Top 10 Worst Countries For Expats To Live/Work Around The World

Top 10 Worst Destinations For Expats To Live and Work in The World

Every year, InterNations, a community for expatriates, conducts the Expat Insider survey. 11,970 people from 181 countries and territories around the world, representing 177 different nationalities, participated in this year's online survey.

Expats particularly value their financial situation and ease of settling in the top destinations. Regarding the bottom 3, which contain some surprises, the same cannot be said.

The Expat Insider Rankings for 2022 show that New Zealand, which has continuously placed highly in human index rankings, is among the least popular travel destinations among expatriates. Mexico, on the other hand, has topped the list after respondents gave it high marks on indices that measure how easy it is to settle in, how friendly the people are, and how varied the food is.

Ninety-one percent of respondents said they were content with their lives in Mexico. The top five were occupied by Indonesia, Taiwan, Portugal, and Spain; the bottom five were occupied by Kuwait, New Zealand, Hong Kong, Cyprus, and Luxembourg.

The Best and The Worst for Expats - Summary

Top 10: Mexico, Indonesia, Taiwan, Portugal, Spain, UAE, Vietnam, Thailand, Australia, Singapore

11 to 20: Estonia, Oman, Kenya, USA, Bahrain, Brazil, Russia, Malaysia, Switzerland, Czechia

21 to 30: Philippines, Netherlands, Canada, Austria, Hungary, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Poland, Belgium, Denmark

31 to 40: France, Finland, China, Norway, Egypt, India, UK, Ireland, Sweden, South Korea

41 to 52: Greece, Germany, Malta, Italy, Turkey, South Africa, Japan, Luxembourg, Cyprus, Hong Kong, New Zealand, Kuwait

Top 10 Worst Destinations For Expats

1. Kuwait

Photo: Xinhua

Kuwait ranks last (59th out of 59 countries) in the Expat Insider survey for the seventh time in the last eight years. With particularly low rankings in the subcategories of leisure options, personal happiness, and travel & transportation (59th overall), the nation ranks lowest on the Quality of Life Index (59th). Kuwait ranks 59th on the Ease of Settling In Index, making it the worst place in the world for foreigners to settle down. Of all expat destinations, only 20% of foreigners feel at home in Kuwaiti culture, and 45% find it difficult to settle down here, compared to 22% worldwide. Furthermore, 62% of respondents say it's hard to make friends locally in particular, compared to 36% globally, and 51% say they have trouble making new friends (compared to 32% globally).

Kuwait ranks 56th in the Working Abroad Index and does not fare well in the subcategories of Work & Leisure (58th) and Career Prospects & Satisfaction (57th). 31% of respondents are not happy with their job in general (compared to 16% worldwide), and 34% are not happy with their work-life balance (compared to 17% worldwide).

2. New Zealand

When it comes to personal finance, expatriates in New Zealand struggle the most (ranking 52nd); they give their financial status (30% vs. 21% globally) and the overall cost of living (75% vs. 35% globally) low ratings. That may be part of the reason that 32% of workers feel they are not paid fairly (compared to 20% worldwide). New Zealand only ranks 42nd in the Working Abroad Index because 15% of workers do not see a purpose in their work (compared to 9% globally) and 26% dislike their working hours (compared to 17% globally).

In terms of the Quality of Life and Expat Essentials Indices, New Zealand performs mediocrely, ranking 39th overall. The lack of culture and nightlife (40% vs. 16% globally) and high transportation costs (36% vs. 17% globally) are the main causes of the latter. However, foreigners are drawn to the outdoors (95% vs. 83% worldwide) and the availability of recreational sports (84% vs. 75% worldwide). Finally, the nation comes in at position 34 for Ease of Settling In. In general, 60% of foreigners in New Zealand are content with their lives.

3. Hong Kong

Photo: BBC

In the Personal Finance Index, Hong Kong is ranked 44th out of the top 10 cities by expats, and 68% of them are dissatisfied with the general cost of living, compared to 35% worldwide. The location, ranked 41st in the Working Abroad Index, just misses the bottom 10: 46% of respondents say they miss the creativity of the local business culture, compared to 26% worldwide; however, they do report that moving to Hong Kong has improved their career prospects (70% vs. 60% globally).

On the Quality of Life Index (40th), things don't appear to be getting much better. While public transportation is widely available (96% vs. 73% globally) and reasonably priced (93% vs. 70% globally), foreigners feel that they are unable to freely express their opinions and selves (56% vs. 18% globally). Also, 33% of them are dissatisfied with the urban environment, compared to 17% worldwide. In terms of the Expat Essentials (35th) and Ease of Settling In (33rd) Indices, Hong Kong performs the best, albeit not very well. 56% of foreigners in Hong Kong are content with their lives overall.

4. Cyprus

Cyprus comes in last on the Working Abroad Index (49th): foreigners are dissatisfied with their working hours (29% vs. 17% globally) and personal career prospects (34% vs. 22% globally). They also don't see a reason for working (22% vs. 9% worldwide). In addition, nearly three out of ten (28%) believe they are not paid fairly (compared to 20% worldwide), which may be one of the reasons they also give their personal finances a low rating (35% compared to 21% globally). Cyprus only comes in 47th place overall in the Personal Finance Index.

