A global survey finds Ireland is amongst the friendliest countries in the world.
An international network of expats has named Ireland the 16th friendliest country in the world for 2021.
According to the Expat Insider 2021 report published by InterNations, Irish people are extremely friendly towards foreign residents.
This is not the first time Irish people have been recognised for their friendliness towards expats. In 2019, Ireland was named the 14th friendliest country in the world, while in 2018, it was the 13th friendliest.
What makes Ireland so friendly? – the land of a thousand welcomes
Newcomers to Ireland will be welcomed with open arms by locals.
Whether you’re heading to the pub by yourself or perhaps getting lost in one of the many quaint towns and villages of Ireland, the Irish people will be more than happy to offer you some company and directions.
According to the survey, almost nine in ten (86%) expats in Ireland describe the Irish people as being generally friendly. This is a great compliment to the Irish people as, for comparison, the global average is just 69%.
Although Ireland is extremely friendly, it only ranks 30th in the world when it comes to finding friends. Just 55% of respondents found it easy to make friends in Ireland.
The survey finds that expats struggle to make friends right across Europe, with only one European country, Ukraine, making it into the top ten.
Other friendly countries – how others fared
In this report, Taiwan has been named the friendliest country in the world for 2021.
Of those surveyed in Taiwan, 96% of respondents describe the Taiwanese population as being friendly towards foreign residents. Mexico comes in second, followed closely by Costa Rica.
Only four European countries feature in the top 20 friendliest countries in the world. Portugal is the top European country for friendliness, ranking 6th in the world. Greece is 8th, and Spain is 20th.
Dublin – the capital and expats
Although Ireland was named 16th friendliest country in the world, the Irish capital ranks 45th out of 57 European cities surveyed for expats. This poor result is largely due to Dublin’s high cost of living, which four in five (79%) respondents rated negatively.
Expats in Dublin found that housing in the city is neither affordable (79% vs 39% globally) nor easy to find (62% vs 23% globally).
According to one Dutch expat living in Dublin, “the housing crisis is a real problem; the rent is simply too high”.
The report also finds that 34% of expats find the quality of the Irish healthcare system to be poor. In addition, Ireland ranked last worldwide for both the availability and quality of healthcare.
Although Dublin might not be the best city for expats, it is without a doubt that the capital’s best assets are the people. There’s a reason Ireland ranks 16th friendliest country in the world!
The survey – how countries are ranked
Data was collected from over 12,000 expats for this international survey. Together, these expats represent 174 nationalities and live in 186 countries or territories across the world.
This year’s report aims to highlight the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on expats lives.
You can find the full Expat Inside report on the Internations website here.
