Is Canada the Best Place in the World to Live?

By Carolyn B. Heller

Is Canada the best place in the world for expats to live?

According to the 2009 HSBC Expat Experience Survey [2], it is.

Canada topped the list of best places to live, with expats there reporting the highest overall increase in their quality of life since arriving in the country.

The survey polled more than 3,000 expats around the world, assessing whether their overall quality of life increased or decreased during their overseas assignment.

Canada was also number 1 in “quality of accommodation,” with 68% of expats reporting that their homes were better in Canada than in their native country.

Canada received high scores in how easy it is for expats to make friends, to pursue hobbies, and to improve the quality of life with their families.

According to survey respondents, the top reasons for living in Canada include:

* Better environment/quality of life for my children (39%)
* Lifestyle (38%)
* Career prospects (35%)
* Less crime (13%)

Other interesting findings:

* Canada has a high proportion of retired expats: 24% compared with 7% worldwide.
* Canada’s expat community is older than average, with 61% age 45 or over.
* More than two-thirds of Canadian expats own property in the country, which is double the global average of 31%.
* More than 60% of expats in Canada reported that organizing their finances and their health care was easy.
* Nearly 40 percent said that their health improved since arriving in Canada.

Want more info? You can download the full report from the HSBC Expat Experience website [2].

Carolyn B. Heller is the author of Moon Living Abroad in Canada [3] and the companion website, www.livingabroadincanada.com [4].

Photo © chazzvid (Flickr)