Taiwan is the third-best place to live for expatriates, a survey conducted by global networking site InterNations showed.
In this year’s Expat Insider survey of 52 destination, 98 percent of Taiwan-based respondents said they generally feel safe in the country, the highest share on this survey item worldwide, compared with a global average of 81 percent.
Taiwan ranked second in the survey’s Quality of Life Index.
Photo: CNA
Virtually all Taiwan-based expats surveyed said that healthcare in the nation is affordable, compared with a global average of 61 percent, and 98 percent of them said healthcare is widely available in Taiwan, versus 73 percent worldwide.
The nation ranked sixth in the Ease of Settling Index and eighth in the Personal Finance Index.
The survey showed that about 70 percent of Taiwan-based respondents are satisfied with their financial situation, compared with a global average of 60 percent.
“It is less expensive here to enjoy a high-quality, modern standard of living, including healthcare, fitness, food, and so on,” InterNations cited a Taiwan-based American as saying.
The survey also found that about 85 percent in Taiwan regard their salaries as fair, compared with 62 percent worldwide.
However, Taiwan only ranked 22nd in the Working Abroad Index, largely due to workplaces offering little flexibility and a hierarchical business culture, InterNations said.
Taiwan also ranked only 21st in the Environment & Climate Subcategory, and 41st for air quality, one of the subcategory’s items.
However, 84 percent of respondents in the nation said Taiwanese are generally friendly, compared with a global average of 66 percent.
“I am happy that I can experience life in Taiwan with the warmhearted friends I made here,” an expat from Vietnam was quoted as saying.
Asked what made Taiwan attractive, a Hungarian said food and nature.
InterNations said 82 percent of Taiwan-based expats enjoyed the nation’s cuisine and its variety of dining options, compared with 77 percent globally.
InterNations cited a British expat as saying: “I enjoy living in a beautiful place with world-class infrastructure and services.”
Overall, Mexico ranked first in the survey, trailed by Indonesia.
The bottom three destinations for expats were Kuwait, New Zealand and Hong Kong, the survey showed.
Singapore ranked 10th, ahead of the US (14th), China (33rd), South Korea (40th) and Japan (47th).
The survey collected answers from 11,970 expatriates from 177 countries worldwide.
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