The factors used in the decision are quality of life, ease of settling in, working abroad, personal finance, and the Expats Essentials Index, which covers housing, administration, language and digital life.

Portugal came in 10th place out of the 53 destinations included in the survey. Expats are generally pleased by the quality of life on offer: Portugal is disposed to a nice climate, leisure options, and is very safe. They normally find it easy to settle in the country and live comfortably, despite the frustrations with local bureaucracy and the job market. 85 percent of expats are happy with living in Portugal, compared to 72 percent globally.

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Portugal’s strongest area is its quality of life, ranking 7th worldwide in this year’s survey. The country is host to fantastic climate & weather, as it ranks 7th, and the air is the 9th best in terms of quality. In terms of Environment & Climate, Portugal ranks 5th worldwide.

Welcoming culture

The country also has a very welcoming culture, ranking 8th in that regard, part of the Ease of Settling in Index, in which Portugal ranks 13th. 78 percent of expats report feeling at home, compared to 62 percent globally, and 81 percent say they feel welcome here (67 percent globally). This is perhaps helped by how 71 percent of expats have a personal support network in the country, compared to 58 percent globally. Most people (80 percent) find the population to be generally friendly to foreign residents, a 15 percent greater share than the global average (65 percent), and 76 percent find it easy to get used to the local culture, compared to 62 percent globally.

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Mostly all expats feel safe in Portugal (94 percent) compared to the 83 percent of people who feel so around the world and 83 percent consider themselves free to express their identity and opinions freely (only 65 percent globally). Additionally, 85 percent of expats are happy with their choices of recreational sports (vs 75 percent globally) while 74 percent report to be happy with the culture and nightlife (vs 68 percent globally).

Unfortunately, it isn’t all sunshine and roses for expats in Portugal. Indeed, over half of them have had a hard time dealing with local bureaucracy, compared to just 38 percent globally, and a quarter aren’t satisfied with the government’s online services (21 percent globally). Over half of expats consider portuguese to be difficult to learn, but 68 percent also consider it easy to live here without knowing the local language anyway (50 percent globally).

It also has to be said Portugal isn’t the best option if you’re looking to move for work, 36 percent of expats say they’re unhappy with the job market (26 percent globally). The country ranks a low 42nd for fair pay at work, however it still ranks 17th on work-life balance, above the global average, and 78 percent of expats still agree their income is at least enough to lead a comfortable life, so there’s a silver lining to it. Portugal performs very well in the Personal Finance Index, coming in 12th, with 63 percent of expats being happy with the general cost of living, compared to only 44 percent worldwide.

The top places in the Expat Insider 2023 survey went to Mexico, Spain and Panama, followed by Malaysia, Taiwan, Costa Rica, the Philippines, and Bahrain, with Portugal slotting into 10th. These countries generally saw great results in the Personal Finance Index, with middling results in the Working Abroad Index.

Author

Star in the 2015 music video for the hit single “Headlights” by German musician, DJ and record producer Robin Schulz featuring American singer-songwriter Ilsey. Also a journalist.

Jay Bodsworth