India, UK and Turkey among worst countries for expats, says international survey
India, Turkey and the United Kingdom are amongst the 10 worst-ranked countries for expats, a recent survey called Expat Insider said.
The survey was conducted by Internations, a global community for expats, and was based on the experiences of 20,259 participants from various nationalities.
Despite the large number of participants, only 64 countries have been ranked as the survey requires a sample size of at least 75 people from one country for it to be included in the ranking. The survey takes into account several factors including Ease of Settling In, Personal Finance, Cost of Living, Quality of Living and Working Abroad.
Even though India fares well when it comes to Personal Finance (ranked 9) and Cost of Living (18), its overall ranking is 59 out of 64 on the list as a majority of expats complain about a poor quality of life. People cite the lack of personal safety and security (60), health and well-being (60), leisure options (63), travel options (61) etc., as affecting their Quality of Life (63) adversely.
The survey quoted an expat from the United States as saying: "As a female, I don’t feel safe. As a resident, I often feel taken advantage of, at work and outside work."
Health conditions are also unsatisfactory for expats living in India. According to the survey, a US citizen expressed concerns over "the long-term health effects of so much pollution", while an Australian citizen was apprehensive about “the pollution and lack of cleanliness in general”.
When it comes to Ease of Settling In, India ranks 50 as expats said that they found it hard to feel at home (63) and find friends (49). Expats living in India further said that they found it hard to get past the language barrier (41) and added that locals were not too friendly (38).
A US citizen said that "the cultural norms [in India] are very different, and I have struggled to adapt."
Out of 64, India stands at 56 when it comes to the Working Abroad index. According to the survey, career prospects and satisfaction (41), economy and job security (51) and the balance between work and leisure (62) are not factors to look forward to in India.
Other countries that qualified for the bottom 10 include Kuwait (64), Italy (63), Nigeria (62), Brazil (61), Turkey (60), UK (58), Greece (57), Russia (56) and South Korea (55).
Taiwan was ranked as the top country for expats, followed by Vietnam, Portugal, Mexico and Spain. The US was ranked 47, while Qatar occupied the 18th spot on the list.
