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In this detailed article, we will look at the 30 best countries in the world to settle in and understand the environment they present to migrants. Along with the percentage of migrants in these countries' populations, we'll also discover the policies and inclusiveness they offer. If you want to get to the top-ranking countries in this regard, read 10 Best Countries In The World.
Defining the best countries in the world can be multifaceted, as factors including employment, education, public safety, and inclusivity significantly impact a country's status. However, our study posits that a key aspect of this evaluation must be a country's approach toward migrants, considering global trends of increased mobility.
Migrant acceptance, an indicator gauging societal attitudes towards immigrants, is a significant indicator in this aspect. It measures public sentiment towards migrants by examining natives' comfort level with incomers. High acceptance indicates a more inclusive society that values cultural diversity, a critical attribute for countries vying for the 'best' title.
Once we move beyond the acceptance of migrants, employment is a pillar of societal stability. Countries providing abundant, fair-paying job opportunities for all residents, native and immigrant alike, reflect a strong economy and promising living conditions.
Which Country Is Known For Immigrants?
Countries with the highest net wealth present a more accepting environment for immigrants when paired with inclusive visa policies. Therefore, the United States is one of the best countries in the world in terms of opportunities, quality of life, and inclusiveness. The United States also has the highest net wealth in the world, and has a GDP of $23 trillion as of 2021. Along with a thriving economy, the United States ranked the highest in the World Digital Competitiveness Report, hinting at more opportunities for extraordinary people from across the globe.
Canada also has an immigration policy in place to retain top-skilled workers, evidenced by its above average attractiveness score of 0.572 and employment percentage of 73.3% for foreign-born people. Likewise, Germany has emerged as a top destination for migrants from across the globe, owing to its massive investments in technological research and innovative work culture. In 2021 alone, Germany had 97,314 patents, making it the 9th most technologically advanced country. Switzerland also has excellent digital connectivity and is amongst the most advanced countries in the world.
Another determining factor in deciding the best country to live and work in is how peaceful it is. In this respect, New Zealand, Denmark, and Austria are the top countries. We have already covered the 35 safest countries in the world; give the detailed analysis a read to better understand the world's livability stats.
Which Country Is The Best To Move To?
The International Organization for Migration (IOM) has produced its flagship world migration reports every two years since 2000. The World Migration Report 2022 states that the United States continues to hold its position as the premier destination for international migrants, accommodating upwards of 51 million individuals. Germany is another destination of note for migrants because of its supportive work culture; it currently hosts 16 million international migrants.
However, the number of migrants in a country does not indicate how livable it is for migrants because issues like no citizenship, limited rights, and wage exploitation also come into play. Therefore, the best country to live in the future is the one that presents safe living conditions for migrants and natives alike.
Speaking of business attractivness, Canada is the most appealing destination for start-up entrepreneurs among OECD countries. The country has this status because of its accessible venture capital ecosystem, structured taxation system, citizenship attainment, and unique start-up visa program that provides several benefits for prospective start-up founders.
Likewise, France leads the way regarding policy framework beneficial to international start-up ventures coupled with the start-up visa. Moreover, the country offers international start-up founders a comparatively extended duration to expand their enterprise prior to necessitating a visa status alteration.
Other economies within Europe, such as Ireland and Portugal, despite experiencing limitations in the quality of opportunities — as indicated by a relatively scant number of unicorns, i.e., billion-dollar companies — exhibit compensatory strengths. These include beneficial taxation structures, with Ireland offering low corporate tax rates and both nations providing generous R&D tax concessions.
Where Do Most Immigrants Come From?
According to IOM, India has the highest number of emigrants, with approximately 18 million of its citizens residing abroad. Mexico holds second place as its overseas population reaches a significant 11 million. Russia claims the third position on the emigrant leaderboard, followed closely by China, accounting for around 10.8 million and 10 million overseas residents, respectively. Noteworthy is the Syrian Arab Republic, constituting the fifth top origin country, with a diaspora of over 8 million because of substantial displacement and resultant refugee status endured over the past decade, due to the ongoing civil war in the country.
When it comes to remittances, India, China, Mexico, the Philippines, and Egypt were (in descending order) the top five remittance recipient countries in 2020. India and China were well above the other three countries, with total inward remittances exceeding $59 billion, as per the IOM report. However, this data does not capture unrecorded flows from informal channels. Therefore, the actual magnitudes of global remittances are likely to be larger than available estimates.
Migrants As Founders And Key Players
Giving immigrants enough resources and freedom to utilize their skills is something only a few countries do, the U.S. being at the top in this regard. According to research conducted by the National Foundation for American Policy, over half of U.S. start-up enterprises valued at $1 billion or more (specifically, 319 out of 582, which translates to 55% as of May 2022) were initiated by immigrants.
