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HSBC Bank International
The Expat Explorer Survey 2010
Report two: Expat Experience
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About the Expat
Explorer SurveyCommissioned by HSBC Bank International, Expat Explorer is the world’s largest
global survey of expats. Now in its third year, the survey continues to deliver insights
into expat life around the globe. Participation rates for the survey have continued to
increase year-on-year and in 2010 the survey has more respondents than ever, with
4,127 expats answering questions relating to their nances, quality of life and even
what it’s like to raise children abroad. The survey continues to explore how expat life
differs from country to country, continent to continent.
2010 – even bigger than 2009:
e Nearly 1,000 more expats sharing their experiences in this year’s survey
e Expats from over 100 countries
e The addition of new countries in the Expat Explorer league tables,
including Bermuda and the Philippines
PAGE 2 I EXPAT EXPLORER SURVEY 2010
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Expat ExperienceExpat Experience is the second of three reports to be produced from the Expat
Explorer research. The report focuses on expats experience of setting up in a new
country of residence and integrat ing into local society as well as their quality of life
in comparison to where they previously lived.
A league table has been compiled using a comprehensive set of sub-criteria
(29 in total) to reveal which locations expats voted as the places with the best
life experience.
One of the major criteria was ‘quality of life’ for which expats rated accommodation,
food/diet, entertainment, healthcare, work life balance, social life, commute to work
and opportunities for sports and travel. In addition, they also rated the relative ease
in which they were able to do the following in their new country of residence:
e Organise schools for their children
e Set up nances; healthcare; utilities
e Find accommodation
e Learn the local language
e Adapt to local food; weather; work culture
e Make friends
e Travel around locally
e Adjust to the new culture/lifestyle (in general)
PAGE 3 I EXPAT EXPLORER SURVEY 2010
Lastly, they were asked how well they integrate into local society. This was judged
on whether they agreed with the following for their new country of residence:
e I enjoy having local food rather than having food from my home country all
the time
e I am happy to experience local culture
e I try to learn / use the local language
e It is easy for me to make local friends
e I am integrating well in the local community
e I feel welcome at work
e I like shopping for local produce in the local shops / markets
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Contents
PAGE 4 I EXPAT EXPLORER SURVEY 2010
e Overall League Table 5
e Expat ndings 6
Career prospects and quality of life don’t go hand in hand for expats 6
Emotive worries top the list of expat concerns 7
UK top for entertainment but makes a poor lifestyle location for expats 8
European expats nd it hardest to make friends 9
Expats gravitate to fellow expats 10
Personal development is more important than nancial gain for most expats 10
BRICs and the Middle East are the most difcult expat locations to set up in 11
Retirees head for a better quality of life 12
Expats keen to continue travelling 13
e League tables by criteria 15
e Methodology 16
About Expat Explorer 16
About Expat Experience 16
e Country reports 17
United States 17
United Kingdom 19
Hong Kong 21
Singapore 23
United Arab Emirates 25
Australia 27
Canada 29
France 31
Spain 33
Germany 35
China 37
e Further information
Contact 39
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PAGE 5 I EXPAT EXPLORER SURVEY 2010
Overall Experience Overall Setting up Overall Integration Overall Quality of Life
score rank score rank score rank score rank
Thailand 0.62 1 0.65 3 0.73 4 0.58 1
Canada 0.59 2 0.66 2 0.74 3 0.54 4
Bahrain 0.59 3 0.61 8 0.65 15 0.57 2
Spain 0.59 4 0.60 10 0.81 1 0.53 6
South Africa 0.58 5 0.66 1 0.67 12 0.54 3
France 0.58 6 0.60 11 0.79 2 0.52 7
Bermuda 0.57 7 0.60 9 0.67 11 0.53 5
Australia 0.55 8 0.64 4 0.70 7 0.49 9
Malaysia 0.54 9 0.62 5 0.65 13 0.49 9
Switzerland 0.53 10 0.49 17 0.65 13 0.50 8
Germany 0.52 11 0.52 15 0.72 6 0.47 12
Singapore 0.52 12 0.61 7 0.62 16 0.47 14
Hong Kong 0.52 13 0.62 6 0.61 18 0.47 15
Belgium 0.52 14 0.53 13 0.68 10 0.47 13
Philippines 0.51 15 0.52 14 0.60 20 0.49 11
United States 0.49 16 0.58 12 0.69 8 0.42 18
United Arab Emirates 0.48 17 0.49 18 0.51 24 0.46 16
Netherlands 0.48 18 0.45 21 0.61 19 0.45 17
Mexico 0.47 19 0.52 16 0.72 5 0.39 21
United Kingdom 0.44 20 0.49 19 0.69 9 0.37 23
China 0.44 21 0.45 20 0.62 17 0.38 22
Qatar 0.43 22 0.41 24 0.49 25 0.42 19
Saudi Arabia 0.42 23 0.43 22 0.51 23 0.40 20
Russian Federation 0.40 24 0.41 23 0.59 21 0.35 24
India 0.35 25 0.39 25 0.56 22 0.29 25
Overall league table
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PAGE 6 I EXPAT EXPLORER SURVEY 2010
Expat findings
Career prospects and quality of life don’t go hand in hand for expats
Moving abroad is an opportunity many people undertake to nd a better way of life
as well as an opportunity to boost their earning potential by taking on a new career
challenge. But the ndings show that the two benets rarely go hand in hand. This
year, the majority of expats (57%) claimed that increased career opportunities and
increased nancial gain were their key reasons for becoming an expat. However, their
choice to move to a country that offers great benets nancially doesn’t generally
provide the same benets in terms of expected quality of life in their new destination.
Saudi Arabia (85%), Qatar (83%) and Russia (76%) are the most popular countries for
those citing nancial gain and increased career progression as one of the key motivations
to become an expat. However, these countries typically score very low on the quality of life
rankings (Saudi Arabia 20th, Qatar 19th and Russia 24th out of 25 countries).
