It is sometimes necessary to move to a new location abroad when one retires in order to experience a different type of lifestyle one has been used to, or for any other reason. Living abroad is a great way to gain a new perspective not just on a new country, but in your home country. The article below highlights some 20 friendliest coutries for experts to move to, should they desire to retire.
1. Portugal
- Friendly attitude towards expats: 94%
- Ease of making local friends: 58%
- Expats likely to stay forever: 47%
Portugal claims the title of the most welcoming country for expats. “The local population is friendly and helpful,” said one Australian in the survey, while a Dutch expat values that “people look after each other.” In fact, 79% of expats describe the Portuguese as welcoming.
Above, Aveiro, Portugal.
2. Taiwan
- Friendly attitude towards expats: 86%
- Ease of making local friends: 61%
- Expats likely to stay forever: 30%
Nearly three-quarters of expats living in Taiwan agree that the Taiwanese are welcoming. “The people are wonderfully friendly and welcoming to foreigners,” said one U.S. expat in the survey. The majority of expats found it easy to settle down in the country (74%) and feel at home in the local culture (69%).
3. Mexico
- Friendly attitude towards expats: 87%
- Ease of making local friends: 73%
- Expats likely to stay forever: 39%
In Mexico, 30% of expats surveyed said their friends are mainly locals, 81% found it easy to settle down and to get used to the local culture. One American expat especially likes “how easy it is to adapt, and the people are incredibly friendly.”
Above, vendors at a market in Acapulco.
4. Cambodia
- Friendly attitude towards expats: 92%
- Ease of making local friends: 59%
- Expats likely to stay forever: 23%
More than four in five expats in Cambodia find the local population welcoming (85%) and think that it is easy to settle down (83%). Many felt at home nearly straight away, (39%) which is the highest share across all surveyed countries and more than twice the global average of 19%.
5. Bahrain
- Friendly attitude towards expats: 86%
- Ease of making local friends: 55%
- Expats likely to stay forever: 11%
Close to seven in 10 (69%) find the Bahrainis welcoming, and another 73% feel at home in the local culture. This might be thanks to the lack of a significant language barrier: 91% find it easy to live here without speaking the local language. “Bahrain is a beautiful melting pot of many different cultures,” said an expat from the U.S.
6. Costa Rica
- Friendly attitude towards expats: 87%
- Ease of making local friends: 78%
- Expats likely to stay forever: 48%
Out of 65 countries, Costa Rica is the number one destination when it comes to making local friends. In fact, 85% of expats describe Costa Ricans as welcoming.
7. Oman
- Friendly attitude towards expats: 86%
- Ease of making local friends: 60%
- Expats likely to stay forever: 12%
“Oman is very expat friendly. The locals are warm and welcoming,” says an Indian living in Oman, and most expats in the country seem to agree: close to three-quarters describe the locals as welcoming (73%). Only 3% are mainly friends with locals — but the majority (58%) is part of a mixed social circle.
Above, a traditional cattle market Nizwa, Oman.
8. Colombia
- Friendly attitude towards expats: 87%
- Ease of making local friends: 62%
- Expats likely to stay forever: 33%
Out of the 10 most welcoming countries, expats in Colombia are the most likely to be mainly friends with locals (34%). In fact, more than four in five expats describe the Colombians as welcoming and find it easy to settle down in the country. One American finds the Colombians “open, warm, and friendly,” and an expat from the Netherlands adds that they “are always willing to help.”
Above, horse drawn carriages in Cartagena.
9. Vietnam
- Friendly attitude towards expats: 83%
- Ease of making local friends: 56%
- Expats likely to stay forever: 16%
More than four in five expats describe the Vietnamese as welcoming, and 73% find it easy to settle down in the country. “I love the friendly vibe in the city,” said an expat from South Korea about life in Ho Chi Minh, “people are mostly nice and gentle.”
10. Canada
- Friendly attitude towards expats: 81%
- Ease of making local friends: 43%
- Expats likely to stay forever: 45%
Canadians are perceived as welcoming by 62% of expats in the country, or as a French expat puts it: they are “open-minded, tolerant, and benevolent.” Above, Petit Champlain Street in Quebec City.
11. Philippines
In the survey, the Philippines ranked No. 8 in the “personal happiness” category and No. 9 for “finding friends.” Above, the Sinulog festival in Cebu.
12. Peru
Peru is one of the 10 countries in which expats reported having mostly local friends.
13. Ecuador
Ecuador ranked 9th of 65 countries for expats feeling welcome, and 11th for finding friends.
14. Brazil
Expats ranked Brazil 11th for “friendliness”, and the country was one of the top 10 where they reported having mostly local friends.
Above, a street carnival in Rio de Janeiro
15. United Arab Emirates
The United Arab Emirates is one of the top five countries in the survey in which expats found it easy to settle in without having to learn the local language. Above, the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque in Abu Dhabi.
16. Uganda
Uganda was in the top four for “finding friends,” 8th in the language category, and in the top 20 for “friendliness” and “feeling welcome.
17. Spain
Among survey respondents in Spain, 82% are generally happy with their socializing opportunities. It ranked 6th in the “feeling welcome” category.
18. Myanmar
Myanmar ranked 12 in the “friendliness” category.
19. Romania
Romania was in the top 20 in all the categories of “language,” “finding friends,” “feeling welcome,” and “ease of settling in.” Above, the historical center of Sibiu, Romania.
20. Thailand
Above, women make jasmine garlands for the new year festival in Bangkok. Thailand ranked No. 18 for friendliness.
