The World’s Friendliest Country Revealed

Have you ever lived abroad? Being an expat in a foreign country can be challenging – you can feel isolated and lonely, and sometimes your only friends are other people from your home country. It can be difficult to learn the local language and integrate. But some countries are more welcoming than others, making the possibility of building a new life there more feasible.

Climbing nine places since 2016, Portugal claims the title of the most welcoming country for expats. One Australian expat said: “The local population is friendly and helpful,” while a Dutch expat said “people look after each other” here. Almost four in five expats (79%) describe the Portuguese as welcoming, and about three in ten (29%) state that locals make up most of their social circles (vs 19% globally).

Where is the least friendly place to live as an expat?

The answer is Kuwait. One Indian expat told InterNations: There is an “increasing anti-expat sentiment from locals”. Close to half the expats living there (46%) rate the attitude of the local population towards foreign residents negatively, which is nearly three times the global average (16%).

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