THE country has been listed as the seventh best destination for expats in the world, according to an Expat Insider 2022 survey conducted by InterNations, with the happiness level at 84% (versus 71% globally).
The survey, with nearly 12,000 respondents in 52 destinations, offers in-depth information on expats’ satisfaction with the quality of life, ease of settling in, working abroad and personal finances in their country of residence.
For the first time, the ranking also includes the Expat Essentials Index, which covers digital life, admin topics, housing and language.
The survey highlighted that Vietnam excels when it comes to personal finance, ranking first worldwide in this index. The majority of expats (80%) are happy with the general cost of living, compared to only 45% globally.
There is no stress when it comes to their finances: about four in five (79%) are satisfied with this factor (compared to 60% globally), and 92% said their disposable household income is enough or more than enough to lead a comfortable life (compared to 72% globally).
Expats in Vietnam ranked the country ninth in ease of settling and sixth in local friendliness. Most expats (84%) described the local residents as generally friendly and 83% find them friendly towards foreign residents in particular.
The local culture is another area where expats are especially pleased. About 83% feel welcome in Vietnam while the world proportion is 71%.
The survey noted that creating a personal network is important to expat life. Expats ranked Vietnam among the top 10 in the finding friends subcategory (7th), saying it is easy to befriend locals (54%).
More than two in three (69%) are happy with their social life while globally, 56% feel the same. Moreover, 63% have a personal support network in Vietnam that they said can go to for practical/emotional support (versus 59% globally).Concerns among expats in Vietnam include the urban environment, availability of green goods and services, air quality, health and well-being, local bureaucracy, opening a local bank account and cashless payment. — Vietnam News/ANN
