Việt Nam as a destination for expats. — Graphic from InterNations

HÀ NỘI — Việt Nam has been listed the 7th best destination for expats in the world, according to the Expat Insider 2022 survey by InterNations, with happiness level at 84 per cent (vs 71 per cent globally).

The survey, with nearly 12,000 respondents in 52 destinations, offers in-depth information on expats’ satisfaction with the Quality of Life, Ease of Settling In, Working Abroad, and Personal Finances in their respective country of residence. For the first time, the ranking also includes the Expat Essentials Index, which covers digital life, admin topics, housing, and language.

The survey highlighted that Việt Nam excels when it comes to Personal Finance, ranking first worldwide in this index. The majority of expats (80 per cent) are happy with the general cost of living, compared to only 45 per cent globally.

There is no stress when it comes to their financial situation: about four in five (79 per cent) are satisfied with this factor (compared to 60 per cent globally), and 92 per cent said that their disposable household income is enough or more than enough to lead a comfortable life (compared to the 72 per cent globally). “I live comfortably on my limited income,” said a US American expat, according to the report.

Expats in Việt Nam ranked the country 9th in the Ease of Settling, and 6th in the Local Friendliness. Most expats (84 per cent) described the local residents as generally friendly, and 83 per cent find them friendly towards foreign residents in particular.

“The warmth, honesty, and friendliness of the people” are what a US American enjoys most about life in Việt Nam, while a Malaysian expat highlights “the people and the friendly culture”. 

The local culture is another area where expats are especially pleased. About 83 per cent feel welcome in Việt Nam while the world proportion is 71 per cent.

The survey noted that creating a personal network is certainly important to expat life. Expats ranked Việt Nam among the top 10 in the Finding Friends Subcategory (7th), saying it is easy to befriend locals (54 per cent).

More than two in three (69 per cent) are happy with their social life while globally, 56 per cent feel the same. Moreover, 63 per cent have a personal support network in Việt Nam, that they said can go to for practical/emotional support (vs. 59 per cent globally).

29 per cent of expats feel that moving to Việt Nam has not improved their career prospects (vs. 18 per cent globally), 14 per cent of expats do not see a purpose in their work (vs. 9 per cent globally), and 45 per cent think that the work culture does not promote independent work and/or flat hierarchies (vs. 28 per cent globally).

Over two in three expats (68 per cent) feel paid fairly for their work based on their industry, qualifications, and role (vs. 62 per cent globally).

The most common fields expats in Việt Nam work in are education — including language education — (21 per cent), manufacturing & engineering (15 per cent), and advertising, marketing & communication (13 per cent).

Meanwhile, concerns among expats living and working in Việt Nam include the urban environment, the availability of green goods and services, the air quality, health and well-being, local bureaucracy, opening a local bank account, and cashless payment.

Over half of them (53 per cent) are unhappy with the urban environment, over triple the global average (17 per cent). “The noise pollution is terrible,” a French expat reports.— VNS