In contrast, expats moving to countries that score well on the quality of life league
table such as South Africa (3rd), Spain (6th) and France (7th) are much less appealing
as destinations to those looking for increased career progression and nancial gain.
Less than one in ve (18%) expats moving to Spain did so for potential nancial gain,
alongside 26% in France and 40% in South Africa.
There are exceptions to this rule. Expats in Bahrain and Bermuda both scored
particularly well for quality of life, scoring 2nd and 5th respectively on the quality of
life league table. These destinations are also popular amongst expats looking to boost
their career prospects and increase their earning potential with both countries scoring
in the top quartile in the Expat Explorer Economics league table in 2010.
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PAGE 7 I EXPAT EXPLORER SURVEY 2010
Expat findings (continued)
Emotive worries top the list of expat concerns
Moving abroad can understandably be daunting for any potential expats and this year’s
report reveals that emotive worries cause much greater concern than practical issues.
The most common concern for expats ahead of moving to their new country is
re-establishing a social life (41%), feeling lonely and missing friends and family (34%).
The same worries are also much more prominent for female expats. Nearly half of
female expats surveyed (48%) shared concerns about re-establishing their social
life in their new country, compared to only 37% of men and 44% of female expats
shared concerns about missing their friends and family, compared to less than one
third (29%) of men.
Worries about re-establishing a social life caused less of a concern for those heading to
the Middle East (Bahrain 28%, Saudi Arabia 27% and Qatar 33% compared to a 41%
average), although this is unsurprising given how well countries in this region score on
the social life rankings; Bahrain 1st, United Arab Emirates 10th and Qatar 12th.
Missing friends and family is a large concern for expats based in Australia (49%) and
Canada (46%) and can probably be accounted for by the distance these expats are
moving away from home. As the majority of expats based in Australia and Canada were
originally from the UK (70% in Australia and 62% in Canada), time difference and long
journeys to see loved ones understandably cause concern for these expats.
While language barriers caused concern for just under one third (30%) of expats overall, this
gure was greatly increased for those heading to Europe. Expats heading to Germany were
particularly worried about language barriers, which was a concern for 59%, as well as 58%
in Switzerland, 57% in France, 55% in the Netherlands, 50% in Spain and 46% in Belgium.
Country of residence% Mentioning career/money prospects as
the key reason for becoming an expatQuality of life Rank
Saudi Arabia 85% 20th
Qatar 83% 19th
Russian Federation 76% 24th
United Arab Emirates 74% 16th
Australia 42% 9th
South Africa 40% 3rd
France 26% 7th
Spain 18% 6th
Re-establishing a social life
48%
Male Female
37%
Feeling lonely and missing friends and family
44%
29%
Top concerns amongst expats
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Expat findings (continued)
PAGE 8 I EXPAT EXPLORER SURVEY 2010
UK top for entertainment but makes a poor lifestyle location for expats
The UK makes for a poor lifestyle location for many expats, ranking 20th in the
overall experience league table. Although many expats nd the UK an easy country
in which to integrate, (scoring 9th out of 25), many nd the overall quality of life in
the UK to be less than desirable.
One of the benets in relocating to the UK is the great entertainment, which was
ranked top overall. However, even with these excellent entertainment rankings,
nearly half (49%) of expats based in the UK think their social life has become worse
since relocating. In addition, the UK scores the worst of all countries on the quality of
accommodation and commute to work as well as getting used to the local weather.
A positive factor for expats based in the UK is the local language. UK-based expats
agreed that they found it easy to adapt to the local language and communicate when
they arrived, which is unsurprising given that the English language is so widely spoken.
The UK is an unfavourable location for those looking for increased quality of life and
this is not helped by the relat ively poor economic outlook for expats based here.
High living costs and the reduced ca reer opportunities created by recent economic
turbulence has affected expats based in the UK with 67% agreeing that their
economic situation has become worse over the past year according to our 2010
Expat Economics report. This will undoubtedly have had an effect on the quality
of life expats are able to enjoy in the host country:17%
17%
Re-establishing a social life 41%
Feeling lonely and missingfriends and family
34%
Career prospects 32%
Language barriers 30%
Relocation process 30%
Healthcare(quality and access)
29%
Adapting to culture 25%
Standard of living 21%
Dealing withbureaucracy / corruption
19%
Raising my children
Safety and crime
Managing nances 17%
The weather 13%
Difculty to get used to local weather
37%
Overall Sample (100+ countries) UK
21%
I have a worse commute towork than in my home country
46%
20%
My accommodation is of a higher quality/nicer than in my home country
59%
30%
Top concerns amongst expats
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Expat findings (continued)
PAGE 9 I EXPAT EXPLORER SURVEY 2010
European expats nd it hardest to make friends
Making friends is a key component in helping expats to deal with the challenges of
moving to a new country and to settle into their new home. However, Europe is the
hardest region to make friends according to this year’s report, with European countries
dominating the bottom ve places in the ease of making friends league table.
The Netherlands proved to be the hardest of all with only 36% of expats based here
nding it easy to make friends when relocating, alongside 40% in Germany, 42%
in UK and Switzerland and 44% in Belgium. This could be largely attributed to the
language barriers expats heading to these countries face. Spain and France do fare
better, placed 9th and 12th respectively, while Bermuda (1st) and Bahrain (2nd) hold
the top spots.
