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Survey shows India sucks as an expat destination
| Published: | 11 Sep at 6 PM |
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The results of a recent expat survey have revealed India is amongst the 10 least popular expat destinations.
The recently released Expat Insider survey saw India languishing in 57th place out of the 65 countries surveyed, and the result wasn’t due to problems with salaries and living costs. Expats were content with the sub-continent’s low cost of living and their salaries, but were more than unhappy about their quality of life. Slammed in the survey were long working hours, personal safety, pollution and poor family life, all adding up to a resoundingly unsatisfactory quality of life.
Female expats were the most vociferous about India’s defects as regards expat life, with over half of those surveyed stating they felt unwelcome simply because they were women. In this sector, India was rated in the lowest group along with Japan, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Kuwait. Just under a third of women respondents had moved to India for their partners’ education or jobs, even although the majority had bachelors’ or postgraduate degrees themselves, and most expat mothers were unemployed due to difficulties finding good quality childcare.
In the survey’s Family Life index, India’s ranking dropped 10 places to 39, mostly due to limited education options for expat children. Almost a third of expat parents were unhappy with schooling, and over half sent their children to international schools in spite of the high costs involved. Another disaster for India’s rankings came in the Family Well-Being subcategory, with the country coming in last and doing little better in the Working Abroad sector.
Some 30 per cent of respondents disliked their work-life balance, focusing mainly on long working hours. As regards personal safety, 36 per cent of respondents had already realised living in India might well have a negative effect, with 29 per cent saying they felt unsafe once they arrived. The only categories with positive results were Personal Finances and Friendliness, both of which scored well. All told, it seems India is best avoided by expat professionals seeking an enjoyable as well as remunerative experience.
The recently released Expat Insider survey saw India languishing in 57th place out of the 65 countries surveyed, and the result wasn’t due to problems with salaries and living costs. Expats were content with the sub-continent’s low cost of living and their salaries, but were more than unhappy about their quality of life. Slammed in the survey were long working hours, personal safety, pollution and poor family life, all adding up to a resoundingly unsatisfactory quality of life.
Female expats were the most vociferous about India’s defects as regards expat life, with over half of those surveyed stating they felt unwelcome simply because they were women. In this sector, India was rated in the lowest group along with Japan, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Kuwait. Just under a third of women respondents had moved to India for their partners’ education or jobs, even although the majority had bachelors’ or postgraduate degrees themselves, and most expat mothers were unemployed due to difficulties finding good quality childcare.
In the survey’s Family Life index, India’s ranking dropped 10 places to 39, mostly due to limited education options for expat children. Almost a third of expat parents were unhappy with schooling, and over half sent their children to international schools in spite of the high costs involved. Another disaster for India’s rankings came in the Family Well-Being subcategory, with the country coming in last and doing little better in the Working Abroad sector.
Some 30 per cent of respondents disliked their work-life balance, focusing mainly on long working hours. As regards personal safety, 36 per cent of respondents had already realised living in India might well have a negative effect, with 29 per cent saying they felt unsafe once they arrived. The only categories with positive results were Personal Finances and Friendliness, both of which scored well. All told, it seems India is best avoided by expat professionals seeking an enjoyable as well as remunerative experience.
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