Moreover, 64% of these billion-dollar ventures are helmed by either immigrant founders or their first-generation descendants. A remarkable 80% of such privately held companies with valuations exceeding $1 billion have immigrant leadership in roles ranging from founders to chief executive officers and heads of engineering.
A noteworthy company founded by immigrants in the U.S. is Nutanix Inc (NASDAQ:NTNX), instituted by Mohit Aron and Ajeet Singh from India. Nutanix Inc (NASDAQ:NTNX) has a current market cap of $6.613 billion and 6000+ employees as of current. Based in San Jose, Nutanix Inc (NASDAQ:NTNX) software company offers a platform for apps, analytics & machine learning, databases, and more.
Likewise, Sergey Brin, born in Russia, co-founded Google with Larry Page and was the CEO of Alphabet Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOG) until 2009. Another key immigrant in Alphabet Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOG) is Sundar Pichai, hailing from India. Sundar Pichai is the CEO of Alphabet Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOG) since 2015.
Elon Musk, the founder of Tesla Inc. (NASDAQ:TSLA), SpaceX, OpenAI, and more, is also a migrant. Musk was born in South Africa, moved to the U.S. for a bachelor's in 1995, and shortly founded his first company Zip2. Elon Musk is the current CEO of Tesla Inc. (NASDAQ:TSLA) and is also the wealthiest man in the world as of current. Tesla Inc. (NASDAQ:TSLA) has a market cap of $874 billion at the time of writing this article, and its market share is on the rise, owing to the increase in its sales volume.
Aside from the U.S., 49% of the fastest-growing start-ups in the U.K. have at least one foreign-born co-founder. For instance, Revolut, the U.K.'s most valuable fintech company, valued at $33 billion, has a Russian-origin CEO and co-founder along with a dual (British-Ukrainian) national co-founder, named Nikolay Storonsky and Vlad Yatsenko, respectively.
Our Methodology
We ranked the best countries in the world based on their attractiveness score for potential migrants, their current migrant population percentage, and the employment rate for foreign-born people. We then averaged these three metrics and ranked the best countries in the world in ascending order of high average to describe their desirability for incoming settlers.
We checked the top countries' attractiveness ranking from the OECD report on What is The Best Country For Global Talents in OECD. This report ranked countries based on multifaceted dimensions like: Quality Of Opportunity (focusing on migrant unemployment rate), Income and Tax (indicative of earnings of highly skilled workers), Future Prospects (based on nationality acquisition for migrants), Family Environment (likelihood of the spouse and children to join), Inclusiveness (share of highly skilled migrants in working age population), Visa and Admission, Policy, and Quality Of Life, among others. OECD ranked the top countries for skilled workers to settle in on a score of 0-1, with 1 being the highest attractiveness score for the migrant population.
For detailed insights on countries' stock of migrant population, we referred to the Knomad database shared by The World Bank. Lastly, we checked these 30 nations' employment rates for the foreign-born population from OECD.Stat.
Based on our findings for the most attractive countries for migrants, here are the best countries in the world in 2023.
Best countries in the world:
30. South Korea
Composite Ranking: 30
Attractiveness Score For Potential Immigrants: 0.491
Employment Rate For Foreign-Born People: 64.8%
Stock Of Immigrants As Percentage Of Population: 2.5%
The Republic of Korea claims a compelling proposition for talented workers with an attractiveness index of 0.491. Such a promising score reflects the nation's substantial opportunities for economic advancement, robust social infrastructure, and admirable quality of life. Notably, immigrants currently constitute 2.5% of South Korea's populace, owing to the nation's dependence on local languages.
29. Japan
Composite Ranking: 29
Attractiveness Score For Potential Immigrants: 0.51
Employment Rate For Foreign-Born People: 63.80%
Stock Of Immigrants As Percentage Of Population: 1.9%
Japan can be a magnet for potential immigrants, with its current attractiveness index score of 0.51. Immigrants comprise approximately 1.9% of the total Japanese population. This comes amidst a significant shift in policy frameworks under the latter tenure of the late Prime Minister Shinzō Abe. Policy amendments in 2017 and 2018 facilitated the acquisition of permanent residency for skilled labor and expanded visa accessibility for blue-collar workers, and paved the way for a broader strategy of economic reform.
28. Poland
Composite Ranking: 28
Attractiveness Score For Potential Immigrants: 0.45
Employment Rate For Foreign-Born People: 80.4%
Stock Of Immigrants As Percentage Of Population: 1.7%
Poland exhibits an attractiveness index of 0.45, which reflects its socioeconomic stability and inclusive labor market opportunities. The nation provides an inviting atmosphere for overseas individuals seeking residence and employment opportunities. Intriguingly, only 1.7% of the country's total population is immigrant, but the secure citizenship acquisition process and a global peace index score of 1.552 makes Poland a good country to settle in (as 1 is the highest score as per the Global Peace Index Report).