Country % nd easy to make local friends Rank
Bermuda 80% 1
Bahrain 75% 2
Thailand 70% 3
South Africa 67% 4
Hong Kong 66% 5
Malaysia 65% 6
Philippines 62% 7
Russian Federation 62% 7
Spain 61% 9
Qatar 61% 9
Mexico 58% 11
France 57% 12
Saudi Arabia 56% 13
Singapore 55% 14
United Arab Emirates 55% 14
India 55% 14
Australia 52% 17
United States 48% 18
China 48% 18
Canada 45% 20
Belgium 44% 21
Switzerland 42% 22
United Kingdom 42% 22
Germany 40% 24
Netherlands 36% 25
In terms of top spots to nd love, Thailand for the second year running proves to be
the most romantic destination, with 69% of single expats having found a partner since
relocating, followed closely by Spain (68%).
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Expat findings (continued)
PAGE 10 I EXPAT EXPLORER SURVEY 2010
Personal development is more important than nancial gain for most expats
While there are many benets to moving abroad, the most commonly cited benets
relate to personal development rather than nancial gain. 81% of expats believe
broadening their horizons and gaining life experience is the most important benet
of becoming an expat. This is even more important for those in Russia (97%), the
Netherlands and Belgium (both 92%) where expats feel they have gained valuable life
experience since relocating.
A better quality of life was cited by two-thirds (66%) of expats as the key benet to
relocating, especially in countries such as Australia, France, Spain and Canada where
improved quality of life is a key feature.
In comparison, career development (60%) and nancial wealth (55%), while still
important benets for expats, were largely cited as being less crucial than life experience
opportunities. Career progression was particularly important for expats based in the UK
where 91% of expats cited career progression as one of the key benets of moving to
the country.
Expats gravitate to fellow expats
Expats tend to spend more time with expat friends, rather than making new local
friends in their host country. Nearly three in ve expats (58%) agreed that they’re
more likely to go out with expat fr iends rather than local friends. But this gure
increases dramatically for some countries. Expats in Qatar (85%) and the UAE (84%)
are most likely to only integrate with fellow expats, followed by Bahrain (81%), Hong
Kong (79%) and Saudi Arabia (73%).
Expats in Canada are most likely to integrate within local society and make friends
in their host country. Nearly half (45%) of Canada-based expats go out with local
friends as much as fellow expats. Expats in the USA (37%) and Australia (36%) are
also more likely to go out with local friends than fellow expats.
Agree Disagree
OverallSample(100+
countries)
58%
85% 84%81% 79%
73%
24%34%
39%
Qat ar Uni te d A ra bEmirates
Bahrain Hong Kong Saudi Arabia Canada UnitedStates
Australia
22%
7% 6%
16%
5%11%
45%37% 36%
I tend to go out with expat friends more then local friends
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PAGE 11 I EXPAT EXPLORER SURVEY 2010
Expat findings (continued)
BRICs and the Middle East are the most difcult expat locations to set up in
A smooth relocation process is crucial for expats, helping create a positive rst
impression of their new country. Taking into account a range of factors such as the
ease of setting up their nances, healthcare, accommodation and utilities, South
Africa proved to be the easiest country to do this (1st) followed by Canada (2nd).
The only area South Africa-based expats found difcult to set up was their nances,
where nearly a third (31%) admitted having problems when rst relocating.
Overall Setting up
Country Score Rank
South Africa 0.66 1
Canada 0.66 2
Thailand 0.65 3
Australia 0.64 4
Malaysia 0.62 5
Hong Kong 0.62 6
Singapore 0.61 7
Bahrain 0.61 8
Bermuda 0.60 9
Spain 0.60 10
France 0.60 11
United States 0.58 12
Belgium 0.53 13
Philippines 0.52 14
Germany 0.52 15
Mexico 0.52 16
Switzerland 0.49 17
United Arab Emirates 0.49 18
United Kingdom 0.49 19
China 0.45 20
Netherlands 0.45 21
Saudi Arabia 0.43 22
Russian Federation 0.41 23
Qatar 0.41 24
India 0.39 25
The most difcult regions were BRIC (Brazil, Russia, India, China) countries and
the Middle East. India was the most difcult country for expats to set up in overall
(25th) with adjustment to the new culture and lifestyle something expats here found
particularly challenging. Russia (23rd) and China (20th) also dominated the bottom
quartile, with expats having particular trouble when it came to organising their healthcare
and travelling around locally.
Top benets of becoming an expat
23%
20%
Personal development – li feexperience, broaden my horizon
81%
Better quality of life 66%
Career development 60%
Financial wealth 55%
Making new friends / networking 39%
The weather 32%
Tax efciency 29%
Less crime 27%
Cost of living 26%
Better environment for mychildren
Healthcare (quality and access)
Finding love or a life partner 17%
Escaping political / governmentintrusion in home country
13%
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PAGE 12 I EXPAT EXPLORER SURVEY 2010
Expat findings (continued)The Middle East also proved to be a difcult location for expats to set up in, with Qatar
(24th), Saudi Arabia (22nd) and the United Arab Emirates (18th) all scoring fairly low.
Adapting to the new language and travelling around locally were particular problems for
expats in this region, while Bahrain was the only Middle Eastern country to fare well on
the ‘set up’ score, ranking 8th overall.
Retirees head for a better quality of life
Countries that score well on the quality of life rankings are very popular with those
wishing to retire abroad. A high proportion of expats based in Spain (38%), France(33%), South Africa (24%), Thailand (24%) and Canada (17%) are retirees, with many
having moved specically for this reason. In Spain, one in four (25%) expats moved
there to retire, alongside 21% in France and Thailand.
Overall Quality of life
Country Score Rank
Thailand 0.58 1
Bahrain 0.57 2
South Africa 0.54 3
Canada 0.54 4
Bermuda 0.53 5
Spain 0.53 6
France 0.52 7
Switzerland 0.50 8
Australia 0.49 9
Malaysia 0.49 9
Philippines 0.49 11
Germany 0.47 12
Belgium 0.47 13
Singapore 0.47 14
Hong Kong 0.47 15
United Arab Emirates 0.46 16
Netherlands 0.45 17
United States 0.42 18
Qatar 0.42 19
Saudi Arabia 0.40 20
Mexico 0.39 21
China 0.38 22
United Kingdom 0.37 23
Russian Federation 0.35 24
India 0.29 25
While scoring well on quality of life overall, these countries scored particularly well on
food, local diet and healthcare, which could explain why many expats decide these
countries offer the ideal location to spend their retirement years.
