Welcome to the happiest country

The Expat Insider 2017 report has just been released by Internations, the networking organization for expats (disclosure: to which I belong). It is an extensive annual poll that this year surveyed 13,000 respondents in 65 countries on the basis of 43 factors. It is interesting to compare the results with those of the international happiness surveys because the results differ greatly. For those who consider moving or posting abroad, this report may be more relevant as an indication of what to expect when living in a country than the surveys of native populations.

Recall that in the World Happiness Report (WHR), the same group of countries filled the top ten spots year after year: almost exclusively northern European countries and smaller (population-wise) Anglo countries such as Australia. The overall ranking in the Expat Insider (EI) report is called “Top Destinations,” and the top three this year are Bahrain, Costa Rica and Mexico. The results are also much more volatile; Bahrain moved up from No. 19 in 2016. Without considering the size of the sample or whether the methodology is as rigorous, we can expect expats’ opinions to vary and change as a matter of course because they are on the move and in the process of adjusting to a foreign setting.

Slicing and dicing life abroad

The survey breaks the results down into several indices (shown in the left-hand column below). Each of the indices, in turn, is based on rankings according to more specialized parameters. For example, Quality of Life comprises Leisure Options, Personal Happiness, Transport, Health and Safety.      

Here’s a summary of the results in each index for the top-ranked country, Denmark and the US:

Summary: Expat Insider 2017

Index	No. 1	Denmark	USA
Top Destination	Bahrain	30	43
Quality of Life	Portugal	12	47
Ease of Settling In	Bahrain	65	28
Working Abroad	Czech Republic	9	28
Family Life	Finland	4	36
Personal Finance	Vietnam	56	37

NB: The Family Life index covers only 45 countries, and the Personal Finance parameter seems to concern primarily the cost of living.

No welcome wagon

The most glaring inconsistency between the two reports is that Denmark, the recurring No. 1 in the WHR, ranks 30^th overall among expats. It scores at the extremes of the EI indices. We know that, on the one hand, it is safe and has good child care and a good work-life balance, and also, on the other, that with its high taxes and duties it is expensive. The surprising score, which along with the cost of living drags down the overall ranking, is that it comes in dead last on Ease of Settling In, while countries such as Nigeria and Kazakhstan land in the middle.

Does this mean that the Danes are the most unfriendly people to foreigners? Consider the subcategories of this index: Feeling Welcome: 61; Friendliness: 59; and Finding Friends: 64. In the last subcategory, Language, it ranks 40^th even though everyone speaks English. Yes, the results suggest that the happiest people in the world are also the most unwelcoming – a disturbing combination on the face of it. Denmark has gotten a reputation for being anti-immigrant and anti-refugee, but the expats in this survey are generally well-educated people who don’t intend to live in the country permanently and don’t consume more than their share of its social benefits.

Tops in foreign aid

It looks like the Danes are happy among themselves and don’t want to share their happiness with others. But at the same time, Denmark managed to rank first in the 2017 Commitment to Development Index. It feels an obligation to the world and discharges it in a thoughtful, exemplary manner. Some other affluent, relatively happy countries rank near the bottom for “Settling In,” even those most welcoming of the big refugee wave of 2015, which were also near the top in Commitment to Development: Sweden: 49; and Germany: 56. In contrast, this was the best index for the otherwise not very tempting destination USA.

Another “parallel society”

I have attended several Internations events in Copenhagen lately. These well-attended cocktail parties and other activities have a lively, pleasant atmosphere. The typical participant is a single, thirty-something professional from another European country, and there is also a fair share from the Middle East. Many work in IT and pharma-biotech. A recurring topic is the difficulty of infiltrating mainstream social life in Denmark.

Even when everyone is supposed to speak English at international companies, Danes speak Danish among each other. They usually leave work early and don’t stop for a drink on the way home. Their leisure activities are focused on their families, extended families, and clubs in their local communities. Expats flock to these Internations events because they often cannot find activities as accessible and welcoming among the Danes. (Caveat: This sample may be not be representative: Many foreigners who are integrated probably don’t have the same need to attend expat events.)

Investing in the future

I can speak from both sides of the integration fence. It is possible to become fairly well integrated. It helps to be outgoing, enterprising and willing to mispronounce the language for a while. The quickest is to marry a Dane, get a permanent residence permit and have children here. Then you learn the language, become part of the child-care and school system, and begin to benefit from the advantages in quality of life. But even after living here many years, few immigrants can pass as real Danes, and their children may always make fun of their accents.

I should add that more foreigners than ever are working in Denmark and that, to the relief of industry associations, the government is proposing to expand the tax break for highly skilled foreign employees to attract more. The trend will continue, and as the country becomes more cosmopolitan, it may be able to crawl off the bottom of the hospitality league. But it has a long way to go to become a melting pot.