A frequent question that often rises when discussing relocation is
How many expats are there in the world?
This question is not easy to answer. Today, worldwide, there are about 244 million people living outside of their home countries. Some of them are considered migrants, yet others – temporary residents. The lack of a precise definition to the terms “Relocation” and “Expats” makes it difficult to count the actual number of Expats in the world, and yet the surveys predict an increase in these numbers in the coming years.
Who are these expat?
In expat surveys most respondents are in the middle age range of 35-54 and are divided almost equally between male and females.
What are they looking for?
Going back to expat surveys shows the most common reason for relocating to be the search for new opportunities or an attractive job offer.
And where are they all going to?
Leading the way as the favorite destination for the expat community in a 2015 survey conducted by HSBC is – Singapore. The survey was based on indicators of economic quality, quality of experience, and contribution to the family.
In another survey, conducted by the Expat Insider in the same year, Singapore still scored high but reached only the 4th place, while the leading expat destination was Ecuador. Here, the factors for ranking had to do with life satisfaction, quality of life, ease of settling, personal finance, family life, and the work-life balance at the destination.
And on the contrary, while remaining an emerging market with growing relocation numbers, China still presents the greatest challenges for the relocating expats.
Dive into the following surveys for more interesting information and numbers about the world of relocation and expats:
Brookfield 2015 Global Mobility Trends
Expat Insider 2015 InterNations Survey
By Dr Taly Goren, a long time traveler between nations and continents,
relocation specialist, parents groups facilitator, mother of two adolescent TCKs,
and the wife of a Hi-Tech Expat frequent flyer.