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PAGE 13 I EXPAT EXPLORER SURVEY 2010
Expat findings (continued)Expats keen to continue travelling
Expats seem to be spending less time abroad. This year only 35% of expats questioned
said they had been living in their host country for more than ve years, compared to
58% of those asked in 2009. However, this isn’t necessarily an indication that expats are
returning home. Instead, almost three-quarters (71%) of those surveyed are planning
another expat posting after their current one. Just under half (43%) are planning another
posting to a different location, while 8% would like to experience another country with
the aim of returning to the country they are currently living in. Only one fth (20%)
said they would plan to return to their home country eventually.
Nearly one fth (16%) of expats are planning to stay in their current country for the long
haul, especially those in Thailand (47%) and Canada (42%), which seem to make the
most popular destinations for ‘expat lifers’. Expats based in these countries are also
the most likely to have stayed for ve years or more already (Thailand 56%, Canada
47%). Given how well these countries score on the overall experience league table, the
results highlight that while expats might initially be drawn to certain countries for career
progression and earning potential, those that provide a good quality of life are more likely
to encourage long term settlement among expats.
l Yes – I would like to go to another
country
l Yes – but I would like to come back
here eventually
l Yes – but I would like to return to my
home country eventually
l No – I will stay here for a long time
l No – I will return to my home country
after this one
l Don’t know
20%
8%
43%16%
6%6%
l 0 – 6 months
l 7 months – 2 years
l 3 – 5 years
l 6 – 9 years
l 10 years or more
27%
30%
16%
19%
8%Would you consider another expat posting after this one?
Length of time in the country of residence
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PAGE 14 I EXPAT EXPLORER SURVEY 2010
Expats based in countries that score low on the overall experience league table were
most likely to contact their friends and family more frequently since becoming an
expat. Expats based in Saudi Arabia (32%), Qatar (24%) and Russia (24%) which all
score within the bottom quartile of the experience league table, agree they spend
more time contacting friends and family than they did before relocating (compared
to an overall average score of 19%). These results highlight that expats based in low
scoring experience countries may be feeling more homesick than their counterparts
based in higher scoring locations. These expats are also likely to be taking advantage
of increasingly popular social media tools such as Twitter, Skype and Facebook that
make contacting loved ones while abroad cheaper and easier to do.
Expat findings (continued)
Contacting friends and family more often
Overall Sample(100+ countries)
19%
Saudi Arabia 32%
Qatar 24%
Russia 24%
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PAGE 15 I EXPAT EXPLORER SURVEY 2010
Regional League Tables
Overall Experience Overall Setting up Overall Integration Overall Quality of life
Country SCORE RANK SCORE RANK SCORE RANK SCORE RANK
T H E
A M E R I C A S
Canada 0.59 1 (2) 0.66 (2) 0.74 (3) 0.54 (4)
Bermuda 0.57 2 (7) 0.60 (9) 0.67 (11) 0.53 (5)
United States 0.49 3 (16) 0.58 (12) 0.69 (8) 0.42 (18)
Mexico 0.47 4 (19) 0.52 (16) 0.72 (5) 0.39 (21)
A S I A P A C I F I C
Thailand 0.62 1 (1) 0.65 (3) 0.73 (4) 0.58 (1)
Australia 0.55 2 (8) 0.64 (4) 0.70 (7) 0.49 (9)
Malaysia 0.54 3 (9) 0.62 (5) 0.65 (13) 0.49 (9)
Singapore 0.52 4 (12) 0.61 (7) 0.62 (16) 0.47 (14)
Hong Kong 0.52 5 (13) 0.62 (6) 0.61 (18) 0.47 (15)
Philippines 0.51 6 (15) 0.52 (14) 0.60 (20) 0.49 (11)
China 0.44 7 (21) 0.45 (20) 0.62 (17) 0.38 (22)
Russian Federation 0.40 8 (24) 0.41 (23) 0.59 (21) 0.35 (24)
India 0.35 9 (25) 0.39 (25) 0.56 (22) 0.29 (25)
E U R O P E
Spain 0.59 1 (4) 0.60 (10) 0.81 (1) 0.53 (6)
France 0.58 2 (6) 0.60 (11) 0.79 (2) 0.52 (7)
Switzerland 0.53 3 (10) 0.49 (17) 0.65 (13) 0.50 (8)
Germany 0.52 4 (11) 0.52 (15) 0.72 (6) 0.47 (12)
Belgium 0.52 5 (14) 0.53 (13) 0.68 (10) 0.47 (13)Netherlands 0.48 6 (18) 0.45 (21) 0.61 (19) 0.45 (17)
United Kingdom 0.44 7 (20) 0.49 (19) 0.69 (9) 0.37 (23)
M I D D L E E A S T
A N D A F R I C A
Bahrain 0.59 1 (3) 0.61 (8) 0.65 (15) 0.57 (2)
South Africa 0.58 2 (5) 0.66 (1) 0.67 (12) 0.54 (3)
United Arab Emirates 0.48 3 (17) 0.49 (18) 0.51 (24) 0.46 (16)
Qatar 0.43 4 (22) 0.41 (24) 0.49 (25) 0.42 (19)
Saudi Arabia 0.42 5 (23) 0.43 (22) 0.51 (23) 0.40 (20)
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PAGE 16 I EXPAT EXPLORER SURVEY 2010
Methodology
About Expat Explorer
The Expat Explorer survey, now in its third year, is the largest global survey of expats.
