Data report
Vol. 2026 / 04Updated MethodologyHigh confidence
Best Countries to Live in 2026: 95 Ranked by Data (Free Index)
The Global Relocation Index for people planning a move in 2026. Seven decision dimensions, 27 data sources, zero paywall.
Scope: 95 countries · 7 dimensions · 27 sources
The index ranks fit for a typical mover using weights we chose; it is not a judgment on countries. Read our weighting method.
Press headline · permalink
Singapore ranks #1 of 95 in the WhereNext 2026 Global Relocation Index, ahead of New Zealand and Switzerland — 4 European countries make the top 10
Copy with attribution: “Singapore ranks #1 of 95 in the WhereNext 2026 Global Relocation Index, ahead of New Zealand and Switzerland — 4 European countries make the top 10” — WhereNext, as of 2026-08-21
This report includes a quality-of-life dimension of the GRI alongside cost, education, and career factors. For the canonical quality-of-life question, see the 2026 Quality of Life Index derived from the same verified scoring modules.
This is the 2026 edition of the Global Relocation Index. Browse the permanent annual-edition archive.
At a glance — 2026 Global Relocation Index
- Countries scored
- 95
- Top of the index
- Singapore · 72/100
- Global average
- 49/100
- Europe average
- 60/100
- Updated
- 2026-10-14
- License
- CC BY 4.0 (free re-use)
The WhereNext Global Relocation Index 2026 measures which countries offer the strongest overall relocation fit. We score 95 countries on cost of living, safety, healthcare quality, education, career opportunity, lifestyle appeal, and infrastructure. Quality of life is one dimension of the GRI; the dedicated Quality of Life Index is the canonical source for that narrower question.
Compute your own weighted country ranking with the free Relocation Quiz.
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What is the Global Relocation Index?
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How is the Global Relocation Index computed?
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Which country ranks #1 and why?
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Which countries moved the most in the ranking?
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How is this index different from the Rumavi Global Relocation Index 2026?
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Six ways to weight the same index
- For digital nomads, Malta ranks #1 (69/100), followed by United Arab Emirates and Portugal — see the full digital nomads ranking.
- For retirement, Malta ranks #1 (70/100), followed by Portugal and Slovenia — see the full retirement ranking.
- For families, Singapore ranks #1 (71/100), followed by New Zealand and Hong Kong — see the full families ranking.
- For career relocation, United Arab Emirates ranks #1 (71/100), followed by Malta and Singapore — see the full career relocation ranking.
- For entrepreneurs, United Arab Emirates ranks #1 (69/100), followed by Malta and Singapore — see the full entrepreneurs ranking.
- For low taxes, Malta ranks #1 (71/100), followed by New Zealand and Singapore — see the full low taxes ranking.
- For remote workers, Malta ranks #1 (68/100), followed by United Arab Emirates and Portugal — see the full remote workers ranking.
Get notified when relocation rules change
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Key facts
- #1: Singapore 72/100 composite — top of the global ranking across 7 dimensions.
- #2: New Zealand 70/100 composite, with strengths typically in healthcare and infrastructure.
- #3: Switzerland 69/100 — close to the top tier on most dimensions.
- Europe avg: 60/100 the highest-scoring continent in the 2026 index.
- Global avg: 49/100 across all 95 countries in the dataset; CC BY 4.0 open data.
Retirement readiness — Singapore
Seven dimensions scored 0-10 from primary-source data. Composite = weighted mean (visa 20% · healthcare 20% · tax 15% · safety 15% · climate 10% · language 10% · cost 10%).
