada
- Australia.
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Affordability of housing:
- Thailand
- Malaysia
- Philippines
- Oman
- Panama
- Mexico
- Vietnam
- Indonesia
- Colombia
- Bahrain.
Ease of language adaptation:
- Bahrain
- United Arab Emirates
- Oman
- Malaysia
- Singapore
- Qatar
- Kenya
- United States
- New Zealand
- Australia.
When you choose the ideal country for expats, considering the unique needs, preferences, and habits of each person is a must. To make a well-informed and thoughtful decision, you should rely on trustworthy and impartial information. If you are contemplating a move to another country, the Q Wealth team of experts will eagerly provide you with the assistance and guidance you need to relocate seamlessly.
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For more information, please take a look at the articles below:
- Safest and Cheapest Caribbean Islands: Choosing the Best Option to Live as an Expat
- How Much Does It Cost to Move to Europe?
- The Best Bank Accounts for Expats
To contact experts at Q Wealth, simply send an email to info@qwealthreport.com and we will be in touch with you shortly.