Commissioned by HSBC Bank International and conducted by third party research
company GfK, 4,127 expats were questioned through an online survey between
26th April 2010 and 7th June 2010, with expats from over 100 countries worldwide
taking part – making this unique survey the largest of its kind. Individuals from four
continents described the opportunities and challenges they experience living away
from home. The survey provides an insight into how expat life differs from country
to country, continent to continent and from an expats’ country of origin.
Please note: the sampling technique used for the 2010 survey does not claim to give
a fully representative sample of expatriates. In addition, it differs substantially from
the sampling technique used in 2009. Therefore, comparisons of results year on year
are not statist ically valid and have been made for illustrative purposes only.
A sample size of 30 or more respondents from each country was required for
inclusion in the league tables, in order to be considered robust and indicative of
the views and trends of the specic population it relates to. The league tables are
based on a series of interrelated factors (rather than a single factor or question) to
ensure a fair assessment of how individual countries rate across the full criteria.
The responses of those who answered “not applicable” or “refuse to say” have
been excluded.
An expatriate is dened as someone over the age of 18 years old and currently living
away from their home country (country of origin). It was designed so that we could
capture the views from expats with origins from around the globe.
About Expat Experience
Expat Experience is the second report to be produced from the Expat Explorer
research. It explores the quality of life as an expat, looking at those factors directly
impacting upon an expat’s lifestyle in their country of residence. In addition, the
report also explores the crucial factors of integration and assimilation into a new
culture, such as the ability to learn a new language and make friends.
The ranking table is determined by 29 sub-criteria, including the increase or
decrease in quality of a number of day-to-day items including accommodation
/food/social life, ease of organising nances, ease of nding accommodation and
the ability to make friends. These sub-criteria are grouped into 3 main factors:
Setting up, Integrating and Quality of life. Each sub-criterion is equally weighted
to arrive at a score for each factor.
Scores from each factor are then weighted to arrive at an Overall ‘Expat Experience’
Score and Overall Rank. The weighting applied is as follows: Setting up – 16.7%,
Integration – 16.7% and Quality of life – 66.7%.
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Country reports
PAGE 17 I EXPAT EXPLORER SURVEY 2010
Interesting and challenging
but bureaucratically frustrating,
particularly with respect to
taxation, immigration and
healthcare. Professional
advice is very costly and
generally not reliable.
– Expat in the USA
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
e Overall ranking: 16th out of 25
e Setting up Score: 12th out of 25
e Integration: 8th out of 25
e Quality of Life Score: 18th out of 25
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United States of America (continued)
PAGE 18 I EXPAT EXPLORER SURVEY 2010
Organising nances and healthcare is challenging in the USA but it’s a good
place to make local friends
Overall, the United States ranked 16th as a favourable location to live in terms of
expat experience, falling in the third quartile of the Experience league table. Broadly
speaking, US-based expats felt that their social life, healthcare, food and diet were
better in their country of origin. Almost half (45%) of those surveyed believed that
their social life was more active back home than compared to the worldwide average
of 38%.
There appears to be a mixed picture painted for the United States. While the quality
of life ranking was comparatively low (18th), the US ranked 8th in terms of ease of
integration. One in ve (20%) felt it was easy to pick up the local language, which
could be attributed to English being the second most spoken language around the
world. Half (50%) of all US-based expats found it easy to make local friends compared
to the average of 42%. The results of the survey suggest that ease of learning the local
language and adapting to the local culture are areas that the United States fares well
as an expat destination.
Healthcare (access andquality) better incountry of origin
44%
35%
Overall Sample (100+ countries) USA
Social life more activein country of origin
45%
38%
Healthier diet incountry of origin
41%
27%
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PAGE 19 I EXPAT EXPLORER SURVEY 2010
Country reports (continued)
e Overall ranking: 20th out of 25
e Setting up Score: 18th out of 25
e Integration: 9th out of 25
e Quality of Life Score: 23rd out of 25
UNITED KINGDOM
Career developing,
mind-opening, complex,
sometimes uncertain,
dislocated, fun, tasty...
– Expat in the UK
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PAGE 20 I EXPAT EXPLORER SURVEY 2010
United Kingdom (continued)The UK ranks poorly in terms of lifestyle location for expats
The results from this year’s Expat Experience report paint a grey picture for UK-based
expats. The ndings show that the majority of expats based in the UK do not believe
their quality of life is better than their country of origin. Of the top 25 countries, the UK
was the only European country to fall in the bottom quartile of the Experience league
table, ranking 20th in terms of overall experience. The UK performs only slightly better
than expats based in China, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Russia and India who dominate the
bottom quartile of the league table.
In terms of quality of life, the UK ranks 23rd out of 25 countries. Almost four in ve
(78%) expats believed they experienced no change in the quality of accommodation
in the UK or thought it had worsened compared to their home country. The UK also
performs badly in terms of the ease of nding accommodation. Here, the UK ranks 20th
out of 25 countries, falling behind Thailand, Bahrain and South Africa who dominate the
top three spots in the upper quartile of this category.
UK-based expats also rank their commute to work as poor, reected in the UK’s ranking
(25th out of 25) when compared to other countries. Almost half (46%) of those surveyed
worked within the nancial sector, suggesting the majority of expats are based in
London and therefore have to navigate the daily commute on London’s busy public
transport system. Nearly half of all UK-based expats (46%) think that they had a better
commute back home.
However, it is not all bad news for expats in the UK. The quality of entertainment is
a category where the UK appears to do well from an expat’s point of view. Excellent
entertainment offerings mean the UK ranks rst for this aspect of expat life, with more
than two thirds (69%) citing that they enjoy the local entertainment.
Looking at the other areas of expat experience, the UK does well on ease of integration
ranking 9th out of 25. 41% of UK-based expats think that it is easy for them to make local
friends and almost two thirds (62%) feel they are integrating well in the local community.
