India Ranked Above UK, U.S. in List of Friendliest Nations For Expats: Survey

India has been ranked as a friendlier nation for expats than the United States and the United Kingdom, according to a recent survey from InterNations. India appears at the 34th spot, ahead of America (36) and Britain (56). Portugal tops the list, with about 94 per cent of expats living in the country saying locals are friendly and helpful.

InterNations is the largest global network and information site for people who live and work abroad. Data and comments from almost 13,000 expats from 188 countries were used to make the list of the friendliest countries in the world to live for expats. The list ranks 65 countries.

India is placed behind countries such as Uganda (16), Romania (19), Indonesia (21), Israel (24) and Kazakhstan (28). The United States was ranked 19th in 2016, and the current list marks a huge slide for the country. According to the survey, three in five expats in the United States describe the locals as welcoming (59%) and outgoing (64%), while over one-third (35%) struggle with making local friends. Only one-fifth (20%) say that their friends are mostly local residents.

As per the survey, 17 per cent of expats in the United States say that they do not feel at home there yet, and another 9 per cent doubt that they ever will.

The United Kingdom fared poorer at the 56th place. Expats told InterNations that they find the British distant (42%) and reserved (58). Only 20 per cent expats are friends with locals in the country, while 32 per cent are friends with other expats.

Ireland, at the 30th place, saw a stark contrast from four years ago when it was placed 23rd while the UK was at the 19th rank. According to survey, 22 per cent of foreign workers in Ireland said they are primarily friends with other expats, while another 37 per cent are mostly friends with local residents. Seven in 10 expats said they feel at home in Ireland.

At 31st rank, New Zealand has dropped by 25 places from last year, when it was placed sixth. It is also the first year that New Zealand hasn’t made it to the Top 10. Dropping a few spots from its 34th rank last year, Australia sits at the 37th place. Only half of the expats in the country said they’d likely stay here forever and 43 percent said they found it easy making local friends.

The Czech Republic, Finland, Austria,Switzerland and Kuwait fill up the bottom ranks, making them the least friendly countries for expats to live in.