JEDDAH — For the second year running, Bahrain tops the Expat Insider ranking, the InterNations and Expat Destinations 2018 report revealed. The Gulf state scored first place among both male and female respondents, generally doing well across most topics

Respondents have few problems communicating even without local language skills. A staggering 72% indicated they have no problem at all. Considering Bahrain’s great results for friendliness (2nd out 0f 68) finding friends (2nd), as well as feeling at home (1st), it is first place in the Ease of Settling in index is hardly a surprise. Many respondents say thy don’t feel like expat, and instead feel at home in Bahrain.

Many respondents in Bahrain give their working hours (44%), job security (33%), o r overall job satisfaction (39%) the best possible rating, pushing Bahrain to the top of the Working Abroad Index.

In Family Life Index, Bahrain ranks 7th out of 50 countries. Expats raising children in Bahrain are particularly happy with the quality of education (3rd), as well as the availability of childcare and education (9th). No parent is dissatisfied with family life in general, and over nine in ten (95%) agree that the attitude towards families with children is generally friendly. However, 30% of parents do not regard education as easy to afford.

However, the appeal of the US as a destination for expatriates slid for the fifth consecutive year, to No. 47 out of 68 countries, dragged down by a steadily deteriorating reputation for safety and a perceived lack of affordable health care.

Just five years ago, the US held the fifth slot in the annual Expat Insider survey by Munich-based InterNations, a network of 3.2 million expatriates. The annual survey of more than 18,000 expats representing 178 nationalities covers everything from the cost of education and child care to family life, career prospects and perceptions of safety and political stability.

Two-thirds of expats in the US view job opportunities positively, but for the first time America placed among the 15 countries deemed the least safe and secure. Just 17 percent rated the personal safety of their children as “very good,” compared with a global average of 44 percent. Expats are “afraid of gun violence,” said Malte Zeeck, a founder and co-chief executive of InterNations.

The United Kingdom also tumbled this year, falling from No. 21 to No. 59 on the list. Expats cited a high cost of living, with 47 percent considering that a potential negative before moving. (Thirty-eight percent of UK expats live in London, a notoriously expensive city.) And, yes, the weather got poor marks, with just 3 percent rating it as “very good,” which affected the country’s No. 64 ranking for personal happiness.

Hong Kong trailed Myanmar, Russia and China with its overall ranking of 56. That’s a big decline from its standing at No. 33 last year.

There were 66.2 million expatriates worldwide in 2017, according to a July research report by market researcher Finaccord. The company forecast that the expat population will climb to 87.5 million by 2021. — SG

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