Austria finds shared love among compatriots living abroad, the so-called expats: while the quality of life inspires enthusiasm, the population is less popular. In the subcategory ‘Local friendliness’, the Alpine republic came in 52nd place, the penultimate, in a survey by ‘Expat Insider’ among 12,500 people.
Overall, Austria came in 24th place out of 53 countries in the ranking. However, there was a top position in the quality of life category (2nd place). Since 2014, Austria has consistently been among the top ten countries in this index and, according to “Expat Insider”, excels in four of the five subcategories: “Travel & Transport” (2nd place), “Environment & Climate” (3rd place), healthcare (9th place) and safety (10th place).
Austrians are unfriendly towards immigrants
However, settling into Austria is a challenge for expats – the Alpine republic only came in 49th place. Finding friends is also not easy: Austria came in 42nd place in this subcategory. 57 percent of respondents agree that it is difficult to make local friends (41 percent globally). 41 percent of expats say that locals are generally not friendly to foreigners (20 percent globally), and 31 percent felt unwelcome and found it difficult to adapt to the local culture (17 percent and 21 percent globally, respectively).
Language is a big obstacle
The most challenging aspect is the language (43rd place). More than a third of expats (36 percent) found it difficult to live in Austria without knowing the national language (33 percent globally). Almost two thirds found it difficult to learn the language (40 percent globally).
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.