Updated · WhereNext corridor registry (visa pathway + claim confidence) · WHO 2024 UHC service-coverage index + JCI accreditation directory · US Treasury bilateral income-tax treaties index · IEP Global Peace Index 2025 · Köppen-Geiger climate classification + WHO air-quality database · EF English Proficiency Index 2025 · Numbeo Cost of Living Index 2026-Q1
- Visa ease(?)🇸🇬Singapore4.0
- Healthcare access(?)🇸🇬Singapore9.0
- Tax complexity(?)🇸🇬Singapore8.0
- Safety(?)🇸🇬Singapore9.0
- Climate(?)🇸🇬Singapore6.0
- Language(?)🇸🇬Singapore9.0
- Cost of living(?)🇸🇬Singapore2.0
Composite (weighted mean)
🇸🇬Singapore6.9
| Dimension | Weight | Singapore | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Visa ease | 20% | 4.0 | WhereNext corridor registry (visa pathway + claim confidence) |
| Healthcare access | 20% | 9.0 | WHO 2024 UHC service-coverage index + JCI accreditation directory |
| Tax complexity | 15% | 8.0 | US Treasury bilateral income-tax treaties index |
| Safety | 15% | 9.0 | IEP Global Peace Index 2025 |
| Climate | 10% | 6.0 | Köppen-Geiger climate classification + WHO air-quality database |
| Language | 10% | 9.0 | EF English Proficiency Index 2025 |
| Cost of living | 10% | 2.0 | Numbeo Cost of Living Index 2026-Q1 |
| Composite | 1.00 | 6.9 | Weighted mean (see weights column) |
Key Findings
The WhereNext 2026 Global Relocation Index ranks 95 countries across 7 dimensions using institutional public-domain datasets. Singapore leads at 72/100, followed by New Zealand (70) and Switzerland (69). The global average composite score is 49/100, with European countries averaging 60/100.
Countries Analyzed
95
Across 6 regions
#1 Overall
Singapore
Score: 72/100
Data Sources
27
Institutional sources
Global Average
49/100
Median: 52/100
Top 10 Countries to Move to in 2026
The top 10 countries to move to in 2026 are Singapore, New Zealand, Switzerland, United Arab Emirates, Ireland, and Malta, Canada, Australia, Hong Kong, Netherlands — ranked by WhereNext's composite score across cost of living, safety, healthcare, education, career, lifestyle, and infrastructure from institutional public-domain datasets.
Ranked by composite score across all 7 dimensions. Higher = better overall relocation fit.
Asia · ~$2,250/mo · Strength: Education
Show as table
| Dimension | Score |
|---|---|
| Cost of Living | 47 |
| Safety | 96 |
| Healthcare | 97 |
| Education | 100 |
| Career | 95 |
| Lifestyle | 75 |
| Infrastructure | 81 |
Singapore stands out for being exceptionally safe, world-class healthcare, excellent digital infrastructure. At ~$2,250/month, it ranks #1 overall for relocation in 2026.
Also in Asia: Hong Kong (68), South Korea (67)
Oceania · ~$2,950/mo · Strength: Safety
Show as table
| Dimension | Score |
|---|---|
| Cost of Living | 21 |
| Safety | 100 |
| Healthcare | 88 |
| Education | 91 |
| Career | 92 |
| Lifestyle | 86 |
| Infrastructure | 89 |
New Zealand stands out for being exceptionally safe, world-class healthcare, excellent digital infrastructure. Watch out for higher cost of living. At ~$2,950/month, it ranks #2 overall for relocation in 2026.
Also in Oceania: Australia (68), Fiji (26)
Europe · ~$4,000/mo · Strength: Safety
Show as table
| Dimension | Score |
|---|---|
| Cost of Living | 0 |
| Safety | 100 |
| Healthcare | 100 |
| Education | 88 |
| Career | 91 |
| Lifestyle | 66 |
| Infrastructure | 100 |
Switzerland stands out for being exceptionally safe, world-class healthcare, excellent digital infrastructure. Watch out for higher cost of living. At ~$4,000/month, it ranks #3 overall for relocation in 2026.
Also in Europe: Ireland (69), Malta (69)
Middle East · ~$2,150/mo · Strength: Career
Show as table
| Dimension | Score |
|---|---|
| Cost of Living | 49 |
| Safety | 94 |
| Healthcare | 95 |
| Education | 66 |
| Career | 100 |
| Lifestyle | 72 |
| Infrastructure | 94 |
United Arab Emirates stands out for being exceptionally safe, world-class healthcare, excellent digital infrastructure. At ~$2,150/month, it ranks #4 overall for relocation in 2026.
Also in Middle East: Qatar (59), Kuwait (52)
Europe · ~$3,350/mo · Strength: Safety
Show as table
| Dimension | Score |
|---|---|
| Cost of Living | 5 |
| Safety | 100 |
| Healthcare | 95 |
| Education | 90 |
| Career | 89 |
| Lifestyle | 83 |
| Infrastructure | 87 |
Ireland stands out for being exceptionally safe, world-class healthcare, excellent digital infrastructure. Watch out for higher cost of living. At ~$3,350/month, it ranks #5 overall for relocation in 2026.
