From the point of view of foreign workers, no one is more unfriendly than Austrians – this is again shown by the survey of the expat network “InterNations”. At the same time, those surveyed rated the quality of life in Germany as excellent in many areas. “Nice and lonely” is the general conclusion for Austria.
The “Expat Insider Study 2023” determines the satisfaction of foreign workers (expats) in the countries where they are employed.
Difficulty meeting new people
When it comes to “getting used to the country”, Austria ranks 52nd out of a total of 53 countries, only ahead of Kuwait. When it comes to “friendliness”, one of the acclimatization subcategories, the Alpine Republic is at the bottom. “The Austrians lack a bit of warmth,” said a Spaniard. Other expats complain about the difficulty of making friends or “meeting new people altogether”.
Austria scores with quality of life
However, we score points in the standard of living, taking 42nd place in the overall ranking. The Austrian transport system in particular – according to the expat study the fourth best in the ranking – shines with the respondents. “Environment and Climate” slipped just below first place at sixth, while health care was firmly in eighth place. Still, there were losses. Because last year Austria was in the international top three for “Travel and transport” and “Health and well-being”, which meant that – despite unfriendliness – it still took 24th place overall.
The most attractive country in Mexico
According to the survey, Mexico is the most attractive country for expats. Their residents are the friendliest to foreigners in the world, but aspects such as the housing market and salaries also receive top marks. Spain is second overall, followed by Panama, Malaysia and Taiwan. The next European country, Portugal, is only in tenth place.
Germany and Switzerland are equally grumpy
When it comes to friendliness and a welcoming culture, the entire DACH region (Germany, Austria, Switzerland) is similarly in a bad mood. At 50th place, Germany is only two places better than Austria when it comes to settling expats, and Switzerland ranks 47th. However, the Confederation manages to hold its own at 23rd in the overall list thanks to its high quality of life and job satisfaction . However, the Germans take last place when it comes to the so-called “expat essentials” (such as housing or digital infrastructure). Our northern neighbors are even in the top five worst states for foreign workers.
After Germany (49th), South Korea, Turkey, Norway and Kuwait form the bottom of the scale. Italy is also only in 47th place, mainly because of the great dissatisfaction with career opportunities and the labor market.
The “Expat Insider Study 2023” is the tenth edition of the ranking that the Munich-based company “InterNations” has been conducting since 2014. Nine times Austria was in the bottom ten in the category ‘Vienna in the country’. Most recently, Vienna also had to endure the inglorious title of the unfriendliest city in the “Expat City Ranking 2022” (also from “InterNations”). This year’s “Expat Insider Study” collected data from approximately 12,000 expats from 172 countries.
Source: Krone
I am Wallace Jones, an experienced journalist. I specialize in writing for the world section of Today Times Live. With over a decade of experience, I have developed an eye for detail when it comes to reporting on local and global stories. My passion lies in uncovering the truth through my investigative skills and creating thought-provoking content that resonates with readers worldwide.
