Switzerland in many ways is a paradise for expats. As long as they leave their families at home.
HSBC published its annual expat study for the third time. The U.K.-Chinese company surveyed 27,000 expats about the conditions they faced in their adopted countries of residence.
Singapore came top of the table for the third time running, providing the best living and working conditions for expats. And Switzerland for the third time came tops in the economics category.
Fattest Paycheck Available
No surprise there: expats earn an average annual salary of $193,000 a year, $5,000 more than a year ago. The average salary in Switzerland is by far the highest in the world for expat staff, with India in second with $176,000 and China in third with $171,000.
The financial attractions of Switzerland for foreign staff can also be demonstrated with the help of another statistic: an expat on average gets a pay increase of 54 percent when he or she moves to the Alpine republic. A top rate and only beaten by the jump of 58 percent that a relocation to Saudi Arabia brings.
Switzerland’s political and economic stability also contribute to the economics reading. In this respect too, the country received top marks from its expat community surveyed by HSBC.
The Realities of Life in Switzerland
But that’s about how far the love for Switzerland goes: the country has fallen out of the top ten, ranking behind the United Arab Emirates and Austria. Germany, the Netherlands as well as Nordic countries Norway and Sweden are also more popular on average.
The reasons for this are to be found in the total experience that life in Switzerland brings. Here, the country scores moderately only. Quality of live, integration into the community and housing has Switzerland on 28th position.
The Traditional Family Values of Switzerland
And in respect to qualities important to families, Switzerland does even worse, reaching a very average reading and 35th position. Social integration, education and daycare systems pushed the country down the ranking. Countries such as Turkey, Kenya and the Philippines scored better, which may come as a surprise. The Netherlands, Sweden, Singapore, Norway and Germany came out top of this statistic.
Looking at the scores in detail, it becomes obvious that expats love their paycheck and the lifestyle they can afford with it in Switzerland. But they seem to feel as lonely as nowhere else in the world. In respect to social contacts and the population’s willingness to embrace foreigners, the marks dished out by expats left the country trailing in position 44 out of 46 – with Kuwait and Saudi Arabia in the two bottom positions. In conclusion: great place for work and to earn money. Shame about family life and friends.
