Netherlands Ranked as the 7th-Best Country in The World for Expats. With an overall score of 23,61 out of 40, the Netherlands scores well above the ranking’s average of just 18,52. It also managed to do particularly well when it came to the local labour market and job opportunities, coming in joint first place with Poland for its “overall employment score” of 5,77 out of 10 - significantly higher than the average of 3,77 points.
This high score was mainly due to the country’s low rate of unemployment, high average salaries, good trade unions and maternity leave schemes, Aside from the good working conditions and job opportunities, the Netherlands also performed well when it came to the quality and accessibility of drinking water and overall happiness.
The Netherlands was, however, let down by the overall lack of space - according to the data, there are 508,15 people per square kilometre - and the high cost of rental housing, both in cities and in more rural areas.
According to the 2023 edition of William Russell’s World Expat Index, the top 10 countries in the world for expats are: Finland (26,90 out of 40). Sweden (26,77). Norway (25,75). Austria (25,48). New Zealand (24,65). Australia (24,49). The Netherlands (23,61). Germany (23,58). Lithuania (23,40). Latvia (22,39).
