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Every year, InterNations, a global community for people who live and work abroad, carries out a comprehensive survey about expat life.
The organisation quizzes tens of thousands of expats about the ease of settling in, working abroad and leisure activities in dozens of countries around the world.
In recent years, long-standing European expat destinations like Italy, France, Germany and Malta have been slipping down the rankings, even making it into the bottom 10.
This year is no different. Only one European country made it into the top 10 of the 2025 ranking, while six took spots in the bottom 10.
So what is putting expats off European destinations, and which locations are rising favourites instead?
European countries lose out in expat ranking
Spain was the only European country to make it into the top 10 this year, squeezing in at ninth place.
It managed to claim the spot mainly due to coming in first place (out of 46 countries) in the quality of life subcategory – an ongoing trend since 2022.
The reasons for the good result are many: expats love the weather, the culture and nightlife, and their opportunities for recreational sports.
Over four in five respondents agree that Spain offers healthcare that’s affordable, easily available, and of high quality.
Public transportation is another plus, with expats giving Spain good grades for its affordability and availability. It’s safe and easy to get around on foot or by bike, too, according to respondents.
Spain begins to slip, however, when it comes to the working abroad index. The country comes in a dismal 34th place for career prospects and not much better for salary and job security.
In the expat essentials index, Spain also performed poorly. Expats ranked the country 26th for both ease of administration and housing affordability.
Asian countries dominate the top 10 expat destinations
Compared to last year, China (6th) and Malaysia (10th) are the only new arrivals in the top 10 in 2025. Together with Thailand (4th), Vietnam (5th), and Indonesia (8th), this means that Asian countries dominate half of the list.
One thing that unites expats in these five countries is their satisfaction with personal
finance, with all of them ranking in the top 10 of the index.
Another highlight in these destinations is housing: expats find it both affordable and easy to find.
What varies the most, however, is the quality of life index, from China’s 6th place to Indonesia’s 40th.
Overall, though, expats living in these countries rank their happiness in the top 10, with the exception of Malaysia (15th).
Latin American countries take the top spots
The top three positions are occupied by the Latin American countries: Panama, Colombia and Mexico.
Their commonality is a friendly and welcoming culture, with no shortage of a social life as indicated by a stellar ease of settling in index.
They’re also hotspots for retirees, with a high share of expats (25 per cent or more vs. a global 11 per cent) saying they’re already retired.
European countries voted some of the worst expat destinations
More than half of the bottom 10 is occupied by European countries: Italy (37th), Sweden (38th), Norway (39th), the United Kingdom (41st), Germany (42nd), and Finland (43rd).
Expats rank these countries in the bottom 10 when it comes to their happiness with their lives abroad – except for Italy, which is in a mediocre 26th place.
Reasons for their unhappiness vary. For instance, while the three Nordic countries offer a great environment and climate (top 10 ranking), expats struggle with the ease of settling in (bottom 10).
In the expat essentials index, those living in Italy and Germany have a difficult time with digital life and administration in particular.
Meanwhile, this index is the United Kingdom’s best-performing one, but expats there struggle with their personal finances as well as housing and medical costs.
South Korea (44th), Türkiye (45th), and Kuwait (46th) make up the bottom three.
Expats are in particular agreement that working in these countries is tough, with all three ranking in the bottom 10 of the working abroad index, as well as the bottom three spots for work culture and satisfaction.