Also in Europe: Switzerland (69), Malta (69)
Europe · ~$2,050/mo · Strength: Healthcare
Show as table
| Dimension | Score |
|---|---|
| Cost of Living | 53 |
| Safety | 90 |
| Healthcare | 95 |
| Education | 59 |
| Career | 86 |
| Lifestyle | 94 |
| Infrastructure | 95 |
Malta stands out for being exceptionally safe, world-class healthcare, excellent digital infrastructure. At ~$2,050/month, it ranks #6 overall for relocation in 2026.
Also in Europe: Switzerland (69), Ireland (69)
Americas · ~$2,850/mo · Strength: Infrastructure
Show as table
| Dimension | Score |
|---|---|
| Cost of Living | 23 |
| Safety | 88 |
| Healthcare | 90 |
| Education | 91 |
| Career | 84 |
| Lifestyle | 78 |
| Infrastructure | 96 |
Canada stands out for being exceptionally safe, world-class healthcare, excellent digital infrastructure. Watch out for higher cost of living. At ~$2,850/month, it ranks #7 overall for relocation in 2026.
Also in Americas: Chile (54), Uruguay (54)
Oceania · ~$3,350/mo · Strength: Healthcare
Show as table
| Dimension | Score |
|---|---|
| Cost of Living | 5 |
| Safety | 82 |
| Healthcare | 95 |
| Education | 90 |
| Career | 91 |
| Lifestyle | 87 |
| Infrastructure | 92 |
Australia stands out for being exceptionally safe, world-class healthcare, excellent digital infrastructure. Watch out for higher cost of living. At ~$3,350/month, it ranks #8 overall for relocation in 2026.
Also in Oceania: New Zealand (70), Fiji (26)
Asia · ~$2,350/mo · Strength: Healthcare
Show as table
| Dimension | Score |
|---|---|
| Cost of Living | 42 |
| Safety | 76 |
| Healthcare | 100 |
| Education | 93 |
| Career | 77 |
| Lifestyle | 76 |
| Infrastructure | 95 |
Hong Kong stands out for being safe, world-class healthcare, excellent digital infrastructure. At ~$2,350/month, it ranks #9 overall for relocation in 2026.
Also in Asia: Singapore (72), South Korea (67)
Europe · ~$2,750/mo · Strength: Infrastructure
Show as table
| Dimension | Score |
|---|---|
| Cost of Living | 27 |
| Safety | 84 |
| Healthcare | 88 |
| Education | 78 |
| Career | 92 |
| Lifestyle | 82 |
| Infrastructure | 100 |
Netherlands stands out for being exceptionally safe, world-class healthcare, excellent digital infrastructure. Watch out for higher cost of living. At ~$2,750/month, it ranks #10 overall for relocation in 2026.
Also in Europe: Switzerland (69), Ireland (69)
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Best Countries by Category
WhereNext's 2026 index scores each country across 7 dimensions: cost of living, safety, healthcare, education, career opportunity, lifestyle, and infrastructure. The category leaders are Iceland for safety, Hong Kong for healthcare, and Egypt for affordability — each using different institutional data sources.
Top 5 countries in each dimension. Different priorities produce different winners.
Best for Cost of Living
Lower cost = higher score. Based on World Bank PPP and national statistical data.
Best for Safety
Global Peace Index, governance indicators, and homicide rates.
- 1.Iceland100
- 2.New Zealand100
- 3.Switzerland100
- 4.Slovenia100
- 5.Ireland100
Best for Healthcare
UHC coverage, physician density, and life expectancy.
- 1.Hong Kong100
- 2.Kuwait100
- 3.Switzerland100
- 4.Sweden100
- 5.Italy100
Best for Education
PISA scores, school life expectancy, and tertiary enrollment.
- 1.Singapore100
- 2.Taiwan100
- 3.Japan100
- 4.South Korea100
- 5.Estonia100
Best for Career
Labor force participation, purchasing power, and business environment.
- 1.Qatar100
- 2.United Arab Emirates100
- 3.Kuwait100
- 4.Iceland100
- 5.Bahrain100
Best for Lifestyle
Climate comfort, English proficiency, and visa friendliness.
- 1.Malta94
- 2.Cyprus91
- 3.Australia87
- 4.New Zealand86
- 5.Portugal84
Best for Infrastructure
Transport quality, internet connectivity, and urban development.
