Living and working abroad as an expat can be a dream come true for adventurous Americans, but the wrong destination can make the experience a waking nightmare.
To help guide those looking to move abroad, InterNations has published its Expat Insider 2021 study, which asked 12,420 expats in 174 countries or territories to rate up to 37 different aspects of life abroad, including issues related to the Covid-19 pandemic.
The respondents’ ratings of the individual factors were then bundled in various combinations for a total of 13 subcategories, and their mean values were used to create five topical indices: Quality of Life; Ease of Settling In; Working Abroad; Personal Finance; and Cost of Living. The first four indices were further averaged together with expats’ general satisfaction with their life in order to rank the study sample’s 59 countries from first to worst.
For a country to be included in the indices and overall ranking, a sample size of at least 50 survey participants per expat destination was required.
Here, in ascending order, are Expat Insider's 10 worst countries to live and work abroad as an expat.
10. Malta
Malta ranks 54th in Overall Quality of Life; 35th in Ease of Settling In; 31st in Working Abroad; 51stin Personal Finance; and 35th in Cost of Living.
9. India
India ranks 58th in Overall Quality of Life; 34th in Ease of Settling In; 46th in Working Abroad; 4thin Personal Finance; and 13th in Cost of Living.
8. Turkey
Turkey ranks 35th in Overall Quality of Life; 32nd in Ease of Settling In; 59th in Working Abroad; 44th in Personal Finance; and 20th in Cost of Living.
7. Cyprus
Cyprus ranks 34th in Overall Quality of Life Abroad; 28th in Ease of Settling In; 57th in Working Abroad; 57th in Personal Finance; and 31st in Cost of Living.
6. Japan
Japan ranks 21st in Overall Quality of Life Abroad; 58th in Ease of Settling In; 50th in Working Abroad; 54th in Personal Finance; and 38th in Cost of Living.
5. Egypt
Egypt ranks 57th in Overall Quality of Life Abroad; 30th in Ease of Settling In; 53rd in Working Abroad; 49th in Personal Finance; and 19th in Cost of Living.
4. Russia
Russia ranks 49th in Overall Quality of Life Abroad; 48th in Ease of Settling In; 52nd in Working Abroad; 49th in Personal Finance; and 25th in Cost of Living.
3. South Africa
South Africa ranks 52nd in Overall Quality of Life Abroad; 33rd in Ease of Settling In; 54th in Working Abroad; 55th in Personal Finance; and 28th in Cost of Living.
2. Italy
Italy ranks 42nd in Overall Quality of Life Abroad; 44th in Ease of Settling In; 58th in Working Abroad; 59th in Personal Finance; and 32nd in Cost of Living.
1. Kuwait
Kuwait ranks 59th in Overall Quality of Life Abroad; 59th in Ease of Settling In; 56th in Working Abroad; 58th in Personal Finance; and 53rd in Cost of Living.
The full report can be viewed here.