Independent work topic: Living in another country

8. Colombia

Another South American country appears in our top-10 ranking of the friendliest countries for foreign residents, claiming eighth place in 2017 (down from fifth last year). An impressive 87 percent of respondents agree that the attitude towards expats in Colombia is generally friendly. An American expat shares that they “feel happier” in Colombia “due to the food, weather, and local joy”. Over four in five expats (81%) think that settling down in Colombia is easy, and 62 percent think it’s easy to make local friends (compared to 59% and 42% globally, respectively). Expats in Colombia are also more likely to be mainly friends with local residents (34%).

9. Vietnam

With Vietnam coming in ninth place, it is obvious that expats feel welcome there. The friendliness towards foreign residents, rated positively by 83 percent, might have a positive impact on expats’ general well-being. A Belgian expat, for instance, considers the country to be “less stressful than many other places, as people smile naturally”. However, only four out of ten expats (43%) would describe the local population as outgoing, and almost six in ten the respondents (58%) are thinking of moving back to their country of origin in the future.

10. Canada

Canada making it into the top 10, it appears that the general friendliness of Canadians is more than just a positive stereotype. According to 82 percent of the respondents, Canada is one of the friendliest places in general. An expat from France, for example, describes Canadians as “open-minded, tolerant, and benevolent”. Almost half of the respondents say they could stay indefinitely and are committed to building a life in Canada (45%). This could be due, among other reasons, to Canadians’ friendly attitude towards foreigners, which is rated positively by 81 percent of expats, far above the global average (67%).