27. Hungary
Composite Ranking: 27
Attractiveness Score For Potential Immigrants: 0.525
Employment Rate For Foreign-Born People: 80.3%
Stock Of Immigrants As Percentage Of Population: 4.7%
The Central European nation offers a robust socioeconomic environment, indicative of its 0.525 attractiveness score based on OECD variables, for both habitation and occupational pursuits. Remarkably, Hungary's employment rate for foreigners is 80.3%, one of the highest in the world.
26. Lithuania
Composite Ranking: 26
Attractiveness Score For Potential Immigrants: 0.465
Employment Rate For Foreign-Born People: 68.2%
Stock Of Immigrants As Percentage Of Population: 7.5%
Lithuania is a notable candidate in the global migration matrix with an attractiveness score of 0.465 for prospective migrants. Additionally, a relatively sizable proportion, constituting 7.5% of Lithuania's total population, is represented by immigrants. When paired with a 68.2% employment rate for foreign-born people, the country substantiates its accessibility to external populations.
25. Finland
Composite Ranking: 25
Attractiveness Score For Potential Immigrants: 0.559
Employment Rate For Foreign-Born People: 66.2%
Stock Of Immigrants As Percentage Of Population: 5.4%
Finland's score on the OECD's list of countries that attract the most immigrants is 0.559. The nation's socioeconomic stability and high quality of life make it a lucrative environment for living and employment. Currently, Finland's immigrant stock comprises approximately 5.4% of the total populace.
24. Spain
Composite Ranking: 24
Attractiveness Score For Potential Immigrants: 0.499
Employment Rate For Foreign-Born People: 60.4%
Stock Of Immigrants As Percentage Of Population: 14.2%
Spain's attractiveness score for highly skilled migrants is 0.499, exhibiting a blend of strong infrastructure and an appealing lifestyle. It's noteworthy that 14.2% of the population is constituted by immigrants, reflecting the country's welcoming atmosphere and progressive integration policies. Spain is also amongst the wealthiest countries in the world.
23. France
Composite Ranking: 23
Attractiveness Score For Potential Immigrants: 0.539
Employment Rate For Foreign-Born People: 61.1%
Stock Of Immigrants As Percentage Of Population: 11.3%
With an attractiveness score of 0.539, France is a prime destination for prospective migrants, particularly those of high skill. The nation has a diverse demographic composition, of which 11.3% comprises immigrants, which is indicative of its inclusive socio-political climate. Despite being small, surprisingly, France is also the 6th richest country globally, with a whopping net wealth of $15.992 trillion.
22. Slovak Republic
Composite Ranking: 22
Attractiveness Score For Potential Immigrants: 0.5
Employment Rate For Foreign-Born People: 73.7%
Stock Of Immigrants As Percentage Of Population: 2.9%
The Slovak Republic has an attractive quotient of 0.5 for potential migrants and, more specifically, highly skilled workers. The central European nation furnishes a promising living environment and work opportunities. Remarkably, it already accommodates an immigrant populace constituting 14.2% of its total demographic. However, it is to be noted that despite being a high-income country, the Slovak Republic is said to face considerable regional differences in wealth and employment.
21. Czech Republic
Composite Ranking: 21
Attractiveness Score For Potential Immigrants: 0.47
Employment Rate For Foreign-Born People: 79.8%
Stock Of Immigrants As Percentage Of Population: 7.1%
With an attractiveness score of 0.47 for global talent, the Czech Republic appeals to prospective migrants. Immigrants constitute approximately 7.1% of the population, signifying the Czech Republic's receptiveness to demographic diversity. This nation, therefore, stands as a commendable choice for individuals seeking opportunities abroad.
20. Latvia
Composite Ranking: 20
Attractiveness Score For Potential Immigrants: 0.44
Employment Rate For Foreign-Born People: 67.1%
Stock Of Immigrants As Percentage Of Population: 16.1%
Latvia is among the best countries in the world by many measures. It presents a compelling profile with an attractiveness score of 0.44 in the OECD report on best countries for global talent. The Northern European nation delivers a balance of economic opportunity and infrastructural efficiency for prospective migrants. It is noteworthy that 16.1% of Latvia's current demographic fabric is composed of immigrants.
19. Belgium
Composite Ranking: 19
Attractiveness Score For Potential Immigrants: 0.532
Employment Rate For Foreign-Born People: 59.4%
Stock Of Immigrants As Percentage Of Population: 16%
Belgium holds a migrant attractiveness score of 0.532 because of its potential as a conducive destination for the international workforce. The country has an inclusive demographic profile wherein 16% of the populace constitutes immigrants. Belgium provides a high-quality living standard and favorable work conditions giving it a place among the top 20 countries in the world.
