Czechia: One of the Best Countries for Working Abroad
Top Findings
- 85% of expats are happy with the affordability of healthcare (vs. 61% globally).
- Czechia performs exceptionally well in the Working Abroad Index (3rd).
- But the country lands in the bottom 10 of the Friendliness subcategory (55th).
- Over three-quarters (77%) find it difficult to learn the local language (vs. 42% globally).
Great Travel & Transportation
Coming 15th out of 59 countries in the Expat Insider 2021 survey, Czechia ranks among the top 10 in the Quality of Life Index (7th). The country scores highly in the Travel & Transportation subcategory (4th). The travel opportunities in Czechia (1st) contribute to this great result — 97% of expats rate them positively (vs. 84% globally). Additionally, the vast majority of expats (94%) is happy with the country’s transportation infrastructure (vs. 76% globally). A Canadian expat shares: “I like being in the center of Europe and find it easy to travel. It is also easy to travel within the country by public transport.”
Czechia also performs well in the Health & Well-Being subcategory (6th). Over four in five expats (85%) are happy with the affordability of healthcare (vs. 61% globally). Although Czechia ranks slightly below average for its climate and weather (34th), most expats are satisfied with the local leisure options (84% vs. 72% globally), as well as their own socializing and leisure activities (81% vs. 67% globally).
A Great Place to Work
The country performs even better in the Working Abroad Index (3rd): 82% of expats rate their working hours positively, compared to only 66% globally. An Italian expat sums it up: “Public transportation, healthcare, and many services in general are very good. Additionally, there are plenty of job opportunities and a good work-life balance.” In fact, 80% of expats rate their work-life balance positively (vs. 66% globally), and 59% are happy with their local career opportunities (vs. 45% globally). Out of all survey respondents in Czechia, 78% are employed full time or part time, eleven percentage points more than the global average (67%). “I like working in a stable economy,” says a Bulgarian expat. Three in four expats (75%) share this opinion and rate the state of the local economy positively (vs. 62% globally).
There are plenty of job opportunities.
The Downside: Social & Language Barriers
On the other hand, Czechia performs badly in the Ease of Settling In Index (49th). The country lands in the bottom 10 of the Friendliness subcategory (55th), with close to three in ten expats (28%) rating the general friendliness of the population negatively (vs. 16% globally). Another 35% describe the population as generally unfriendly towards foreign residents (vs. 18% globally). Czechia also ranks in the bottom 10 of the Language subcategory (55th): 77% of respondents state that it is difficult to learn the local language (vs. 42% globally). A Ghanaian expat shares: “The language has been a major barrier.” In fact, 24% of expats agree that it is not easy to live in a Czech city without speaking Czech (vs. 29% globally).
The language has been a major barrier.
The Impact of COVID-19 on Expat Life
The COVID-19 pandemic has not affected the plans of most expats in Czechia: 74% state that it has had no impact on their stay abroad, which is more than ten percentage points higher than the global average (63%). Only 4% were planning to move to yet another country but have changed these plans (vs. 8% globally), and only 2% say they are planning to move home sooner than originally intended (vs. 5% globally). When it comes to the official communication about COVID-19 and related regulations, 65% of survey respondents rate it positively, which is about the same as the global average (66%).
Further Reading
