Expat Experience 2019: India Ranks 59th In A List Of 64 Countries

India has ranked poorly in a survey by Expat Insider that places the country at the 59th position in a list of 64 countries ranked based on the quality of life they provide to expats. Topping the 2019 survey are countries like Taiwan, Vietnam, Portugal, Mexico, Spain, Singapore, Bahrain, Ecuador, Malaysia and Czechia.

 

Quality of life for expats in India

Unfortunately, India’s ranking is below expectations when it comes to the overall quality of life. India fares 62nd in terms of quality of life, 63rd in terms of leisure options, 61st for travel and transportation, 60th for health and well-being, 60th in terms of safety, security and 62nd in case of digital life. Perhaps the only breather is the 46th ranking in terms of personal happiness.

 

The top five

Parameter	Top country 1	Top country 2	Top country 3	Top country 4	Top country 5
Quality of life	Portugal	Spain	Taiwan	Singapore	Switzerland
Leisure options	Spain	Portugal	Mexico	Australia	Israel
Personal happiness	Ecuador	Portugal	Mexico	Spain	Vietnam
Travel & transportation	Singapore	Hong Kong	Czechia	Switzerland	Taiwan
Health & well-being	Finland	Austria	Spain	Israel	Taiwan
Safety& security	Oman	Singapore	Switzerland	Luxembourg	Finland
Digital life	Estonia	Finland	Singapore	New Zealand	Canada

Source:  Expat Insider 

Play-by-play

Top concerns for expats before they move out of their country are the language barrier followed by distance from home country, high cost of living, not being able to find friends, the effect on future finances, culture shock, healthcare standards, safety and security, the unhappiness of partner/spouse/family, financial dependence on spouse, bad local infrastructure and unappealing location. India did not manage a high score even here. In terms of ease of settling in, it is placed 50th on the list.

India’s ranking in terms of giving expats the feel-at-home feeling is 63rd, while it ranks 38th in terms of friendliness of people. The country also ranks 49th and 41st in terms of finding friends and terms of language, respectively.

 

Right on the money

Possibly its best feature, India has been ranked ninth when it comes to personal finance, taking a 17-point jump from its previous ranking. The top three in this category is Vietnam, Kazakhstan and Bulgaria while Italy, Argentina and Greece are the bottom three. In cost of living, the country occupies the 18th position. Bulgaria, Vietnam, Ecuador, Mexico and Ukraine are the top nations on that parameter.

On the other hand, living in Hong Kong, Denmark, Switzerland, Israel or Norway may burn a hole in your pockets.

 

Sentimental challenge

 Despite all the possible issues, expats in India are happier when you compare it with the global average. As against the global average of 64 per cent, 72 per cent expats in India are happy with their situation, shows the survey. However, 83 per cent of expats in India are unhappy with the quality of environment. Globally, this number is only 20 per cent. When it comes to expat’s satisfaction level in India, it is 56 per cent as against the 75 per cent global average.