- 1.Denmark100
- 2.South Korea100
- 3.Norway100
- 4.Switzerland100
- 5.Netherlands100
Regional Comparison
Europe leads the 2026 Global Relocation Index with an average composite score of 60/100 across 37 countries. Europe has the highest regional average at 60/100, led by Switzerland (69/100). Asia covers 19 countries with an average of 43/100. See the full Asia ranking for the regional breakdown.
| Region | Countries | Avg Score | Top Country | Top Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Europe | 37 | 60 | Switzerland | 69 |
| Middle East | 8 | 52 | United Arab Emirates | 69 |
| Oceania | 4 | 45 | New Zealand | 70 |
| Americas | 16 | 44 | Canada | 68 |
| Other | 2 | 44 | Turkey | 44 |
| Asia | 19 | 43 | Singapore | 72 |
| Africa | 9 | 28 | Mauritius | 52 |
What This Means For You
Your ideal relocation destination depends on your priorities: budget-conscious expats should look at Sri Lanka (~$750/month), safety-focused families at New Zealand (safety score 100/100), and career-driven professionals at United Arab Emirates (career score 100/100).
Different goals call for different regions. Here's how each region stacks up based on common relocation priorities.
Europe
37 countries analyzed, average score 60/100. Switzerland leads the region at 69/100.
Most affordable: Moldova (~$950/mo)
Middle East
8 countries analyzed, average score 52/100. United Arab Emirates leads the region at 69/100.
Oceania
4 countries analyzed, average score 45/100. New Zealand leads the region at 70/100.
Most affordable: Papua New Guinea (~$1,550/mo)
Best healthcare: Australia (healthcare: 95/100)
Americas
16 countries analyzed, average score 44/100. Canada leads the region at 68/100.
Most affordable: Colombia (~$1,000/mo)
Other
2 countries analyzed, average score 44/100. Turkey leads the region at 44/100.
Safest: Georgia (safety: 43/100)
Asia
19 countries analyzed, average score 43/100. Singapore leads the region at 72/100.
Full Ranking: All 95 Countries
The complete 2026 Global Relocation Index ranks all 95 countries from Singapore (#1, score 72/100) to Myanmar (#95, score 12/100). The median country scores 52/100. Free CSV and JSON downloads are available via the WhereNext open API.
Composite score is a weighted average across all 7 dimensions, adjusted by data confidence. Cost is inverted (higher = cheaper). All scores 0-100.
| # | Country | Score | Cost | Safety | Health | Edu | Career | Life | Infra |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Singapore | 72 | 47 | 96 | 97 | 100 | 95 | 75 | 81 |
| 2 | New Zealand | 70 | 21 | 100 | 88 | 91 | 92 | 86 | 89 |
| 3 | Switzerland | 69 | 0 | 100 | 100 | 88 | 91 | 66 | 100 |
| 4 | United Arab Emirates | 69 | 49 | 94 | 95 | 66 | 100 | 72 | 94 |
| 5 | Ireland | 69 | 5 | 100 | 95 | 90 | 89 | 83 | 87 |
| 6 | Malta | 69 | 53 | 90 | 95 | 59 | 86 | 94 | 95 |
| 7 | Canada | 68 | 23 | 88 | 90 | 91 | 84 | 78 | 96 |
| 8 | Australia | 68 | 5 | 82 | 95 | 90 | 91 | 87 | 92 |
| 9 | Hong Kong | 68 | 42 | 76 | 100 | 93 | 77 | 76 | 95 |
