Dubai: Weather is a prime consideration for most people when moving to other places overseas. For all those who dream of settling down in a country where it’s guaranteed to enjoy the outdoors almost 365 days a year, a group of global expatriates have identified the places around the world with the best weather.
In its annual Expat Insider survey, InterNations polled more than 14,000 people living in 195 countries to find out if they’re happy with the climate in their current place of residence. The results showed that expatriates prefer destinations that offer a lot of sunshine, not necessarily scorching temperatures.
Winning the most votes were sunny spots in Europe, South America and Africa. However, destinations in the cold regions, like the ones in North America and Antarctica, as well as those in Oceania and Asia, where some countries are battered by quite a number of typhoons every year, did not shine quite as well in the survey.
The study found that certain nationalities, including British, Swiss, Irish and Belgians consider weather to be very important before relocating to a new destination.
“It is clear to see from the survey results that depending on expats’ origins, they do not necessarily prioritize hard factors, such as safety and job security, over soft factors, such as the weather and climate, before moving to another country – sometimes it is even the other way around,” said Malte Zeeck, CEO of Internations, a network of 2.2 million expatriates in 390 cities around the world.
Costa Rica emerged as the overall winner, followed by Cyprus, Greece, Malta and Uganda in the top five. Rounding off the top ten are Kenya, Spain, South Africa, Mexico and Portugal.
At least four countries in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region landed in the lower half of the list, with Oman taking the 40th spot, UAE in the 47th place, Qatar in 52nd and Saudi Arabia in the 54th position.
The last ten places on the list went mostly to countries with gloomy weather or very cold temperatures during winter. Finland took the 55th position, while Sweden landed the 56th spot, followed by Russia (57th), United Kingdom (58th), Netherlands (59th), Luxembourg (60th), Denmark (61st), Kuwait (62nd), Ireland (63rd) and Belgium (64th).
Here’s a closer look at the five countries with the best weather:
Costa Rica
Temperatures in Costa Rica can range between 15 degrees Celsius and 33 degrees Celsius, depending on the location.The country has been a popular choice for many expatriates who look for better quality of life and those who have a thirst for adventure. It’s known to have friendly locals and great work-life balance. About seven in ten (71 per cent) of the expatriates living there rated the country’s weather and climate as very good.
Cyprus
A number of foreigners choose to live in Cyprus because it ranks high in terms of personal safety, feeling at home in the local culture and making new friends. About 21 per cent of the expatriates there said they were completely satisfied with their social circle, much higher than the global average of 15 per cent. When it comes to the weather and climate, nearly seven in ten (69 per cent) agreed that it is very good.
Greece
While its weather was rated very good by 76 per cent of the expatriates, Greece is also considered a great option for expatriates because it offers a variety of options for relaxation, with 38 per cent of the foreigners rating the availability of leisure choices as very good. However, political stability remains a concern.
Malta
In the Working Abroad index by Internations, Malta topped the list. It also earned high scores in terms of job satisfaction and work-life balance. The majority of the expatriates living there said they also enjoy Malta’s good weather.
Uganda
This East African state offers not just friendly locals but “delightful” weather as well, according to the expatriates surveyed by Internations. However, the country’s state of political affairs, lack of good transportation infrastructure and healthcare facilities are discouraging some expatriates. “The country’s political instability is a considerable lowlight for expats’ personal safety. Only 15 per cent of the foreign residents there rate their personal safety as very good,” said Internations.
TOP 10 LIST:
1. Costa Rica
2. Cyrpus
3. Greece
4. Malta
5. Uganda
6. Kenya
7. Spain
8. South Africa
9. Mexico
10, Portugal
BOTTOM 10:
64. Belgium
63. Ireland
62. Kuwait
61. Denmark
60. Luxembourg
59. Netherlands
58. United Kingdom
57. Russia
56. Sweden
55. Finland
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