15 Worst Countries to Live in as an Expat

Published on February 19, 2024 at 6:25 am by Maliha Zaka in Lists, News

In this article, we will take a look at 15 Worst Countries to Live in as an Expat. You can skip our detailed analysis and go directly to the 5 Worst Countries to Live in as an Expat.

In the life-changing decision of packing your bags and moving to a new destination, multifarious variables need to be analyzed thoroughly. Migration has been extensive over the past years– 281 million people were estimated to be living outside their country of origin in 2020. While the drive behind migration could be influenced by multiple forces, the basic intention is to experience a prosperous and higher quality of life in a safe and secure environment, with the least amount of trouble. Therefore, an immigration decision that lands one in the worst countries to live in could create many problems.

International Expat Migration Overview

An analysis of international migrant data reveals that the majority live in countries that can ensure higher opportunities for individuals and families. In 2020, 65% of migrants resided in high-income countries, 31% in middle-income, and 4% in low-income countries. It was also observed that the primary reasons for international migration to high-income countries were labor, family reunification, and education. Global data also indicates that Europe was the leading destination for expatriates in 2020 (87 million), followed by North America (59 million), and North Africa and Western Asia (approximately 50 million). The United States emerged as the country hosting the largest number of international migrants– 51 million migrants in 2020.

Best Vs Worst Countries for Expats

With such large numbers of people flowing in and out of countries, immigrant integration has become an international agenda. In fact, first-time migration has been incorporated into the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Thus, while countries worldwide are ensuring expat integration, certain country-specific conditions determine the success or failure of this endeavor. There are some countries that are ideal for relocation (check our article 20 Best Countries to Relocate to for more details) and others that are not such a great fit. Expats evaluate their new destination based on various factors, including but not limited to the quality of life (encompassing safety and security), healthcare and education facilities, ease of settling in, employment opportunities, personal financial conditions, housing, language, and bureaucracy. Therefore, countries that are unable to perform well in these indicators may develop a reputation as the worst choice for expats to live in.

US Losing Talented Expats

For ages, the United States has been a magnet for expats seeking better work opportunities. Renowned tech companies like Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ: MSFT), Google– Alphabet Inc. (NASDAQ: GOOG), Amazon (NASDAQ: AMZN), and Meta (NASDAQ: META), among others, have attracted foreign talent in large numbers. However, due to the country’s grueling immigration policies and high cost of living, much of this talent is frustrated. Furthermore, substantial layoffs by the tech industry in the recent past have further fueled the fire and even provided an opportunity for other countries to accommodate such a labor force. Canada, for example, has launched its own work permit program to attract these individuals.

Tech companies, including Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ: MSFT), Google (NASDAQ: GOOG), and Amazon (NASDAQ: AMZN) , continue to lay off employees despite better performance. Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ: MSFT) laid off 1,900 employees in their gaming division, whereas Amazon (NASDAQ: AMZN), continuing their spree of layoffs, cut down 180 more employees and shut down two gaming initiatives: Game Growth and Crown Channel. Google (NASDAQ: GOOG) also confirmed laying off around a thousand employees.

Such working conditions and the rising cost of living due to inflation are causes of concern for expats. Not only will this affect their quality of life, but it will also foster dissatisfaction related to employment.

15 Worst Countries to Live in as an Expat

Methodology

To determine the 15 worst countries to live in as an expat, we relied on data from two different expat indexes: Expat Insider 2023 and Worldwide Expat Index 2023 by William Russell. Expat Insider ranks countries on five essential indexes for choosing a country for relocation: quality of life index, ease of settling index, working abroad index, personal finance index, and expat essentials index. On the other hand, Worldwide Expat Index uses four components: happiness, health, employment, and quality of life. By averaging these two index rankings, we identified countries with an overall worse outlook for expats. A higher average ranking indicates a relatively worse choice of a country. In cases where the average ranking turned out to be the same, we used the Human Development Index (UN 2021) as a tie-breaker. The country with a lower HDI value was considered the worst.

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Let’s take a look at our list of 15 Worst Countries to Live in as an Expat.

15. Denmark

Expat Insider Index Ranking: 41

Worldwide Expat Index Ranking: 23

Insider Monkey Average Ranking: 32

Both indexes present a picture where Denmark excels in the working/employment and quality of life sectors, as well as other expat essentials like the adoption of technological advancements. However, the country performs slightly poorly in the health category, scoring below 4.95 out of 10. Life has also been pointed out as expensive in this country, especially in the housing department. Of even greater importance is the difficulty that expats encounter in settling down in the country due to the inability to make friends with the locals and have a social life. Therefore, overall, Denmark is one of the worst countries to live in as an expat.

