Which Countries Are the Most Welcoming in 2026?
Key Takeaways
- Mexico ranks first overall and across all three categories measuring how easily expats settle into a new country.
- Spain and Portugal rank among the top seven, while Germany and Sweden are among the lowest-ranked countries.
- Local friendliness doesn’t always translate into making friends. Canada ranks 14th for local friendliness but 22nd for finding friends.
Moving abroad means adapting to a new culture and building a social life from scratch. Some destinations make that transition easier than others, even when compared with countries known for their high quality of life.
This visualization compares 31 countries based on expats’ experiences with local culture, friendliness, and social connections, using data from InterNations’ Expat Insider 2026 survey.
How Do All 31 Countries Compare?
The table below shows the overall Ease of Settling In Index ranking for all 31 countries, alongside their positions in Culture & Welcome, Local Friendliness, and Finding Friends.
| Country | Ease of Settling In | Culture & Welcome | Local Friendliness | Finding Friends |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Mexico |
1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
 Panama |
2 | 2 | 3 | 2 |
 Thailand |
3 | 3 | 2 | 4 |
 Brazil |
4 | 4 | 4 | 3 |
 United Arab Emirates |
5 | 5 | 5 | 6 |
 Spain |
6 | 6 | 7 | 7 |
 Portugal |
7 | 7 | 6 | 8 |
 Ireland |
8 | 8 | 8 | 13 |
 United States |
9 | 10 | 9 | 9 |
 South Africa |
10 | 15 | 10 | 5 |
 Australia |
11 | 11 | 12 | 12 |
 Singapore |
12 | 9 | 15 | 10 |
 Malaysia |
13 | 16 | 11 | 11 |
 Italy |
14 | 12 | 16 | 15 |
 Saudi Arabia |
15 | 14 | 13 | 17 |
 France |
16 | 13 | 19 | 14 |
 Luxembourg |
17 | 18 | 17 | 19 |
 Türkiye |
18 | 20 | 18 | 16 |
 Canada |
19 | 17 | 14 | 22 |
 Belgium |
20 | 19 | 21 | 20 |
 United Kingdom |
21 | 21 | 22 | 21 |
 Poland |
22 | 23 | 24 | 18 |
 Netherlands |
23 | 22 | 20 | 25 |
 Japan |
24 | 26 | 23 | 23 |
 Denmark |
25 | 24 | 25 | 28 |
 Switzerland |
26 | 25 | 26 | 27 |
 Czechia |
27 | 27 | 29 | 24 |
 Germany |
28 | 30 | 28 | 29 |
 Austria |
29 | 28 | 30 | 26 |
 Sweden |
30 | 29 | 27 | 30 |
 Norway |
31 | 31 | 31 | 31 |
Some of Europe’s wealthiest countries rank among the most challenging places for expats to settle in. Norway, Sweden, Austria, and Germany occupy the bottom four positions, while Denmark, Switzerland, and the Netherlands also rank in the bottom 10.
Southern Europe tells a different story. Spain and Portugal rank sixth and seventh overall, highlighting how expats’ experiences of settling in can vary considerably within Europe.
Some destinations that rank lower for ease of settling in perform considerably better on broader quality-of-life measures. Sweden, Denmark, and Canada, for example, rank highly in our ranking of the best countries for quality of life in 2026, despite placing 30th, 25th, and 19th, respectively, for ease of settling in.
The contrast shows that a country’s overall quality of life doesn’t necessarily reflect how easy it is for newcomers to feel at home.
Mexico Leads the Rankings for Expats
Mexico’s top ranking is particularly notable for its consistency. It leads all three categories, suggesting that expats report positive experiences not only with local culture and friendliness, but also with building personal connections.
Panama follows in second place, with Thailand third and Brazil fourth. Together, Mexico, Panama, and Brazil give Latin America three of the top four spots.
Thailand stands out for local friendliness, ranking second in that category, while Panama and Brazil rank second and third, respectively, for finding friends.
The Gap Between Local Friendliness and Making Friends
Friendly locals can make a country feel welcoming, but building lasting friendships is a different challenge. The Finding Friends category captures this distinction by considering friendships, satisfaction with social life, and access to personal support networks.
South Africa ranks 10th overall but fifth for finding friends, making social connections its strongest category in the survey.
Canada shows a different pattern, ranking 14th for local friendliness and 17th for culture and welcome, but 22nd for finding friends.
Ireland presents a similar contrast, ranking eighth for both culture and welcome and local friendliness, compared with 13th for finding friends.
How Were the Countries Ranked?
The rankings come from the Ease of Settling In Index in InterNations’ Expat Insider 2026 survey.
The overall index combines three categories: Culture & Welcome, which measures how welcome expats feel and how easily they adapt; Local Friendliness, which measures perceptions of local residents; and Finding Friends, which covers friendships, social life, and personal support networks.
The visualization compares published rankings for 31 countries. The minimum threshold for a country to be included was 50 responses. The overall ranking is based on the combined index, not an average of the three category ranks.
The connecting lines show how countries rank across different categories in 2026, not changes over time. Differences in rank also do not indicate how large the underlying score differences are.
Learn More on the Voronoi App
If you enjoyed this visualization, check out Ranked: Where Public University Tuition Is Most Expensive on the Voronoi app.