| 10 | Netherlands | 68 | 27 | 84 | 88 | 78 | 92 | 82 | 100 |
| 11 | South Korea | 67 | 45 | 61 | 98 | 100 | 88 | 62 | 100 |
| 12 | Portugal | 66 | 56 | 96 | 92 | 76 | 61 | 84 | 89 |
| 13 | Denmark | 66 | 10 | 90 | 90 | 78 | 83 | 78 | 100 |
| 14 | Slovenia | 66 | 56 | 100 | 90 | 74 | 73 | 74 | 82 |
| 15 | Japan | 66 | 29 | 90 | 100 | 100 | 83 | 49 | 82 |
| 16 | Iceland | 66 | 0 | 100 | 93 | 60 | 100 | 70 | 94 |
| 17 | Austria | 65 | 32 | 96 | 88 | 82 | 78 | 73 | 83 |
| 18 | Estonia | 65 | 58 | 80 | 73 | 100 | 72 | 70 | 93 |
| 19 | Finland | 64 | 21 | 92 | 90 | 84 | 73 | 74 | 87 |
| 20 | United Kingdom | 64 | 22 | 71 | 85 | 93 | 81 | 76 | 96 |
| 21 | Luxembourg | 64 | 0 | 94 | 95 | 71 | 80 | 72 | 95 |
| 22 | Sweden | 64 | 15 | 71 | 100 | 79 | 80 | 76 | 95 |
| 23 | Belgium | 64 | 32 | 82 | 90 | 82 | 67 | 74 | 98 |
| 24 | Czechia | 64 | 70 | 88 | 78 | 82 | 78 | 64 | 83 |
| 25 | Germany | 64 | 37 | 78 | 81 | 79 | 83 | 72 | 96 |
Show all 95 countries (70 more) ↓
| # | Country | Score | Cost | Safety | Health | Edu | Career | Life | Infra |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 26 | Taiwan | 64 | 71 | 69 | 76 | 100 | 84 | 59 | 84 |
| 27 | Norway | 63 | 0 | 73 | 95 | 71 | 89 | 75 | 100 |
| 28 | Spain | 62 | 48 | 78 | 100 | 74 | 53 | 73 | 90 |
| 29 | Italy | 60 | 44 | 73 | 100 | 81 | 55 | 69 | 77 |
| 30 | Poland | 60 | 82 | 80 | 68 | 87 | 69 | 67 | 69 |
| 31 | Hungary | 60 | 77 | 86 | 59 | 75 | 67 | 64 | 87 |
| 32 | Qatar | 59 | 48 | 76 | 92 | 53 | 100 | 55 | 67 |
| 33 | Lithuania | 59 | 73 | 80 | 61 | 79 | 70 | 66 | 76 |
| 34 | Cyprus | 58 | 51 | 51 | 88 | 41 | 81 | 91 | 87 |
| 35 | Croatia | 58 | 74 | 80 | 71 | 74 | 52 | 78 | 70 |
| 36 | Slovakia | 58 | 64 | 78 | 68 | 75 | 63 | 65 | 81 |
| 37 | France | 57 | 38 | 43 | 95 | 75 | 66 | 65 | 92 |
| 38 | Latvia | 56 | 66 | 82 | 58 | 69 | 59 | 65 | 77 |
| 39 | Greece | 55 | 59 | 63 | 88 | 54 | 34 | 78 | 88 |
| 40 | Chile | 54 | 68 | 63 | 85 | 54 | 45 | 73 | 76 |
| 41 | Malaysia | 54 | 90 | 88 | 59 | 41 | 67 | 60 | 67 |
| 42 | Uruguay | 54 | 59 | 69 | 68 | 53 | 52 | 75 | 83 |
| 43 | Montenegro | 53 | 85 | 76 | 66 | 51 | 33 | 73 | 80 |
| 44 | Kuwait | 52 | 58 | 63 | 100 | 34 | 100 | 40 | 55 |
| 45 | Albania | 52 | 84 | 71 | 76 | 53 | 39 | 68 | 63 |
| 46 | Bulgaria | 52 | 86 | 80 | 54 | 43 | 53 | 65 | 76 |
| 47 | Bahrain | 52 | 73 | 39 | 85 | 40 | 100 | 56 | 73 |
| 48 | Saudi Arabia | 52 | 71 | 43 | 71 | 38 | 88 | 38 | 99 |
| 49 | Romania | 52 | 88 | 65 | 58 | 50 | 50 | 65 | 82 |
| 50 | Mauritius | 52 | 85 | 84 | 42 | 50 | 50 | 81 | 65 |
| 51 | United States | 51 | 18 | 6 | 71 | 85 | 83 | 72 | 90 |
| 52 | Costa Rica | 49 | 67 | 61 | 83 | 46 | 34 | 63 | 66 |
| 53 | Vietnam | 49 | 97 | 69 | 47 | 57 | 64 | 44 | 59 |
| 54 | Israel | 48 | 0 | 0 | 95 | 60 | 84 | 76 | 75 |
| 55 | Oman | 48 | 73 | 61 | 78 | 31 | 75 | 48 | 64 |
| 56 | Argentina | 48 | 86 | 55 | 63 | 31 | 50 | 69 | 72 |
| 57 | Serbia | 47 | 85 | 55 | 54 | 51 | 39 | 65 | 73 |
| 58 | Thailand | 47 | 92 | 41 | 58 | 46 | 63 | 60 | 65 |
| 59 | China | 46 | 62 | 31 | 66 | 85 | 55 | 35 | 92 |
