Taiwan is ranked the best destination in the world for expatriates for the third time in a row, according to the Expat Insider 2021 Survey released May 18 by Munich-based InterNations, the largest global network for people living abroad.
Over 12,000 respondents representing 174 nationalities living in 186 countries and territories took part in the survey. Among the 59 destinations evaluated, Mexico and Costa Rica came in second and third, while Kuwait, Italy and South Africa placed at the bottom of the list.
Respondents’ level of satisfaction was gauged across five indices: cost of living, ease of settling in, personal finance, quality of life and working abroad. Taiwan scored first in quality of life for the fourth year on the back of strong showings in the subcategories of health and well-being, where it topped the list, and travel and transport, where it claimed eighth place.
In particular, 94 percent and 96 percent of expats in the country respectively appreciate the affordability and quality of Taiwan’s healthcare, while 90 percent give the local transportation infrastructure a positive rating.
Taiwan also led the world in the index of working abroad due to its high rankings in the subcategories of career prospects and satisfaction; work and leisure; and economy and job security. Overall, 83 percent and 85 percent of expats in Taiwan are satisfied with their job security and the state of the local economy, respectively.
While the country did not make it to the top 10 when it comes to ease of settling in, it was rated as the friendliest country, the report said, adding that not a single respondent feels personally unsafe in Taiwan, compared to 8 percent globally.
In terms of other indices, Taiwan ranks sixth in cost of living and 11th in personal finance.
The country was first included in the survey in 2016 with a number one ranking, dropping to fourth in 2017 before moving up to number two the following year. (SFC-E)
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