14. United States

Expat Insider Index Ranking: 30

Worldwide Expat Index Ranking: 36

Insider Monkey Average Ranking: 33

As a land of opportunity, the US has much to offer expats, ranking high on job and work growth possibilities in the country. The happiness score on the Worldwide Expat Index for the happiness factor is also in favor of the country, indicating a general satisfaction that people experience in the US. Nevertheless, the country performs quite poorly in the health section on both indexes, and the overall quality of life index is also not very encouraging. The cost of living is lamented as expensive by expats, which includes amenities such as public transportation, housing, and rent. Thus, while the US does have some attractive benefits that attract expats, caution must also be taken regarding various problems they might face.

13. Brazil

Expat Insider Index Ranking: 15

Worldwide Expat Index Ranking: 53

Insider Monkey Average Ranking: 34

Brazil receives a very low ranking according to the Worldwide Expat Score, consistently performing poorly on all four components of the index, earning a score of only 3.08/10. According to the Expat Insider report, Brazil’s quality of life leaves much to be desired, particularly receiving a low ranking in the safety sector and showing little improvement in the health department. Individuals seeking better work or career opportunities in Brazil would also be severely disappointed. However, the country turns out to be a haven for expats in terms of ease of settlement.

12. Belgium

Expat Insider Index Ranking: 38

Worldwide Expat Index Ranking: 31

Insider Monkey Average Ranking: 34.5

As with other European countries, Belgium ranks fairly high for expats moving abroad with the intention of furthering their careers or finding lucrative jobs. However, the quality of life and health facilities are not attractive selling points for this country. Furthermore, expats have also complained about problems with integration into society. Overall, Belgium emerges as one of the worst countries to live in as an expat.

11. Cyprus

Expat Insider Index Ranking: 32

Worldwide Expat Index Ranking: 40

Insider Monkey Average Ranking: 36

While Cyprus has much beautiful scenery to offer its expats, a closer look is necessary at some essential elements before making a relocation decision. Cyprus does not score very well on variables like happiness, health, and employment; therefore, it fares even worse in overall quality of life. Expats have also expressed dissatisfaction with their work culture, and it is expected that people looking for jobs would face hurdles in securing them. Thus, given such scores, Cyprus turns out to be a potentially worse country to live in as an expat.

10. Indonesia

Expat Insider Index Ranking: 13

Worldwide Expat Index Ranking: 59

Insider Monkey Average Ranking: 36

Indonesia was observed to perform quite poorly on both indexes, particularly concerning the quality of life and healthcare facilities for expats. While the possibility of good career and job prospects is not entirely ruled out, they are also not very alluring. However, expats are unlikely to face significant social obstacles in settling down in the country, and the cost of living is relatively low. With a combined score from the two indexes, Indonesia does not fare well, earning the 10th position in our list of the worst countries to live in as an expat.

9. South Korea

Expat Insider Index Ranking: 50

Worldwide Expat Index Ranking: 24

Insider Monkey Average Ranking: 37

South Korea has emerged as a challenging country for settling down. Finding friends and maintaining a social life seems difficult, and the country does not offer very good work prospects or much satisfaction with work culture. Expats have also reported financial problems. While the quality of life is not altogether bad, especially concerning healthcare, it is still not very high. South Korea scores quite low on the happiness factor as well, making it one of the worst countries for expats to relocate to.

8. Malta

Expat Insider Index Ranking: 46

Worldwide Expat Index Ranking: 33

Insider Monkey Average Ranking: 39.5

Portraying a poor quality of life, Malta must be carefully considered before being chosen as a potential relocation country. Expats express dissatisfaction with the housing situation and the financial scenario in the country. The working culture, job prospects, and salaries are also not very attractive. However, Malta does not present too many issues for newcomers in blending in with society.

7. Poland

Expat Insider Index Ranking: 35

Worldwide Expat Index Ranking: 46

Insider Monkey Average Ranking: 40.5

For expats planning on moving to Poland, the language barrier is a real problem that must be accounted for before making this decision. This could also be the contributing factor in making Poland a tough country for finding friends and setting up a social life. However, working conditions are fair enough in the country, and the quality of living, as well as the cost of living, is mediocre.

6. Hungary

Expat Insider Index Ranking: 34

Worldwide Expat Index Ranking: 48

Insider Monkey Average Ranking: 41

Hungary ranks low on healthcare facilities, and the overall quality of life is not very high. Expats have reported trouble settling in the country and finding local friendly faces. Language is one of the biggest problems faced by expats. The low score on the working abroad index also does not bode well for future immigrants. However, most expats have given positive feedback regarding financial aspects, including the cost of living and disposable income. Nevertheless, the overall score places the country on the list of worst countries to live in as an expat.

Click to continue reading and see our 5 Worst Countries to Live in as an Expat.