Survey Results: 2014 HSBC Expat Explorer
Yesterday HSBC released the results of their 7th Expat Explorer Survey with the responses of over 9000 expatriates (an increase of over 2000 on last year) worldwide providing a snapshot of expat life around the world.
Expats were asked to share their views on the quality of life, financial wellbeing, and the ease of raising a family abroad. This year Switzerland came out as the best country overall to be an expat followed by Singapore and China. The top ten countries this year were:
- Switzerland
- Singapore
- China
- Germany
- Bahrain
- New Zealand
- Thailand
- Taiwan
- India
- Hong Kong
Asia still has the pull for expats looking to increase their earning potential with nearly 40% of expats in China earning more than $200,000 per year. Career-minded expats though are continuing to head to the Middle East with nearly 60% of expatriates moving their finding better job prospects. For family life, New Zealand comes out top with improved standards of living and a good work / life balance.
| Rank | Economic experiences1 | Local experience2 | Raising children3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | China | New Zealand | New Zealand |
| 2 | Switzerland | Bahrain | South Africa |
| 3 | Singapore | Singapore | Germany |
| 4 | Oman | Australia | Japan |
| 5 | Qatar | Switzerland | Singapore |
| 6 | Hong Kong | Thailand | India |
| 7 | Germany | Taiwan | Belgium |
| 8 | Vietnam | Spain | Canada |
| 9 | Taiwan | France | Bahrain |
| 10 | United Arab Emirates | Germany | Switzerland |
1Economic experiences (household income, personal disposable income and satisfaction with the host economy)
2Local experience (be that diet, healthcare or air quality for example)
3Raising children (be that quality of childcare or the cost of education for example)
Dean Blackburn, Head of HSBC Expat commented “There are a great many decisions involved in making the move abroad, ranging from consideration of finances and managing money, right through to integrating into the local community and arranging childcare. While Asia continues to excel as a region for those looking for higher salaries, the Middle East draws career-minded expats and New Zealand offers a great opportunity for those looking for quality of life and a good place to raise a family.”
You can compare different countries across various categories by visiting the Expat Explorer website.
