I have fiddled a bit with the interactive Expat Explorer, but there are so many options (30 just in the Experience category) that it is easier to review a few of them one by one rather than try the thousands (actually millions) of possible combinations.
This kind of comparison is great fun for me who has lived in 8 of the 31 countries listed and travelled to most of them (except Gulf countries, Russia, SA, NZ, Brazil and Mexico).
If I select only
learning the local language, English speaking countries are all on top, while Asian and Arabic countries (and Switzerland !) are at the bottom. This means that the survey is designed first and foremost for English speakers, or that people around the world do feel like English is easier to learn than other languages (perhaps because they are more exposed to it and learned it from an earlier age).
Fitting into the new culture gives a very different ranking, with Barhein, Singapore, Australia, Hong Kong and New Zealand on top, and India, Egypt, Germany, Netherlands and China at the bottom.
It is easier to
make local friends in Turkey, Russia, Spain, the Philippines and Malaysia, but hardest in the UAE, Netherlands, Qatar, Switzerland and Belgium. The ranking for
integrating in the local community is not very different, with English speaking countries, Turkey, the Philippines and Spain on top, and Gulf countries, Switzerland and the Benelux at the bottom. The funny thing is that expats can make non-local friends (other expats, I assume) easily in Gulf countries, but it will remain very difficult in Belgium, the Netherlands, Switzerland, as well as Germany, the UK and even in the USA. In other words, the Benelux and Switzerland are not good places to make friends. Merging both categories, Turkey, the Philippines, Russia, Spain and Malaysia are quite clearly the best places to make friends.
Social life gets a similar ranking.
When it comes to
getting used to the local food and
enjoying the local food, Japan is obviously at the very top, as anybody who has been to Japan will understand. After that come Italy, Brazil (really ?), France, Spain and Vietnam. The worst countries for food are the Netherlands (too bland, I would say), Egypt (too greasy and repetitive), the UK, Russia and Qatar/UAE.
The best food cultures also tend to be the healthiest. Italy, France and Spain rank on top for
healthy diet, while Japan comes 6th amidst other East Asian countries. Unhealthy diets are found in places like Russia (the only European country where life expectancy is
decreasing), Egypt and Gulf countries (as I said too greasy and undiversified), the UK, USA, Mexico and India (same remark as Middle East).
Let's have a look at work now. The worst
local work cultures in the survey were France, Italy, Japan and China. I think I understand why. The best were Australia, South Africa, HK, the Philippines and Canada. The
work / life balance is equally good in South Africa, the Philippines and Canada, but also quite good in NZ, the Netherlands or Thailand. The big difference is Hong Kong, which had the 3rd best local work culture but the worst work / life balance of all countries.
Expats were happy with the
quality of accommodation in developing countries such as Malaysia, and Thailand as well as in North America (including Mexico), but were dissatisfied with what they got in Western Europe, HK and Japan (surely because accommodation in more expensive in those countries) as well as Russia (communist era heritage).
The best places for
healthcare access and quality are Germany, Belgium, France, Thailand and Malaysia. I can't understand how the UK ranks last when it is the only country that has a completely free healthcare system (maybe not for non-EU expats), although it is true that this has had for effect to reduce the quality. Otherwise you shouldn't expect too proficient healthcare in Egypt, Russia, China, Turkey or India.
Local transports were deemed the most satisfying in Singapore, HK, Switzerland and the Benelux. The worst were unsurprisingly in Russia, India, Saudi Arabia, China and Mexico. I was astounded to find that Japan score so badly for transportation (6th to last), which I feel is superior to Belgium and the Netherlands, and in the same category as HK and Singapore.
Regarding organisation, Italy upholds its reputation for confusion. Combing the options,
organising healthcare, organising finances and setting up utilities, Italy ranks dead last, behind Brazil, India and Mexico ! Unexpectedly Germany doesn't do so well (6th to last). The great organisers are the Oceanians as well as HK, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. Japan is only average, and China close to the bottom.
All factors included for Experience, the best countries to live in as an expat are Thailand, Canada, South Africa, the Philippines and Malaysia. The worst are India, Russia, the UK, China and Qatar. This is of course based on statistical scores. The personal connection with the local culture is a vital element too. I personally would hate it to live for more than a few months, and especially work, in a hot and humid country (Japanese summers were hell for me). Climate aside, Singapore is a great place to live and work, but the extremely harsh and puritanical laws are a good deterrent enough (yes, you can be fined 500$ for crossing the street outside a pedestrian crossing or singing in the street !). On the other hand, the country where I enjoyed the most living was Britain, because the mindset and culture fits pretty well with mine.
There are only 10 countries surveyed for
raising children abroad. The UK got by far the worst overall score, which is in line with the
UNICEF report of child well-being, which ranked the United Kingdom last among 21 developed countries. Then come the USA (2nd to last also in the UNICEF report) and Mexico. If you want to raise your kids abroad, try rather France, the Netherlands (top at UNICEF report) or Australia. Scandinavia and Switzerland are probably good choices too.