In the Quality of Life (37th) and Expat Essentials (34th) Indices, Cyprus performs marginally better. Among the latter, 34% are dissatisfied with the accessibility of online government services (compared to 21% worldwide). Ultimately, the nation performs best, albeit still mediocrely, in the Ease of Settling In Index (ranked 27th) where 62% of foreigners feel welcome (compared to 66% globally) and 58% are satisfied with their social life (compared to 56% globally). In general, 66% of foreigners in Cyprus are content with their lives.

5. Luxembourg

Photo: agoda

Luxembourg is criticized for its high cost of living and dearth of recreational opportunities, placing it in the bottom ten. Among foreigners, 42% are dissatisfied with their social lives, compared to 26% worldwide.

Because of its strong economy (89% vs. 64% globally), Luxembourg performs well (ranking 27th) in the Working Abroad Index. However, 26% are generally dissatisfied with their jobs (compared to 16% worldwide). Luxembourg ranks in the bottom 10 of the Ease of Settling In Index (46th), despite having a still-mediocre ranking of 38th in the Expat Essentials Index. Foreigners feel dissatisfied with their social lives (42% vs. 26% worldwide) and don't have a personal support system (35% vs. 24% worldwide). In the Personal Finance Index, the nation is ranked 51st. In general, 60% of foreigners in Luxembourg are content with their lives.

6. Japan

In the Expat Essentials Index, Japan comes in last place (51st). Foreigners find it difficult to make payments without cash (20% vs. 8% worldwide) and are dissatisfied with the accessibility of online government services (35% vs. 21% worldwide). The nation also ranks in the bottom 10 for Working Abroad (43rd) and Ease of Settling In (45th), where 30% of respondents say it is difficult to adjust to local culture (compared to 19% worldwide). The primary cause of the latter is their dissatisfaction with work-life balance (31% vs. 19% globally) and working hours (25% vs. 17% globally). Also, 25% believe they are not being paid fairly for their work (compared to 20% worldwide).

Japan comes in at number 28 in personal finance and even higher at number 17 in quality of life. Foreigners find it simple and safe to get around on foot or by bicycle (89% vs. 77% globally) and generally feel safe (93% vs. 81% globally). In general, 66% of foreigners are content with their lives in Japan.

7. South Africa

Photo: BBC

South Africa is ranked 57th out of 55 countries in the Personal Finance Index. Of all the expat communities worldwide, only 24% are satisfied with their financial situation, and 34% of expats in South Africa believe their disposable household income is insufficient to cover all of their expenses. South Africa ranks lowest globally in the Economy & Job Security subcategory (59th) and among the bottom 10 in the Working Abroad Index (54th). Less than a third (31%) of foreigners are satisfied with the status of the local economy, which is exactly half the global average (62%). Only 47% of foreigners are satisfied with their job security (compared to 61% globally).

South Africa ranks last in the world in the Safety & Security subcategory (59th), placing it among the bottom 10 in the Quality of Life Index (52nd). Approximately one in four (24%) of foreigners feel safe in South Africa, compared to 84% worldwide, and more than one-third (34%) do not think it is a peaceful country (compared to 9% worldwide). "You are not able to walk around safely," even remarks an expat Ethiopian.

8. Turkey

Turkey ranks lowest globally in the Working Abroad Index (52nd), with expats being particularly dissatisfied with the status of the economy (57% vs. 17% globally) and their personal career prospects (33% vs. 22% globally). Furthermore, 27% feel they are not being paid fairly for their work (compared to 20% worldwide). This may also have an impact on foreigners' dissatisfaction with their financial circumstances (26% vs. 21% worldwide). Turkey is ranked 36th overall in the Expat Essentials and Personal Finance Indices. Although foreigners (72% vs. 56% globally) had no trouble obtaining a visa, they are dissatisfied with the limited access to internet services (14% vs. 7% globally).

In the Quality of Life (30th) and Ease of Settling In (22nd) Indices, Turkey does significantly better. Foreigners find it relatively easy to make friends in the area (51% vs. 42% globally) and that locals are generally friendly (67% vs. 66% globally). In general, 62% of foreigners in Turkey are content with their lives.

9. Italy

Photo: vnexpress

According to InterNations, Italy is among the top 10 least desirable countries for foreigners to live in, despite its well-known la dolce vita.

A new digital nomad visa that makes it simpler to work from Italy was recently announced. However, it still ranks 44th overall in the survey, with foreigners finding it especially challenging to open a local bank account and deal with the bureaucracy in the area.

Additionally, the nation is ranked in the bottom 10 of the world in the Working Abroad Index, where 29% of foreign workers feel they are not being paid fairly, compared to 20% worldwide.

Additionally, almost half of those surveyed expressed dissatisfaction with the local job market.

When it comes to settling in, the nation does far better than the rest of the world, with 68 percent of respondents finding it easy to adapt to local culture, compared to 62 percent worldwide.

Along with the variety of cuisine and dining options, the weather and climate are also appealing to foreigners.

10. Malta

Malta fares poorly as well; foreigners are dissatisfied with the city's automobile infrastructure, its urban setting, and the existence of businesses that provide environmentally friendly products or services.

Malta is ranked 49th in the Quality of Life Index, with foreigners being especially dissatisfied with the island's transportation infrastructure (57% vs. 13% globally), urban environment (65% vs. 17% globally), and availability of green goods and services (44% vs. 17% globally). In the Expat Essentials Index (43rd), for instance, foreigners find it very difficult to open a local bank account (69% vs. 21% globally), where it only performs marginally better.

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