| 60 | Moldova | 45 | 95 | 63 | 29 | 47 | 63 | 53 | 63 |
| 61 | Turkey | 44 | 99 | 0 | 63 | 81 | 42 | 60 | 66 |
| 62 | Georgia | 44 | 99 | 43 | 47 | 44 | 36 | 66 | 70 |
| 63 | Peru | 44 | 79 | 39 | 66 | 37 | 58 | 63 | 47 |
| 64 | Panama | 43 | 71 | 51 | 76 | 29 | 61 | 53 | 45 |
| 65 | Mexico | 42 | 78 | 39 | 51 | 41 | 53 | 58 | 60 |
| 66 | Bosnia and Herzegovina | 42 | 86 | 65 | 66 | 22 | 16 | 58 | 70 |
| 67 | Jamaica | 41 | 70 | 55 | 31 | 38 | 53 | 72 | 63 |
| 68 | North Macedonia | 41 | 75 | 65 | 58 | 25 | 14 | 62 | 76 |
| 69 | Brazil | 39 | 82 | 22 | 54 | 40 | 39 | 57 | 64 |
| 70 | Mongolia | 39 | 78 | 73 | 34 | 44 | 39 | 35 | 55 |
| 71 | Jordan | 38 | 81 | 55 | 66 | 32 | 0 | 52 | 57 |
| 72 | Dominican Republic | 38 | 89 | 45 | 42 | 13 | 50 | 54 | 54 |
| 73 | Colombia | 36 | 92 | 0 | 66 | 40 | 38 | 53 | 53 |
| 74 | Trinidad and Tobago | 36 | 55 | 53 | 41 | 31 | 58 | 75 | 67 |
| 75 | Indonesia | 35 | 92 | 55 | 29 | 26 | 53 | 41 | 33 |
| 76 | Ecuador | 35 | 79 | 4 | 64 | 29 | 47 | 53 | 47 |
| 77 | Sri Lanka | 35 | 100 | 57 | 64 | 19 | 17 | 55 | 22 |
| 78 | Morocco | 35 | 82 | 59 | 53 | 10 | 0 | 56 | 54 |
| 79 | Philippines | 34 | 86 | 41 | 20 | 24 | 42 | 60 | 43 |
| 80 | Cambodia | 33 | 90 | 43 | 25 | 22 | 61 | 42 | 30 |
| 81 | Guatemala | 30 | 84 | 47 | 36 | 9 | 41 | 47 | 22 |
| 82 | Laos | 29 | 97 | 61 | 17 | 0 | 47 | 31 | 25 |
| 83 | Tunisia | 28 | 81 | 53 | 59 | 18 | 0 | 57 | 42 |
| 84 | Egypt | 27 | 100 | 35 | 31 | 12 | 13 | 44 | 43 |
| 85 | Ghana | 26 | 88 | 53 | 0 | 9 | 33 | 51 | 30 |
| 86 | Fiji | 26 | 67 | 63 | 7 | 22 | 30 | 65 | 35 |
| 87 | Bangladesh | 26 | 95 | 31 | 49 | 0 | 36 | 31 | 12 |
| 88 | India | 26 | 100 | 16 | 34 | 24 | 25 | 47 | 22 |
| 89 | South Africa | 23 | 75 | 24 | 0 | 31 | 0 | 75 | 40 |
| 90 | Nepal | 21 | 100 | 37 | 24 | 3 | 0 | 43 | 14 |
| 91 | Rwanda | 21 | 100 | 33 | 10 | 0 | 20 | 58 | 0 |
| 92 | Kenya | 19 | 89 | 12 | 0 | 1 | 41 | 64 | 0 |
| 93 | Nigeria | 17 | 90 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 58 | 41 | 0 |
| 94 | Papua New Guinea | 15 | 73 | 49 | 0 | 0 | 23 | 36 | 0 |
| 95 | Myanmar | 12 | 100 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 27 | 22 | 0 |
Score distribution
Global mean 49 · Europe mean 60
95 countries; mean 49; Europe mean 60; the viewed distribution is the composite-score spread across the ranked countries.
Methodology
The WhereNext Global Relocation Index methodology scores 95 countries across 7 weighted dimensions — cost (weight 25), safety (60), healthcare (60), education (50), career (55), lifestyle (50), and infrastructure (55) — using institutional public-domain datasets including the World Bank, WHO, OECD PISA, and Global Peace Index, with confidence-adjusted normalization.
The WhereNext Global Relocation Index is a multi-dimensional scoring system designed specifically for people considering international relocation. Unlike single-metric rankings (cost-only or safety-only), this index evaluates each country across 7 dimensions that matter most to expats, remote workers, retirees, and families planning a move abroad.
