A new ranking created to uncover the top countries for expat quality of life has crowned Switzerland as the best country in the world. Switzerland comes just ahead of other expat hotspots like the Netherlands, Singapore and Australia. 

Expat Quality of Life Ranking 2021

The ranking was created by Blacktower Financial Management Group, which helps to provide financial advice for British citizens living abroad. The report examined data from 195 countries to assess salaries, happiness, cost of living, peacefulness, and average income to property price ratio, as well as the quality of healthcare on offer in each country. 

While expat hotspots such as the UAE, Qatar and Singapore scored well, several countries not typically considered popular places for expats also ranked highly, including Taiwan, Austria and Iceland. Aside from Switzerland, other top-scoring countries were also European - places two, three and four are held by Denmark, Iceland and Norway, respectively.  

Switzerland ranked top for expat quality of life 

Switzerland’s quality of life ranking was boosted by its high average monthly salary and high relative happiness score. While Switzerland scored well across a range of indicators, other countries also scored well in certain areas. 

Finland, for example, ranked as the happiest country, while the US scored highly on property affordability. Asian countries scored especially well on the quality of healthcare - with Taiwan ranking first, followed by South Korea and Japan. 

Switzerland is not an especially cheap country for expats to move to, however, with the highest cost of living of the entire ranking. While this is mitigated by the fact that people in Switzerland earn such high salaries, it is still a pricey prospect for those looking to relocate to the country. 

The best countries for expats in 2021

According to the study, the top 10 countries in the world to live and work in 2021 are:

• 1. Switzerland
• 2. Denmark
• 3. Iceland
• 4. Norway
• 5. Australia
• 6. Finland
• 7. New Zealand
• 8. The Netherlands
• 9. Austria
• 10. Canada

For the full ranking, visit the Blacktower Financial Management Group website.