Czechia Falls to 39th on Expats’ Favorite Country Rankings

According to reports, interest in moving abroad spiked after the recent presidential debate. So what are the best places to live in the world?

Ask the expats—they offer a unique perspective on living in foreign countries, making their feedback invaluable.

This year marks the 11th edition of the Expat Insider report by InterNations, which is one of the most comprehensive studies on expat life, gathering responses from over 12,500 expats representing 175 nationalities in 174 countries or territories.

The report ranks the best countries to live by analyzing factors such as Quality of Life, Ease of Settling In, Working Abroad, Personal Finance and the Expat Essentials Index (which covers housing, administration, language and digital life).

This year, Panama has climbed to the top—an impressive leap from its third-place ranking last year—knocking Mexico to the second spot. Compare these results to 2023 and 2022, when Mexico ranked number one.

Unfriendly Czechs, But Transport is Top-Notch

The Czech Republic has ranked surprisingly low, falling from 21st place last year to 39th this year in the Expat Insider Index.

Survey respondents primarily blame the unfriendliness of the locals. Expats report not feeling welcome and find it hard to make friends among Czechs. In terms of how friendly locals are to expats, the Czech Republic ranked 51st, near the bottom.

The situation has worsened compared to last year. Expats also rate the general friendliness of locals towards foreigners poorly. They say living in the Czech Republic is tough without knowing Czech, ranking language availability 52nd. Czech is seen as a very challenging language to learn. Healthcare and food options also receive relatively poor ratings.

However, not everything is negative. In some areas, the Czech Republic shines. Expats highly praise the availability of public transport and the quality of road infrastructure. They are also relatively satisfied with their jobs and value the security of local employment.

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