Overall Sample (100+ countries) UK
I have a worse commuteto work than in my
home country
46%
20%
It was easy to nd
accommodation
37%
48%
My accommodationis nicer than in my
home country
22%
46%
I enjoy the localentertainment
69%
45%
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PAGE 21 I EXPAT EXPLORER SURVEY 2010
HONG KONG
Country reports (continued)
Culturally challenging, but
personally rewarding.
– Expat in Hong Kong
e Overall ranking: 13th out of 25
e Setting up Score: 6th out of 25
e Integration: 18th out of 25
e Quality of Life Score: 15th out of 25
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PAGE 22 I EXPAT EXPLORER SURVEY 2010
Hong Kong (continued)Hong Kong is the all-rounder for a favourable destination to relocate
Hong Kong performs well in terms of its overall ranking in the Expat Experience league
tables (13th out of 25) suggesting that it is a favourable destination for expats to
relocate to. In particular, the ease of setting up (6th) coupled with the overall quality of
life (15th) makes Hong Kong a particularly attractive location. However when it comes
to integration, Hong Kong scores poorly, ranking 18th along with others in East Asia
including Singapore (16th) and China (17th).
More than half of respondents (58%) said that it was relatively easy to nd
accommodation compared to the overall average of 48%. Hong Kong’s transportation
system was also well regarded by expats living in Hong Kong. The ubiquity of the
Octopus card, well sign-posted stations and seamless MTR network are reected in
Hong Kong’s high ranking for ease of travelling around (2nd out of 25). Almost nine in ten
(89%) Hong Kong-based expats found it easy to travel around locally, whilst more than
two-thirds (67%) claimed a rise in the quality of their commute to work when compared
to their home country.
Making friends was also another area where Hong Kong performed well, ranking 4th
overall. Almost two-thirds (65%) of expats claimed it was easy to make friends, but 44%
of expats said they found it difcult to make local friends, suggesting that expats tend
to stick with other Hong Kong-based expats.
The results also show that Hong Kong performs poorly in terms of integration, ranking
18th out of 25 for expats choosing to join a local community group and 19th when it
comes to learning the local language.
* Please note that although Hong Kong is referred to here as a country for the sake of this report, Hong Kongis a territory of China.
It is easy to travelaround locally
89%
75%
Overall Sample (100+ countries) Hong Kong
It is easy to nd
accommodation
58%48%
I have a better commuteto work than in my
home country
67%
50%
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PAGE 23 I EXPAT EXPLORER SURVEY 2010
SINGAPORE
Country reports (continued)
Varied and interesting
exposure to different
cultures giving a broader
understanding of life
outside home country.
– Expat in Singapore
e Overall ranking: 12th out of 25
e Setting up Score: 7th out of 25
e Integration: 16th out of 25
e Quality of Life Score: 14th out of 25
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PAGE 24 I EXPAT EXPLORER SURVEY 2010
Singapore (continued)Integration and ease of setting up paint a mixed picture for expats in Singapore
While Singapore topped the income league table in our 2010 Expat Economics
report, the quality of life (14th) is worse in comparison to other popular expat
destinations such as Bahrain, which ranked second in the overall quality of life
ranking. Expats who have made Singapore their home reported that while setting up
was easy, many found it difcult to integrate with local people and it scored poorly in
this respect, ranking 16th out of 25, painting a similar picture to that of Hong Kong.
Looking more closely at the results, Singapore performed well on the ease of
settling in. Nearly half (47%) of all expats based in Singapore said it was fairly easy
for them to adapt to the local work culture and nearly two thirds (61%) found it very
easy to organise their healthcare, with more than a third (34%) agreeing that access
to and quality of healthcare was much better than their country of origin. Similar to
Hong Kong, Singapore’s transport system impressed expats based there. Almost
two thirds (61%) of expats claim a rise in general transport quality in terms of their
commute to work.
However, results from the ease of integration show a different story. Singapore
performed badly in terms of socialising with local people and participating in
local communities ranking 19th out of 25 and fell into the third quartile for
both categories.
It is easy to travelaround locally
86%
75%
I have a better commuteto work than in my
home country
61%
50%
Overall Sample (100+ countries) Singapore
-
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Country reports (continued)
PAGE 25 I EXPAT EXPLORER SURVEY 2010
UNITED ARAB EMIRATES
Becoming an expat has
been one of the most
fulfilling experiences of
my life. It is one of the
best things I have done.
– Expat in the UAE
e Overall ranking: 17th out of 25
e Setting up Score: 18th out of 25
e Integration: 24th out of 25
e Quality of Life Score: 16th out of 25
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United Arab Emirates (continued)
PAGE 26 I EXPAT EXPLORER SURVEY 2010
UAE-based expats nd it hard to integrate into the local community but enjoy
a good social life
Ranked 24th out of 25 countries, the United Arab Emirates performs poorly in six
of the seven criterion used to measure overall ranking for integrat ion. The UAE falls
to the bottom of the fourth quartile in terms of experiencing local culture, learning
and using the local language, ease of making local friends, integrating into the local
community, feeling welcomed at work and overall enjoyment in shopping for local
produce in the local shops and markets. Only one in ve (20%) found it easy to make
local friends compared to the worldwide average of 42%.
On quality of life however, the UAE compares favourably on accommodation (ranking
10th out of 25) and participat ion in sports (12th). With its long coastline, UAE-based
expats are within easy reach of a whole host of water sports and other sporting
activities. 37% of expats in the UAE thought that they were more active in sports
than in their home country, compared to the worldwide average of 33%. The UAE
also rates favourably on social life (10th out of 25).
