Australia: For Families and Leisure Lovers
Australia is the place for expats who are on the lookout for fun activities in their free time and a great family life.
What Do You Do in Your Free Time?
Just as in 2014, Australia again outperforms every other country in the Leisure Options subcategory of the Quality of Life Index - 95% of expats down under appreciate local leisure options, and 59% even rate them as very good. In addition, nine out of ten enjoy the weather and climate (92%) and regard the quality of the environment as generally good (91%).
Furthermore, three-fourths of the respondents in Australia like the opportunity to travel. The transport infrastructure is rated positively by two out of three expats (67%), which is almost on par with the global average (66%).
The vast majority of respondents rates political stability, personal safety, and peacefulness favorably (85%, 90%, and 94%, respectively). Overall, five in six survey participants in Australia are satisfied with their life abroad in general.
Expat Statistics 2015
Hey Mate!
Expats in Australia do, after all, live in the country that ranks 10th out of 64 in the Feeling Welcome subcategory of the Ease of Settling In Index. Four-fifths of the respondents there (81%) find it relatively easy to get used to the new culture, and 72% feel at home in the land down under. In fact, 27% feel so well integrated that they have acquired Australian citizenship, while around the world only 10% have done so for their respective country of residence.
The general friendliness of the population is rated positively by 84% of expats, and 79% confirm the friendly attitude of the local population towards foreign residents (global average: 67%). Making new friends in general isn't considered difficult by 63% of expatriates, and over half (51%) find making local friends easy, hence landing Australia a solid 31st place in the Finding Friends subcategory of the Ease of Settling In Index.
Another four in five expats in Australia (81%) find learning the local language easy, and three-fourths (76%) confirm that it is difficult to live in Australia when not speaking the local language. Since the InterNations Expat Insider 2015 survey was conducted in English, however, please be aware that these results might be somewhat biased.
Family Life: Safe and Sound
Australia is a great place for expat families for many reasons. Children's health and safety is rated favorably by 100% of expat parents, 96% confirm that their kids are generally well, and not a single person rates their family life negatively. Furthermore, 97% favor the leisure activities for kids, and only 2% are generally unhappy with the local attitude towards families with children. Looking at all these results, it's unsurprising that Australia is the number one country in the Family Well-Being subcategory.
Childcare options are liked by 71% of expat parents, but only 40% consider their availability sufficient, and even less (26%) find childcare easy to afford. Australia ranks 3rd out of 41 countries for its options for children's education - 92% of expat parents are overall satisfied with the available choices, 73% find education options generally numerous and easily available, even if 38% criticize the cost involved (which is still lower than the global average of 42%, though). The quality of education is considered overall high by 72% of expat parents.
Aussie Life Comes At a Price
Enjoying all the great benefits as an expat in Australia comes at a price - literally. The land down under ranks 52nd in the Cost of Living Index, with 55% of survey participants considering life expensive and a quarter (26%) even going so far as to say that their disposable household income isn't enough to get by.
The good news is, though, that Australia ranks 15th in the Working Abroad Index. Two-thirds of respondents (66%) are generally satisfied with their job and 64% find their career prospects appealing. Additionally, 59% rate their job security positively and 80% overall approve of the state of the Australian economy.
In the Work-Life Balance subcategory, Australia comes in 10th. Seven in ten (71%) are content with their working hours, which isn't surprising considering they are significantly lower than the global average (42.3 vs. 44.9 hours/week for those working full-time). Altogether, 68% are generally satisfied with their work-life balance in Australia.
