Taiwan is ranked the fourth best destination for expatriates in terms of living and working, according to a survey released Sept. 6 by InterNations, the largest global network for people living abroad.
 
Over 12,500 respondents from 166 nations took part in the survey, which placed Taiwan fourth among 65 countries, behind Bahrain, Costa Rica and Mexico. Slipping three spots from last year’s overall ranking, the country remained strongest in the Quality of Life index, where it took the No. 2 spot, owing to respondents’ satisfaction with local health care and infrastructure, according to InterNations.
 
The second place ranking was made possible, in part, thanks to the country’s strong showing in the subcategories of Health and Well-Being, where it topped the list, and Travel and Transport, where it claimed sixth place.
 
The annual survey asks questions regarding participants’ satisfaction levels in five key indexes, namely Ease of Settling In, Family Life, Personal Finance, Quality of Life, and Working Abroad.
 
According to the survey, 68 percent of respondents in Taiwan said they are completely satisfied with the country’s high-quality health care system. In terms of local infrastructure and transportation, the most emphasized attributes were convenience, efficiency and ease of use, InterNations said.
 
In the other indexes, the nation was ranked 19th in Ease of Settling In; 12th in Working Abroad; 13th in Family Life and 14th in Personal Finance.
 
Taiwan ranked third in the Friendliness subcategory, behind Portugal and Mexico. Around 60 percent of expats agreed that people in Taiwan are very friendly, which is more than double the global average of 29 percent.
 
In the list of top 10 countries and territories for expatiates, Taiwan was followed by Portugal, New Zealand, Malta, Colombia, Singapore and Spain. (CPY-E)