Singapore Ranked First Among Expats for Places to Work and Live

Singapore Ranked First Among Expats for Places to Work and Live

Singapore has always been a popular destination for expats, and for the fourth year in a row, Singapore has proven that by getting the world’s top ranking among expats for places to work and live.

HSBC conducted the HSBC Expat Explorer by YouGov survey which involved 22,318 expats in March and April, and Singapore came out on top among the 31 other countries included in the survey. This despite the fact that expats working in Hong Kong only receive average pay. Singapore’s rankings were better in terms of overall quality of life and family benefits.

 

Results of the Survey

The findings of the survey revealed that Singapore’s expats commanded salaries which were more than 30% above the global average and that many expats had made the choice to move to Singapore for the betterment of their careers (45%). Other expats surveyed revealed that they moved to Singapore to improve their earnings (38%). For an expat, the average annual income in Singapore is US$160,000 (SGD$221, 522), which was a 29% increase from the salaries they could get in their own home country.

In terms of annual income for expats in the Asia-Pacific region, Singapore comes in third behind Hong Kong and China. The average wage for expats in Hong Kong was US$180,000 while China provided earning potentially US$170,000 annually. Switzerland was where expats could earn the most for their jobs, at US$203,000 per year.

Aside from the salary package, expats voted that Singapore was a good place for those with families. Nearly three-quarters of the expats surveyed by HSBC said their children enjoyed better overall quality of life. 60% of the expats stated that quality childcare and education was much better in Singapore than at home. Meanwhile, another 60% said their child’s health and wellbeing had improved as a result.

The political and economic stability of Singapore was another factor that four out of five expats were confident. 78% of the expats surveyed said they would recommend Singapore to anyone who was considering moving abroad. In Singapore, there are employers who originally send expat workers (27%). Moreover, almost half (47%) chose to remain because of the safe environment, vibrant city and excellent quality of life for the family.

 

Not All Smooth Sailing

Ideally, expats looking for places to live and work don’t necessarily achieve their goals easily. In fact, 46% of the expats did reveal that working in Singapore can be stressful. They stated that the stress levels here were far more customary. More than half of the expats said that their work-life balance was either the same or worse than it was back home. Three-quarters of the expats surveyed have a full-time job.

A huge factor is the high cost of living. It was a problem for some expats with only 26% owning a property in the country. Two out of four expats revealed that they could not afford to purchase a home in Singapore. Therefore, many choose to buy one in their home country.

At the same time, Singaporeans who have gone abroad in the hopes of a better future have admitted that they experienced a better work-life balance overseas than they did in Singapore. Half of those surveyed claimed to have found personal fulfillment when it came to working abroad.

51% of Singaporeans abroad found that coming from a structured and carefully managed culture like Singapore has made them more adaptable for the great global unknown.