Study Reveals The Top 10 Most Desirable Countries To Move To

November 17, 2022

In recent years, the rise of the digital nomad has taken over the globe.

Whether it’s the thought of checking your emails by the beach or realizing the ambition of taking your career international, more people than ever are pursuing their ambitions overseas. So, with travel back on the rise and work-from-anywhere culture taking hold, UpCounsel wanted to find out the world’s most desirable countries to move to. Having created an index score based on variables including passport strength, Human Development Index, and migrant population, UpCounsel.com can now reveal a list of the top 10 most desirable countries to move to.

The Top 10 Most Desirable Countries To Move To

UpCounsel.com found that Singapore is the world’s most desirable country to relocate to, with an overall relocation score of 94.9/100. With its high Human Development Index* (HDI) of 0.938, a 43.1% immigrant population and 192 visa-free destinations, the highest of all countries measured, Singapore is a hotspot for international residents.

Germany ranks in second place, with a final relocation score of 92.4/100. While it has a smaller migrant population (18.8%), Germany’s HDI of 0.947 and high number of visa-free destinations put it in pole position as a choice for those looking to seek new pastures.

Switzerland and Luxembourg tie in third place (92.0/100). With Switzerland’s exceptionally high HDI of 0.955 and Luxembourg’s international migrant residents making up more than half of the population, each country offers unique opportunities for newcomers and nomads alike.

Ireland and Norway both boast high HDI scores (0.955 and 0.957 respectively) at fifth and eighth place in the top ranking, meaning their education services, life expectancies and income per capita are some of the best in the world.

Liechtenstein follows up in tenth place with an expat score of 88.1/100. With international residents making up 67.9% of its population, expatriates are sure to feel at home here.

The full data set plus images for editorial use can also be found HERE.

Methodology

UpCounsel.com wanted to find out the most desirable countries to relocate to in the world.
To do so, they collated information from the UN’s International Migrant Stock 2020 dataset, the UNDP’s Human Development Index Report 2020, and the Henley Passport Index.
Countries were then cross-referenced with a list of United Nations Member States, and any non-countries were removed from the list.
An index score was then created from the following factors: International migrant stock as a percentage of the total population, Human Development Index (HDI), and Passport Strength (Number of visa free destinations).
The criteria were then ranked into a final relocation score out of a possible 100 points, and ranked from highest to lowest. Joint rankings are indicated in the final table with an ‘=’ sign.
All data was obtained on 28/06/22 and is accurate as of then.