In January 2021, more than 12,000 expat respondents from across the globe took part in the latest Expat Insider survey. Together, they represent a total of 174 nationalities and live in 186 countries or territories around the world.

And, for the first time since the Expat Insider survey was launched in 2014, more than 6,000 local residents — many former and future expats among them — also had the opportunity to respond to selected questions; most of these addressed the way the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic might have disrupted relocation plans or a recent stay abroad.

In general, the Expat Insider 2021 survey report aims to shed some light on what living and working abroad has been like during a global health emergency. In addition to the overall ranking and the focus on the impact of COVID-19 on expat life, there are are two more topics covered below — the new ways of working in this global and digital age and a focusing on urban life abroad in the form of our city ranking.

This website offers destination rankings, articles with in-depth analyses, infographics, and the complete survey reports for download.

Would you like to know which destinations are new among the global top 3 — or at the bottom? Or are you curious to find out which aspects of expat life have been most affected by COVID-19? Below, you can find an overview of the best and worst expat destinations, insights into the impact of the pandemic, and focus articles on the four topical indices that factor into the overall Expat Insider 2021 ranking.

The Expat Insider 2021 respondents were also invited to share their opinions on their current city of residence: Does it have a convenient public transportation system? What is the local housing market like? How do they view their career opportunities, and how would they rate their social life?

Thanks to their insights, the Expat City Ranking 2021 offers an overview of the 57 best- and worst-rated cities for expats worldwide. The following analysis explores the results in greater detail in several areas, from the quality of urban living to finance and housing, from urban work life to getting settled in a foreign city.

Find out what it’s really like to work abroad! Expats from around the world describe their working conditions, voice their wishes for the future, and give insights on the impact of new work models (e.g., remote work).

Below, we take a closer look at various popular expat destinations, featuring 16 country profiles, from Australia to the USA, as well as several regional reports that cover the Gulf States, several Northern European countries, the Asian Tigers, and the emerging markets of the Tiger Cubs. Read on to find out more about expat life across the globe!

The Expat Insider infographics below provide a helpful visualization with demographic information on the survey respondents, more details on what factors into the respective ranking, the impact of COVID-19 on expats worldwide, and more. Select a thumbnail to access the full-size image.