High quality of life, higher salaries and even higher mountains make Switzerland the best place in the world to relocate, according to a new survey.
HSBC Expat's 12th Annual League Table of Best Places to Live and Workreveals that the Alpine country has hit the top of the rankings for the first time in the survey's history.
It says the average salary there is US$111,587, compared with a global average of US$75,966, that 82% of people who move there feel they have improved their quality of life. Two-thirds of those who moved to the country said they felt safer and more secure.
Singapore comes in at number two in part thanks to its bilingual education system. Some 62% of those who moved say the schooling system in Singapore is better than at home.
Third-placed Spain is the best place to improve your mental well-being according to the survey. Around half (48%) of people who relocate to Spain feel physically healthier after moving and 58% say their mental well-being has improved — considerably above the global average (33% and 35% respectively).
The rest of the ranking is shown in this week's chart below.
The best places to relocate
1 | Switzerland |
2 | Singapore |
3 | Canada |
4 | Spain |
5 | New Zealand |
6 | Australia |
7 | Turkey |
8 | Germany |
9 | United Arab Emirates |
10 | Vietnam |
Source: 12th Annual League Table of Best Places to Live and Work, HSBC Expat
HSBC's report found that the UAE, coming in at 9th in the overall rankings, is the best place to increase your disposable income while the UK, which didn't make the overall top ten, was the best place to learn new skills.
The most popular reason for looking to relocate from the UK is to improve quality of life, the survey said. One in ten Brits make the move overseas to either start a new relationship or have a fresh start after a relationship breakup.
Nathan Donald, head of international propositions, HSBC UK said: "Young professionals who cross international borders are a vital force in the global economy and they challenge the status quo, helping to build bridges between markets, societies and businesses in the process."
HSBC Expatsurveyed more than 18,000 people from over 160 countries worldwide for the report.