Scoring Dimensions
- Cost of Living (weight: 25): Inverted cost index + World Bank PPP. Lower cost = higher score. Intentionally lower-weighted because “cheapest” rarely means “best.”
- Safety (weight: 60): Global Peace Index, World Governance Indicators (political stability, rule of law), and UNODC homicide rates.
- Healthcare (weight: 60): WHO Universal Health Coverage index, physician density per 10,000, and national life expectancy.
- Education (weight: 50): OECD PISA scores (reading, math, science), UNESCO school life expectancy, and tertiary enrollment rates.
- Career (weight: 55): World Bank labour-force participation and unemployment (ILO-modelled series), GNI per-capita purchasing power (PPP, capped), and Worldwide Governance regulatory quality.
- Lifestyle (weight: 50): Composite of climate comfort (35%), EF English Proficiency Index (30%), and visa friendliness (35%).
- Infrastructure (weight: 55): World Bank internet-use (IT.NET.USER.ZS) and fixed-broadband (IT.NET.BBND.P2) adoption indicators.
Confidence Scoring
Each country receives a data-confidence score (0.50–0.92) based on source coverage and freshness. Countries with fewer data points receive a confidence penalty, pushing uncertain scores toward the middle of the distribution rather than artificially inflating or deflating them.
Limitations
No index captures the full complexity of relocation decisions. This ranking does not account for: personal language skills beyond English, specific profession demand by country, individual health conditions, family composition, political/cultural affinity, or the subjective “feel” of a place. Use our interactive explorer to customize weights for your priorities.
Data Sources
The WhereNext 2026 Global Relocation Index aggregates data from institutional public-domain datasets including the World Bank PPP Conversion Factors, WHO Universal Health Coverage index, OECD PISA scores, Global Peace Index (IEP), EF English Proficiency Index, World Bank internet-use and broadband indicators, ILO Labour Statistics, and national statistics agencies from 95 countries.
All scores are derived from institutional data — no surveys, no opinions. Each source is publicly verifiable.
As of 2026-04-16.
- World Bank ICP 2021 — Actual Individual Consumption price level index (2021) — https://www.worldbank.org/en/programs/icpSource record retrieved 2026-04-16
- World Bank — GDP, PPP (current international $) (Not specified in source record) — https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/NY.GDP.MKTP.PP.CDSource record retrieved 2026-04-16
- World Bank — GDP per capita (Not specified in source record) — https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/NY.GDP.PCAP.CDSource record retrieved 2026-04-16
- World Bank — Individuals using the Internet (% of population) (Not specified in source record) — https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/IT.NET.USER.ZSSource record retrieved 2026-04-16
- World Bank — Fixed broadband subscriptions (per 100 people) (Not specified in source record) — https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/IT.NET.BBND.P2Source record retrieved 2026-04-16
- World Bank — Intentional homicides (per 100,000 people) (Not specified in source record) — https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/VC.IHR.PSRC.P5Source record retrieved 2026-04-16
- World Bank — Labor force participation rate (% ages 15+) (Not specified in source record) — https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SL.TLF.CACT.ZSSource record retrieved 2026-04-16
- World Bank — Unemployment (% of total labor force) (Not specified in source record) — https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SL.UEM.TOTL.ZSSource record retrieved 2026-04-16
- World Bank — Life expectancy at birth, total (years) (Not specified in source record) — https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SP.DYN.LE00.INSource record retrieved 2026-04-16
- World Bank — Gini index (World Bank estimate) (Not specified in source record) — https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SI.POV.GINISource record retrieved 2026-04-16
- World Bank — Worldwide Governance Indicators (WGI) (Not specified in source record) — https://info.worldbank.org/governance/wgi/Source record retrieved 2026-04-16
- WHO — Universal Health Coverage Service Coverage Index (Not specified in source record) — https://www.who.int/data/gho/indicator-metadata-registry/imr-details/4834Source record retrieved 2026-04-16
- WHO — Physicians (per 10,000 population) (Not specified in source record) — https://www.who.int/data/gho/data/indicators/indicator-details/GHO/medical-doctors-(per-10-000-population)Source record retrieved 2026-04-16
- OECD — Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) (Not specified in source record) — https://www.oecd.org/pisa/data/Source record retrieved 2026-04-16
