- Two thirds of expats in Bahrain feel at home in less than a year
- Top countries where expats adjust quickest are Bahrain, Malaysia and Mexico
- Making friends is expats’ top tip to feel like locals
- Data is revealed as 2016 Expat Explorer Survey opens https://start.yougov.com/refer/vysfh7HYcJdChF?&source=2
Life as an expat can be quite an adjustment. According to data from last year’s Expat Explorer survey, the countries where more expats felt at home in less than a year are Bahrain (66%), India (63%) and Malaysia (61%). This compares to 48% of all expats surveyed globally. Expats looking to settle in even quicker can consider moving to Mexico, where 42% said the country felt like home instantly or in less than six months, just behind Bahrain (47%) and Malaysia (43%).
Top 10 countries where expats feel at home in less than a year |
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Bahrain |
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India |
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Malaysia |
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Mexico |
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Taiwan |
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Oman |
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Russia |
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Spain |
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Indonesia |
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Vietnam |
According to these findings, expats experience different milestones on their path to feeling like locals. They said making friends or developing their social life (51%) and starting to understand the local culture and etiquette (38%) have played the greatest part in making a strong connection with their host country.
In Bahrain, 51% said making friends was an important milestone on the way to feeling at home, while over a third (37%) said it was knowing their family were enjoying life in their new country. In Mexico, 44% of expats said it was successfully using the local language.
Older expats find it easier to settle in: 35% of those over 55 years old said their host country felt like home within their first six months, which compares to 33% of 18 to 34 year olds and only 29% of 35 to 54 year olds.
These findings are being released as HSBC’s 2016 Expat Explorer survey opens to respondents: https://start.yougov.com/refer/vysfh7HYcJdChF?&source=2
Almost 22,000 expats took part in the 2015 Expat Explorer survey, ranking Singapore the top country for expats overall, and this year HSBC is looking for even more expats to share their experiences of living abroad.
HSBC calls all expats to say where is the best place to be an expat in 2016 by taking this survey now: https://start.yougov.com/refer/vysfh7HYcJdChF?&source=2
If you’re living or working abroad and are 18 or over, we want to hear about your experience to help other expats navigate the opportunities and challenges of life abroad.
The 2016 Expat Explorer survey is open to all expats from now until 17 April.
The findings of the 2016 survey will be released in the autumn and available online via the interactive Expat Explorer tool, where people can compare different countries using a broad set of criteria covering the main areas of expat life.
Commenting on the opening of the 2016 survey, Dean Blackburn, Head of HSBC Expat said:
“Painting a picture of expat life across a broad range of criteria, the annual Expat Explorer survey is an insightful and comprehensive resource for all current and prospective expats. Not only can expats find out how the country they live in performs compared to other destinations, but they can also share the real life experiences of their peers.
“The survey findings help those who plan to move or already live abroad, and help us to better understand our expat customers and the unique challenges they face. We would like to hear from even greater numbers of expats this year; their input is critical to further support and inspire the global community of those who have made the choice of a life abroad.”
