Swiss perspectives in 10 languages

Switzerland tops expat ranking for third time

alps
While expats may not have been able to travel home, they had the consolation prize of sun and fresh mountain air in Switzerland. © Keystone / Christian Beutler

The Alpine nation is again top for expatriates in British bank HSBC’s annual expat survey, thanks in part to its high quality of life amid pandemic travel restrictions.

The ranking, published on Tuesday, puts Switzerland top for the third year in a row, followed by Australia and New Zealand. The United Arab Emirates and the Channel Islands followed, alongside the Isle of Man, Bahrain and Qatar. Singapore, which usually ranks near the top, dropped to ninth place.

Nearly nine out of ten expatriates see themselves staying in Switzerland another year at least. Stability appeared to be a decisive factor with some 92% of expats in Switzerland saying that the country will be a stable place to live in the next 12 months.

Around 90% of survey respondents felt that their “environment” was “better” since moving to the country and just over 85% felt safer. Nearly three-quarters “want to save for retirement” while one-third are setting aside money to buy property in the country.

The survey comes after a year of pandemic restrictions that made it difficult for expats to return home. Switzerland benefited from its high quality of life and fewer Covid-19 restrictions compared to many other countries. Globally, the survey suggests that people are prioritising wellbeing and personal lifestyle choices rather than traditional relocation drivers such as career progression and expanding their professional network.

This is the 14th edition of the Expat Explorer surveyExternal link, which surveyed around 20,460 people in 46 countries.

Switzerland tends to have mixed reviews in expat surveys. A different survey published earlier this year by InterNations ranked Switzerland 30th out of 59 destinations, sandwiched between Ireland and Indonesia. The country did well when it came to quality of life but less well when it came to settling in and making friends as well as the cost of living. The survey asks expats to rate up to 37 different aspects of life abroad on a scale of one to seven.

More

Popular Stories

Most Discussed

News

Gestational diabetes increases the risk of adult-onset diabetes

More

Gestational diabetes found to increase risk of adult-onset diabetes

This content was published on A research team from the Lake Geneva region has identified persistent dysfunctions in glucose regulation in women with gestational diabetes. In the long term, this can increase the risk of adult-onset diabetes by up to ten times.

Read more: Gestational diabetes found to increase risk of adult-onset diabetes
The Graubünden village of Brienz has to be evacuated by midday on Sunday

More

Swiss village must be evacuated by midday on Sunday

This content was published on The village of Brienz-Brinzauls in eastern Switzerland, which is threatened by a rockfall, must be evacuated by 1pm on Sunday. All residents must leave the village.

Read more: Swiss village must be evacuated by midday on Sunday
Former judge in Chur found guilty of rape

More

Former Swiss judge found guilty of rape

This content was published on A former judge of the Graubünden Administrative Court in eastern Switzerland has been found guilty of rape, sexual harassment and threatening a former trainee.

Read more: Former Swiss judge found guilty of rape

In compliance with the JTI standards

More: SWI swissinfo.ch certified by the Journalism Trust Initiative

You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!

If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.

SWI swissinfo.ch - a branch of Swiss Broadcasting Corporation SRG SSR

SWI swissinfo.ch - a branch of Swiss Broadcasting Corporation SRG SSR