Bahrain ranks first in the Middle East in overall Expat Explorer country league table as the best place to live, work and raise a family abroad.

The kingdom ranks ninth globally in the independent consumer research study into global expat views, commissioned by HSBC Expat.

Singapore ranks first globally in the overall league table. New Zealand and Canada follow close behind, taking second and third places respectively in the overall Expat Explorer country league table.

Over three in five (62 per cent) expats living in Singapore say they are earning more and 66 per cent agree that their quality of life is better, said the study.

The Expat Explorer league table ranks each country or territory using a score that summarises expats’ overall views of that destination. The Expat Explorer overall score is the average of the Economics, Experience and Family scores, covering 27 key questions from the survey.

Bahrain ranked 17 in Economics, 6th in Experience and 9th in Family categories.

The UAE with a global rank of 12 and Oman with 18 are also among the top 20 countries globally on the list.

In the ninth edition of this annual survey, nearly 27,000 expats from 190 countries and territories shared their thoughts and experiences of expat life, creating the 2016 Expat Explorer report, Achieving ambitions abroad, said Dean Blackburn, head of HSBC Expat.

"This year’s findings suggest that whatever you are seeking in life, whether it is finding more fulfilment in your career, immersing yourself in a new culture, buying a property or getting access to better education for your children, expat life can help you reach that goal," he said.

Expats in Hong Kong, Dubai, Zurich and Shanghai enjoy some of the best financial rewards. Around two thirds of expats moving to Dubai (65 per cent) or Hong Kong (68 per cent) say their disposable income has risen, compared with 56 per cent globally. More than three quarters (77 per cent) of expats in Dubai and 70 per cent in Hong Kong receive health benefits, compared with 51 per cent globally, it said.

The highest earning expats live in Zurich, where 44 per cent earn more than $200,000 per year, compared with a global average of 11 per cent. Expats in Shanghai also enjoy high salaries, with nearly a third (30 per cent) reporting a personal income of over $200,000. Expats in these cities also benefit from a good quality of life, it said.

More than three quarters (77 per cent) of expats in Zurich say they feel safer there, and 61 per cent in Dubai say their quality of life is better than it was at home, said the report.

Living and working abroad can help employees progress faster towards achieving their longer-term financial  goals. Two in five (40 per cent) expats say life abroad has helped them speed up their saving for retirement, and almost a third (29 per cent) say they have been able to save towards their children’s education more quickly.

There are cities around the world to suit every expat ambition, from improved quality because it was an opportunity for a new life and career. Nearly three quarters (71 per cent) of expats in London and New York say working there will improve their job prospects when they move home or to another country. Meanwhile, 63 per cent of expats say they feel safer in Toronto.

Younger expats stand out as the most likely of all age groups to move abroad in search of greater fulfilment at work, with nearly a quarter (22 per cent) of expat millennials (aged 18-34) saying they moved abroad to find purpose in their career, it said.

Emerging economies offer more opportunities to start or grow a business, according to 44 per cent of expat entrepreneurs, compared with 35 per cent of expats living in developed economies. Wherever they live, expat entrepreneurs are also likely to move abroad to improve their quality of life, with more than two in five (44 per cent) saying they have chosen to set up or grow their business in their adopted country because it was an opportunity for a new life and career.

Sweden ranks as the best country in the world for expat families. The majority (69 per cent) of expat parents living in Sweden say their children’s health and wellbeing is better since moving and 75 per cent rate the quality of childcare in Sweden as better than at home, the study said. - TradeArabia News Service