- UNESCO — School life expectancy (years) (Not specified in source record) — https://data.uis.unesco.orgSource record retrieved 2026-04-16
- UNESCO — Gross enrolment ratio, tertiary education (Not specified in source record) — https://data.uis.unesco.orgSource record retrieved 2026-04-16
- Institute for Economics & Peace — Global Peace Index (Not specified in source record) — https://www.economicsandpeace.org/global-peace-index/Source record retrieved 2026-04-16
- Yale — Environmental Performance Index (Not specified in source record) — https://epi.yale.eduSource record retrieved 2026-04-16
- EF Education First — English Proficiency Index (Not specified in source record) — https://www.ef.com/epi/Source record retrieved 2026-04-16
- Open-Meteo — Climate & Weather API (Not specified in source record) — https://open-meteo.comSource record retrieved 2026-04-16
- Eurostat — Harmonised Index of Consumer Prices (Not specified in source record) — https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/web/hicpSource record retrieved 2026-04-16
- Numbeo — Verified user-submitted prices (Not specified in source record) — https://www.numbeo.comSource record retrieved 2026-04-16
- UNDP — Human Development Index (Not specified in source record) — https://hdr.undp.orgSource record retrieved 2026-04-16
- WhereNext curated research — WhereNext curated research (Not specified in source record) — https://getwherenext.com/methodologySource record retrieved 2026-04-21
- Various — National Statistics (95) (edition not specified; no URL in the source record)
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Embed our relocation data on your website, access it via API, or cite it in your research. WhereNext's composite scores are free to cite with attribution.
API Endpoints
/api/data/relocation-index/api/data/relocation-index/csvCite As
WhereNext Global Relocation Index 2026, getwherenext.com/data/global-relocation-index-2026
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Suggested Citation
WhereNext. "Global Relocation Index 2026: 95 Countries Ranked Across Seven Dimensions." getwherenext.com/data/global-relocation-index-2026. Published 2026-04-02.API Access
Access this dataset programmatically via our free, public API. No authentication required. CORS-enabled for browser use.
JSON (default)
GET https://getwherenext.com/api/data/relocation-indexCSV
GET https://getwherenext.com/api/data/relocation-index/csvRate limit: 100 requests/hour. Response cached for 24 hours.
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How to cite this data:
WhereNext. "Global Relocation Index 2026." getwherenext.com/data/global-relocation-index-2026. Accessed 2026-04-02.
Licensed under CC BY 4.0. This covers WhereNext’s composite scores and original compilation; the underlying third-party sources (World Bank, UNDP HDI, IEP GPI, OECD PISA, EF EPI) retain their own copyright and terms.
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Suggested citation
CC BY 4.0This dataset is free to redistribute, quote, and embed under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0. The composite form below preserves source lineage so AI assistants can cite both WhereNext and the underlying institutional publishers.
WhereNext composite — Global Relocation Index 2026 (2026-04-16). Derived from: World Bank ICP (cost of living); WHO Global Health Observatory (healthcare quality); OECD PISA + UNESCO UIS (education); Yale EPI (environment); IEP Global Peace Index (safety); EF English Proficiency Index (language access); World Bank internet penetration + fixed broadband (digital infrastructure); WGI (governance). Available at https://getwherenext.com/data/global-relocation-index-2026?utm_source=internal&utm_medium=citation&utm_campaign=data-citation. CC BY 4.0.
WhereNext. (2026). Global Relocation Index 2026. Retrieved from https://getwherenext.com/data/global-relocation-index-2026?utm_source=internal&utm_medium=citation&utm_campaign=data-citation. CC BY 4.0.
WhereNext. "Global Relocation Index 2026." WhereNext, 16 Apr 2026, https://getwherenext.com/data/global-relocation-index-2026?utm_source=internal&utm_medium=citation&utm_campaign=data-citation. Accessed via https://getwherenext.com/data/global-relocation-index-2026?utm_source=internal&utm_medium=citation&utm_campaign=data-citation. CC BY 4.0.
@misc{wherenext_getwherenext_com_data_global_relocation_index_2026,
author = {{WhereNext}},
title = {Global Relocation Index 2026},
year = {2026},
url = {https://getwherenext.com/data/global-relocation-index-2026?utm_source=internal&utm_medium=citation&utm_campaign=data-citation},
note = {CC BY 4.0}
}<a href="https://getwherenext.com/data/global-relocation-index-2026?utm_source=internal&utm_medium=citation&utm_campaign=data-citation">WhereNext — Global Relocation Index 2026</a>
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