Germany, Canada and Spain are perceived to be the easiest countries to settle in, according to a report released Wednesday by HSBC Bank International.

Among the most difficult countries in which to integrate were Australia, the United Arab Emirates and China. Australia ranked poorly on the number of expats who joined community groups; expats in the UAE found it difficult to make friends; and China scored relatively low for the number of expats who bought property.

The HSBC Bank International Expat Explorer survey is the largest ever independent survey of expatriates, questioning 2,155 expats across four continents. The report examines the integration challenges faced by expats relocating to a new country by looking at the cultural and social differences experienced.

Expats were asked to rate their host country in four areas:

> whether they made friends with people from the local population;

> if they joined a local community group, such as a religious or sports group;

> whether or not they learned the local language; and

> if they bought property in their host country.

“We commissioned this independent survey to take a look into the lives and experiences of our customers who live across the globe and the transitional challenges they encounter from country to country,” said Martin Spurling, CEO for HSBC Bank International and head of HSBC Offshore Islands, in a release.

“Through this survey we have been provided with a fascinating insight into our customers’ lives which will help us also to best adapt to their offshore finance needs,” he added.

Canada is the most welcoming country to expats, with almost all (95%) of respondents claiming that they found it easy to make friends with the locals.

The United Arab Emirates was revealed to be the hardest country in which to make friends with the local population, with only half of expats living there (54% – the lowest score in the survey) advising that they found it easy to make local friends.

Almost half (45%) of all respondents said that they had joined a local community group as expatriates. Expats living in Germany were most likely to join a community group (65% of respondents), followed by around half of expats living in Hong Kong (53%), Singapore (50%), Canada (50%) and the U.S. (50%).

Expats living in Europe were most likely to learn the local language. Germany came top in this category with three-quarters of expats learning the German language.

France came out as a property hotspot, ranking highest in the category of expats buying property, with almost two-thirds (64%) of respondents stating that they had purchased a property in the country. Expats in Asia are the least likely to buy a home.

The Expat Experience report also examined other aspects relevant to expat integration, including whether or not expats had children in their adopted country, if they had married someone from the local population, if they had set up a new business or changed their citizenship.

IE