Kenya: Top Job Satisfaction amid Safety Worries
Top Findings
- 77% of expats rate the general friendliness of the population positively (vs. 69% globally).
- The country lands in the top 10 for overall job satisfaction (6th).
- But only 34% are satisfied with the state of the local economy (vs. 62% globally).
- Just 52% rate the quality of medical care positively (vs. 71% globally).
- 90% are happy with the climate and weather (vs. 66% globally).
Great for Making Friends
Coming in 21st place out of 59 countries, Kenya shows an above-average performance in the Expat Insider 2021 survey. The country receives its best results in the Ease of Settling In Index (11th), coming third in the Language subcategory. In fact, 45% of expats agree that learning the local language is easy (vs. 39% globally). More than half the expats in Kenya (56%) find making local friends easy (vs. 44% globally), and 77% rate the general friendliness of the population positively (vs. 69% globally). An Indian expat says: “The people are welcoming and friendly.” Additionally, 66% of expats feel at home in the local culture (vs. 63% globally) — 30% of them even very much so (vs. 23% globally).
The people are welcoming and friendly.
High Job Satisfaction despite Lack of Career Opportunities
Kenya comes in 33rd place in the Working Abroad Index, performing especially well in the Career Prospects & Satisfaction subcategory (15th). The country even lands in the top 10 for overall job satisfaction (6th): 73% of expats are happy with their job (vs. 68% globally), and another 65% are satisfied with their job security (vs. 61% globally). A South African expat says: “The work environment is good and fulfilling.” However, 38% of expats rate the local career opportunities negatively (vs. 33% globally).
Kenya lands in 45th place for the Economy & Job Security subcategory: just 34% of expats are satisfied with the state of the local economy (vs. 62% globally), while 36% are unhappy with this factor (vs. 19% globally). Moreover, fewer than two in three expats (64%) are satisfied with their work-life balance, which is just below the global average (66%). On the upside, 69% rate their working hours positively (vs. 66% globally).
Lagging Behind in Healthcare & Safety
Kenya performs worst in the Quality of Life Index (48th), which is mainly due to its poor results in both the Health & Well-Being (55th) and the Safety & Security (52nd) subcategories. Only 42% of expats are satisfied with the affordability of healthcare, compared to 61% globally. Additionally, just over half (52%) rate the quality of medical care positively (vs. 71% globally). The country also lands in the bottom 5 for personal safety (57th), with merely 61% of expats feeling safe in Kenya (vs. 84% globally). Another 19% rate their personal safety negatively (vs. 8% globally), and only 63% find the country peaceful (vs. 80% globally).
Kenya also performs below average for political stability (38th), with just 53% of respondents being satisfied with this factor (vs. 64% globally). But there are two major upsides when it comes to the quality of life: 94% of expats rate the natural environment positively (vs. 84% globally), and 90% are happy with the climate and weather (vs. 66% globally).
The Impact of COVID-19 on Expat Life
While the pandemic has changed the relocation plans of 37% of survey respondents on a global scale, this also applies to 40% of expats in Kenya. Moreover, the pandemic has mostly affected their personal travel (27%) so far, followed by their work or business (17%) and their social life (17%). Fewer have noticed an impact on their general (2%) or mental health (4%).
More than half the expats in Kenya (53%) use social media as a source of information on COVID-19 and related regulations, which is a higher proportion than the global average (40%). Moreover, only 40% stay up to date through official government channels, compared to 48% worldwide. And just 57% of respondents are satisfied with the official communication regarding COVID-19, which is nearly ten percentage points below the global average (66%).
