The Expat Inside Survey was released last Friday; the poll, which analyzes the best destinations across the world for expats, breaks down the quality of life for foreigners living abroad across a number of categories.
This year, the biggest winners in the Working Abroad Index impressed with an improved work-life balance and better career opportunities.
According to InterNations, the organization behind the popular annual ranking, the Working Abroad Index covers various factors from three different subcategories: Career Prospects & Satisfaction, Work & Leisure, and Economy & Job Security. Each factor was rated on a scale of 1 (very good) to 7 (very bad). The index lists 68 countries with at least 75 respondents each.
Little has changed in the top three of the Working Abroad Index: Bahrain, 2017’s number three, and the Czech Republic, 2017’s number one, traded places in 2018, with the Czech Republic slipping a couple of spots. In Career Prospects & Satisfaction, the Czech Republic came in no. 4; in Work & Leisure at no. 10.
More than seven in ten expats (71%) working in the Czech Republic rated Job Security favorably, compared to a global average of 59%. Moreover, 31% were very satisfied with the state of the economy.
“Freelancing is easy here, and a little bit of money goes a long way,” a US expat pointed out, while a French survey respondent was grateful for the career opportunities: “I actually have a job instead of being unemployed.”
While the Czech Republic fell two places in 2018, economic forecasts for the Czech Republic predict stable growth as well as a lack of qualified employees in many fields. This not only means job opportunities for expats in various sectors, but it could also lead to a rise in salaries.
Overall, the Czech Republic was ranked as the tenth-best destination in the world for expats.