Australia voted the best place in the world to work and live

Expats believe quality of life and work prospects are best in Australia, claims report

Expats have voted Australia as the best place in the world to live in terms of quality of life and work prospects.

People are drawn to the country by its outdoors lifestyle, beaches, friendliness and work life balance. They might find higher paying jobs in other locations such as Hong Kong but they put well being ahead of making money.

More than 3,000 expats in over 100 countries were asked to rate countries on a range of criteria from accommodations to food, healthcare and the quality of the commute to work, by banking giant HSBC.

Australia took top place with 10% of respondents choosing the nation as their preferred next posting location. The United States came second and Singapore was in third place.

‘The report suggests expats are putting lifestyle and well being ahead of money and Australia wins hands down on this front,’ said Graham Heunis, head of retail banking and wealth management for HSBC Bank Australia.

Hong Kong came in fourth, Canada fifth, the United Kingdom sixth and France seventh. Respondents said they were attracted to the higher salaries in Hong Kong and the United Kingdom, while Canada’s lifestyle won it points.

The survey also found that people are more likely to stay longer or settle in Australia permanently than in other countries.

And Australians living overseas found that while the benefits of an offshore posting offer a more global outlook and greater financial rewards, it comes at the expense of lifestyle and wellbeing.

Australian expatriates said it was increasingly difficult to manage the pressures of work and life and they were generally less active since moving overseas.

Australia ranked highly in terms of overall quality of life, work environment and ease of integration.

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