Almost half (45%) of UAE-based expats said they enjoyed the local entertainment
and 37% felt they had a more ac tive social life than in their home countries. There
was an indication that UAE-based expats tend to stick with other expats within the
community, with more than half (54%) of expats saying it was easy for them to
make friends.
Overall Sample (100+ countries) UAE
It is easy for me tomake local friends
20%
42%
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PAGE 27 I EXPAT EXPLORER SURVEY 2010
AUSTRALIA
Country reports (continued)
Always on the move,
constantly changing and
full of surprises and new
experiences. I don’t
regret this life at all.
– Expat in Australia
e Overall ranking: 8th out of 25
e Setting up Score: 4th out of 25
e Integration: 7th out of 25
e Quality of Life Score: 9th out of 25
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PAGE 28 I EXPAT EXPLORER SURVEY 2010
Australia (continued)Australia makes an attractive destination for expats
The results from this year’s Expat Explorer survey show that Australia continues
to be an attractive destination for expats from an experience perspective. Overall,
Australia is ranked 8th out of the 25 countries included in the study and is found in
the top ten for ease of setting up (4th) integration (7th) and quality of life (9th).
One of the main drivers behind Australia’s high quality of life score is that many
expats admit to leading a healthier lifestyle than in their home country, with 41%
suggesting that they play more sport, 50% saying that they eat a healthier diet and
48% having a better work life balance. Interestingly, this healthier lifestyle is also
accompanied by better access to and quality of healthcare with over a third (36%)
agreeing with this statement.
One of the main advantages of becoming an expat in Australia is the ease of setting
up in the country. Nearly two thirds (63%) of all expats with children in education
described the process of organising schools as easy, placing it in the top ve (4th)
of all countries surveyed. This trend is also mirrored in terms of organising nances,
setting up utilities and making friends with 64%, 66% and 53% of Australia-based
expats respectively who described the process as easy.
In addition to this, expats often nd integrating into local culture an easy processwith 53% agreeing they enjoyed the local entertainment and a further 35%
suggesting they would rather eat the local cuisine than that of their home country.
I have a healthierdiet than in myhome country
50%
34%
Overall Sample (100+ countries) Australia
I am more active insports than in my
home country
41%
33%
My work life balanceis better than in my
home country
48%43%
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PAGE 29 I EXPAT EXPLORER SURVEY 2010
CANADA
Country reports (continued)
Much better standard
of living, healthy
lifestyle, more
time together.
– Expat in Canada
e Overall ranking: 2nd out of 25
e Setting up Score: 2nd out of 25
e Integration: 3rd out of 25
e Quality of Life Score: 4th out of 25
-
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PAGE 30 I EXPAT EXPLORER SURVEY 2010
Canada (continued)Canada scores top for setting up and integration
For those looking to relocate to the far west, Canada is the ideal locat ion. While
Canada ranked at the top of the Experience league table in 2009, this year it is
placed 2nd, being just beaten to the top spot by Thailand.
Canada still performs well on the setting up score, (2nd out of 25), and integration
(3rd), suggesting it is a fairly easy place for expats to relocate to. It is ranked as one
of the top ve countries for organising schools for children, organising nances,
nding somewhere to live, ease of gett ing used to local food, learning the local
language and setting up utilities – leaving only getting used to the weather as the
most challenging aspect.
Canada-based expats typically integrate well within local society with 45% claiming they
go out with local friends as much as fellow expats – the highest score of all 25 countries.
From a quality of life perspective (where Canada ranks 4th out of 25), the country
scores well on a number of factors. Expats based in Canada are more active in
sports (43%), have a bet ter work environment (57%) and a bet ter work life balance
(57%). Many expats based in Canada also agree that they are able to live in a nicer
or bigger property (73%), and have a healthier diet (50%). One area where fewer
expats agreed, compared to their counterparts elsewhere, was that they weretravelling more than before – 58% of expats based in Canada believe they travel
more since relocating, compared to an average of 69%.
Overall Sample (100+ countries) Canada
I am more active insports than in my
home country
43%
33%
My working environmentis better than in my
home country
57%
43%
My work life balanceis better than in my
home country
57%
43%
I live in a nicer /bigger property
73%
50%
I have a healthierdiet than in myhome country
50%
34%
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PAGE 31 I EXPAT EXPLORER SURVEY 2010
FRANCE
Country reports (continued)
Great lifestyle, friends in
every continent, career
booster and definitely a
new eye to the world.
– Expat in France
e Overall ranking: 6th out of 25
e Setting up Score: 11th out of 25
e Integration: 2nd out of 25
e Quality of Life Score: 7th out of 25
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PAGE 32 I EXPAT EXPLORER SURVEY 2010
France (continued)France makes a popular lifestyle choice for retirees
France ranks 6th overall in the Experience league table, making it second only to
Spain in the experience rankings for Europe. France has one of the highest numbers
of retiree expats (33%) and 21% of those who move to France do so specically
to retire, showing that many expats decide it is the perfect place to spend their
retirement years.
The country scores particularly well on integration (2nd out of 25), with expats in
France especially enjoying the local food and local culture (both score 1st out of 25),
making it one of the most friendly, culturally rich and inclusive locations.
Expats in France reported that while the country scores well for quality of life and
integration, many didn’t nd the country very easy to set up in, scoring 11th out of
25. Some of the most difcult aspects were organising healthcare (18th) and getting
used to the new work culture (15th). However, when healthcare had been set up,
the majority of expats in France (67%) thought it was of better quality and easier
to access than in their home country.
I enjoy having local foodrather than having foodfrom my home country
all the time
79%
52%
I am happy toexperiencelocal culture
95%85%
Overall Sample (100+ countries) France
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PAGE 33 I EXPAT EXPLORER SURVEY 2010
Country reports (continued)
I have a full and varied
life in a good country
with little local crime
and friendly Spanish
people, great healthcare
and fabulous weather mostly.
