Russia voted 7th best country for expats

Russia has been voted the seventh best country for expatriates to live in, scoring top marks for children’s education and social life, according to a new survey by HSBC Expat Explorer. The survey polled 7,000 expats around the world living in 37 countries on criteria that included economics, raising children and experience; the latter encompasses factors such as the ease of learning the local language and the quality of entertainment on offer. China topped the list followed by Germany and then Singapore.

Russia excelled in the raising children category and was voted the best place in the world for access to better education. It also ranked well in the experience category, in particular in areas related to integration and social life such as entertainment, feeling welcome at work, making local friends and fitting in with the new culture. However, marks were lost in food-related categories with expats noting how difficult it was to maintain a healthy diet and enjoy local food. When it came to economics, Russia ranked 20th for overall income but fourth for the levels of disposable income.