After remaining on top for the past four years, Singapore was dethroned by Switzerland as the best destination for expats to work and live, reported CNA citing HSBC Global Report. Singapore slid to second place while Switzerland jumped seven places to take the top spot.
HSBC 2019 Expat Explorer survey ranked Canada as third, followed by Spain, New Zealand, Australia, Turkey and Germany. Completing the top ten list are the United Arab Emirates and Vietnam.
The survey credited Switzerland’s rise to the country’s low crime rates, low levels of pollution, safe streets as well as economic and political stability.
It noted that Switzerland provided “the complete expat package” which enabled expats to enjoy “an improved quality of life to complement impressive pay and swift career progression”.
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In fact, 71 percent of expats said they had more disposable income when they moved to Switzerland. The average expat salary in Switzerland stands at US$111,587, which is way higher than the global mean of US$75,966.
Nonetheless, Singapore still emerged as the best place for expats with children. Around 62 percent of expats reported that the city-state’s education system is better than their home country, while over two-thirds praised the opportunities provided to their children to learn languages.
“With goods and services flowing in and out of Singapore, the country is one of Asia’s key trade hubs and a major contributor to the thriving regional economy,” said HSBC.
Conducted online by YouGov, the annual survey polled 18,059 expats across the world between March and April 2019.
Fiona Ho, Digital Content Manager at PropertyGuru, edited this story. To contact her about this or other stories, email fiona@propertyguru.com.sg