– Expat in Spain
e Overall ranking: 4th out of 25
e Setting up Score: 10th out of 25
e Integration: 1st out of 25
e Quality of Life Score: 6th out of 25
SPAIN
-
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PAGE 34 I EXPAT EXPLORER SURVEY 2010
Spain (continued)Spain makes a popular retirement destination
Spain is the most popular destination for retirees with 38% of the expat community
made up of this group and 25% of Spain-based expats moving to the country
specically to retire. And it’s no surprise to see it is such a sought after retirement
location. Spain scores top of all European countries in the overall experience league
table (4th out of 25). Perhaps unsurprisingly, given the number of retirees in Spain,
very few decide to relocate there for monetary gain (18% vs 57% overall).
Spain scores the highest of all countries for integration, especially in relation to local
friends and local shopping (1st), local food, local culture and local language (2nd),
suggesting that once expats in Spain are settled into their new location they feel
completely involved in their local community. Over three-quarters of expats there
choose to eat the local food rather than food from their home country and 92%
agree they have tried to learn and use the local language, showing that those who
move to Spain are keen to get completely involved in their new country.
Many expats also decide to stay in Spain for a considerable length of time – 52% have
lived there for longer than six years, much more than the overall average of 35%.
Similar to France, Spain also causes expats some problems in terms of sett ing up,
scoring 10th out of 25. The area Spain-based expats found particularly difcult wasthe setting up of utilities (20th) which appear to be much more challenging in Spain
than in many expats’ home countries.
Overall Sample (100+ countries) Spain
It is easy for me tomake local friends
58%
42%
I like shopping for localproduce in the local
shops / markets
88%
67%
I enjoy having local foodrather than having foodfrom my home country
all the time
79%
52%
I am happy toexperience
local culture
93%85%
I try to learn / use thelocal language
92%
60%
-
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PAGE 35 I EXPAT EXPLORER SURVEY 2010
GERMANY
Country reports (continued)
Difficult at times but
there is nowhere else
I would rather be. It has
made me a better person.
– Expat in Germany
e Overall ranking: 11th out of 25
e Setting up Score: 15th out of 25
e Integration: 6th out of 25
e Quality of Life Score: 12th out of 25
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PAGE 36 I EXPAT EXPLORER SURVEY 2010
Germany (continued)Expats in Germany nd learning the local language a considerable challenge
Of the European countries, Germany ranks 11th in the overall Expat Experience
league table, placing it behind Spain (4th), France (6th) and Switzerland (10th). Expats
surveyed typically found that relocating to Germany had improved their everyday
lifestyle, with 37% agreeing their working environment was better in comparison
to their home country and 45% agreeing that their work life balance had improved.
Expats in Germany also found it a relatively easy place for integrating with 46%
agreeing they enjoyed the local entertainment while 72% described adapting to the
local food as easy. Despite this ease of integrat ion, Germany did rank 24th out of
the 25 countries surveyed on ease of making friends, with 36% describing this as
difcult. One of the key drivers of this may be overcoming the challenge of learning
the local language (49% described this as difcult).
Many expats also found initially setting up in Germany a difcult process (the
country ranked 15th out of the 25 surveyed). Nearly one in four expats said
that organising their nances in Germany has been difcult, with a further 29%
suggesting that organising schools for their children had also been challenging. On
the positive side, 54% of expats said that organising their healthcare provisions had
been easy, suggesting that certain aspects of expat life were easier to set up than
others. Interestingly, once this initial set up has been achieved many expats choose
to remain in Germany for a considerable period of time, with 36% of those surveyed
having lived there for 6 years or more.
Overall Sample (100+ countries) Germany
It was difcult to learn
the local language
49%
40%
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PAGE 37 I EXPAT EXPLORER SURVEY 2010
CHINA
Country reports (continued)
It is a very good
opportunity for me and I
try to enjoy my life in the
country where I am working
until repatriation. But work
wise, hard to understand
local behaviour.
– Expat in China
e Overall ranking: 21st out of 25
e Setting up Score: 20th out of 25
e Integration: 17th out of 25
e Quality of Life Score: 22nd out of 25
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PAGE 38 I EXPAT EXPLORER SURVEY 2010
China (continued)As one of the world’s economic powerhouses, China doesn’t appear to be a
popular destination for expat experiences
Despite being one of the world’s economic powerhouses, the results of this year’s
Expat Explorer survey show that China doesn’t appear to be one of the more popular
destinations from an experience perspective, with an overall ranking of 21st out of 25.
One of the key factors underpinning this position is the difculty many expats face
when trying to set up in their new host country. Nearly a quarter (24%) of expats
surveyed described organising their nances as difcult, placing China at the bottom
of the global league table (25th) for this. In addition to nances, other difculties
included organising healthcare (34%), learning the local language (57%) and adapting
to the local work culture (31%).
Expats in China also found that in several instances their quality of life was also
lower than in their home country. 41% of expats disagreed with the statement that
they had a more act ive social life than in their home country and only 30% agreed
that they enjoyed the local entertainment.
Many expats also found that their work life balance had diminished since relocat ing
to China. 48% thought their work/life balance was worse than in their home country,
while 43% thought their working environment was worse.
48%
29%
43%
25%
My work life balance isworse than in my
home country
My working environmentis worse than in my
home country
Overall Sample (100+ countries) China
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Further information
Contact:
Katy Ringsdore
PR Manager
HSBC Bank International
Phone: 01534 606865
Email: [email protected]
Karen Butcher / Nick Woods
Hill & Knowlton
Phone: 020 7413 3181 / 3515
Email: [email protected] / [email protected]
Web: www.offshore.hsbc.com/expatexplorer
Blog: www.expatexplorer.blogspot.com
Twitter: www.twitter.com/expatexplorer
PAGE 39 I EXPAT EXPLORER SURVEY 2010