18. Denmark
Composite Ranking: 18
Attractiveness Score For Potential Immigrants: 0.569
Employment Rate For Foreign-Born People: 70%
Stock Of Immigrants As Percentage Of Population: 9.9%
Denmark is one of the best countries in the world. It has an attractiveness score of 0.569 for skilled migrants. Bolstered by high living standards, the country's employment rate for foreigners reaches up to 70%. Also, Denmark's current immigrant stock is 9.9%, which hints at its successful integration policies.
17. Netherlands
Composite Ranking: 17
Attractiveness Score For Potential Immigrants: 0.575
Employment Rate For Foreign-Born People: 66.8%
Stock Of Immigrants As Percentage Of Population: 11.7%
The home of the Dutch is among the most attractive countries in the world. With a commendable migration attractiveness index of 0.575, the Netherlands claims a spot amongst the top 10 countries in the world. Complementing this, the country sustains a rich cultural mosaic, with immigrants constituting 11.7% of its population. The Netherlands is also the 14th richest country globally, with a net wealth of $5.422 trillion as per the Global Wealth Databook 2022. Hence, it exemplifies an exemplary destination for potential migrants seeking life-enriching experiences and professional advancements.
16. Austria
Composite Ranking: 16
Attractiveness Score For Potential Immigrants: 0.48
Employment Rate For Foreign-Born People: 67.6%
Stock Of Immigrants As Percentage Of Population: 18%
Being the 5th safest country in the world (as per the global peace index score) and having a $1.825 trillion net wealth makes Austria one of the best countries in the world. The country also boasts an attractiveness score of 0.48 in the multi-dimensional research conducted by the OECD. Significantly, immigrants constitute approximately 18% of Austria's population, and the employment rate for the foreign-born population in the country is 67.6%.
15. Germany
Composite Ranking: 15
Attractiveness Score For Potential Immigrants: 0.55
Employment Rate For Foreign-Born People: 68.3%
Stock Of Immigrants As Percentage Of Population: 13.8%
Germany is one of the top countries with highest quality of life. With a migration attractiveness score of 0.55, Germany competes to be the best country to live and work for highly skilled workers. The nation offers an optimal synthesis of economic stability, cultural richness, and advanced infrastructure. Germany's stock of immigrants is approximately 13.8% of the total population and validates its eminent status in the international arena of migrant choice. Besides its impressive attractiveness for skilled workers, Germany's net wealth of $17.489 trillion presents lucrative opportunities for new settlers.
14. Slovenia
Composite Ranking: 14
Attractiveness Score For Potential Immigrants: 0.528
Employment Rate For Foreign-Born People: 67.6%
Stock Of Immigrants As Percentage Of Population: 17.7%
Slovenia is amongst the countries that attract the most number of immigrants, indicated by its attractiveness score of 0.528 for highly talented workers. The Balkan nation is celebrated for its commendable standard of living and robust employment opportunities. It serves as a chosen sanctuary for 17.7% of its population, composed of immigrants.
13. Estonia
Composite Ranking: 13
Attractiveness Score For Potential Immigrants: 0.52
Employment Rate For Foreign-Born People: 71.2%
Stock Of Immigrants As Percentage Of Population: 15%
Estonia is one of the most desirable countries in the world. Its attractiveness score for skilled workers is 0.52, and it exhibits significant promise as a desirable destination for global mobility. Correspondingly, the country has witnessed an upsurge in its immigrant population, which now comprises approximately 15% of the populace. This demographic trend, coupled with a 71.2% employment rate for the foreign-born population, underpins the growing international recognition of Estonia as a favorable habitat.
12. Portugal
Composite Ranking: 12
Attractiveness Score For Potential Immigrants: 0.56
Employment Rate For Foreign-Born People: 76.9%
Stock Of Immigrants As Percentage Of Population: 8.5%
Portugal has an attractiveness score of 0.56, indicating its commendable appeal to potential immigrants. The Southern European nation's immigrant stock currently constitutes 8.5% of the total population and has a good work-life balance. Portugal's well-deserved reputation as a prime destination for prospective migrants shows from its 79.6% employment rate of the foreign-born population.
11. Iceland
Composite Ranking: 11
Attractiveness Score For Potential Immigrants: 0.54
Employment Rate For Foreign-Born People: 77%
Stock Of Immigrants As Percentage Of Population: 10.9%
Iceland boasts an attractiveness score of 0.54 and is a commendable destination for those possessing high skill sets. The nation's stock of immigrants totals 10.9% of the total populace. Iceland's enticing work-life balance, solid infrastructure, and high living standards can make it the best country to live in the future for international talent. Along with being one of the top 20 countries in the world, Iceland is also the safest country, per the Global Peace Index Report of 2022.
Click to continue reading 10 Best Countries in the World.
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Disclosure: None. 30 Best Countries in the World is originally published on Insider Monkey.