Ranking of 52 destinations
In February 2022, the networking service InterNations asked almost 12,000 expats in 181 different countries about their experiences and impressions during their stay abroad. Based on the feedback from the respondents, InterNations created a ranking of 52 expatriate destinations, which were evaluated under various aspects. The ranking is based on the perceptions of the expats surveyed in terms of living conditions, quality of life, adjustment time at the new place of residence, job opportunities and working conditions, personal financial situation and the basic framework for life as an expat at the destination.
The ranking is led by the Spanish port city of Seville, where the participants in the study particularly appreciate the safety of the city and the inexpensive local public transport. In the following, the cities are presented in descending order which, from the point of view of the respondents, represent the least attractive destinations.
10th place: Rome, Italy
The capital of Italy, with its unique history, attracts millions of tourists every year, but for the expats surveyed it is not a particularly attractive destination for emigration. Dealing with local authorities in particular is criticized and 50 percent of those surveyed said they had negative experiences with administrative and government services on the respective online platforms. In addition, 30 percent of the expats surveyed are worried about the state of the Italian economy.
9th place: Tokyo, Japan
While Tokyo is home to many expats, some have been critical of the city’s working conditions. The traditional, virtuous and hierarchical Japanese culture also directly influences the day-to-day work life of the expats interviewed. Among other things, the often long working hours combined with a lack of work-life balance are mentioned negatively. Furthermore, more than 60 percent of those questioned were of the opinion that the Japanese business structure hindered creative work processes.
8th place: Vancouver, Canada
Vancouver is the only North American city in the last ten places in the ranking. According to the study, one reason for this is the high cost of living, which 69 percent of the participants surveyed rated negatively. In addition, according to 40 percent of those surveyed, it is sometimes difficult to integrate into the social life of the city.
7th place: Milan, Italy
Milan is the seventh most unattractive city for expats. 33 percent of those surveyed said they were dissatisfied with their pay and more than half criticized the city’s air quality. In addition, 66 percent of those surveyed expressed criticism of the Italian bureaucracy and the hurdles for expats, similar to the city of Rome.
6th place: Hamburg, Germany
The interviewees justify the unattractiveness of Hamburg for expats with difficulties in integrating into social life. 81 percent of those surveyed stated that they had problems making friends and friends in the northern German city.
5th place: Hong Kong
The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region is also rated as comparatively unattractive by the expats surveyed. On the one hand, more than half of the study participants stated that they felt oppressed and were not allowed to express their own opinion freely. In addition, 68 percent of those surveyed considered the cost of living to be too high.
4th place: Istanbul, Turkey
The expats surveyed justify the unattractiveness of the metropolis on the Bosporus with a negative economic outlook for Turkey and, as a result, only 45 percent of those surveyed believe that they are paid fairly.
3rd place: Paris, France
The capital of France ranks third from bottom in Internations. Above all, the high cost of living is criticized and 58 percent of those surveyed report problems with integration into social life. Furthermore, 23 percent stated that they did not feel safe in Paris.
2nd place: Frankfurt am Main, Germany
Frankfurt am Main, the financial center of Germany, is not an attractive destination for emigrants from the point of view of 70 percent of the expats surveyed due to high rents and living costs. In particular, local passenger transport was assessed as comparatively expensive and rated negatively.
1st place: Johannesburg, South Africa
According to Internations’ ranking, Johannesburg is the least attractive city for expats. On the one hand, 25 percent of those surveyed criticize the high cost of living, on the other hand, 39 percent name problems with local public transport as a point of criticism. In addition, more than 60 percent of expats stated that they did not feel safe in Johannesburg.
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