In early spring 2020, more than 15,000 respondents from around the world participated in the latest Expat Insider survey. Together, they represent 173 nationalities and live in 181 countries or territories worldwide. Unlike in previous years, however, the Expat Insider 2020 Team has decided not to publish an overall country ranking based on their insights into expat life.

Instead, the analysis of the latest survey data focuses on two other aspects of life abroad — sustainability & the environment (available from October 2020), as well as local life in various cities across the globe (available from December 2020). These topics cover two areas of particular interest to many globally mobile people: the amenities of an urban lifestyle and, on the other hand, the desire to lead a greener, more sustainable life.

On this website, you’ll find topical rankings, in-depth articles, infographics, and the complete survey reports for download. Please keep in mind, though, that the survey data was collected just before the regional COVID-19 outbreak in East Asia turned into a global pandemic.

Would you like to know which countries are best for the sustainable expat? And where are expats rather unhappy with issues such as air pollution or waste management? Below, you’ll find an analysis of the best and worst destinations for a greener life abroad, as well as insights into the three subcategories of the Environment & Sustainability Ranking.

Apart from asking questions about the environment and the possibility to live a sustainable lifestyle in various expat destinations, we also wanted to know more about the cities our respondents live in: What do they think about local leisure and transportation options? How easy is it for expats to find affordable housing and make new friends? And how do they rate the state of the local economy?

The Expat City Ranking is based on the Expat Insider 2020 survey and takes a closer look at 66 cities around the globe. The analysis focuses on the quality of urban living, getting settled, urban work life, and finance and housing, as well as the local cost of living — providing an overview of the best and worst cities for expats worldwide.

The Expat Insider infographics below provide a helpful visualization with demographic information on the survey respondents, as well as more details on what factors into the respective ranking. Click on the thumbnails below to access the full-size images.