Are you looking for the sunniest countries in the world to live in with a lot of work?
The climate seems to play a crucial role in choosing a destination: almost seven in ten people (67%) say that the climate of their new home is a factor to consider before going abroad.
The likelihood of people thinking about the time cost of living and general standard of living is to think about their new home (67% and 70%, respectively).
Based on information from more than 14,000 ex-pats from over 191 countries in the annual Expat Insider survey, InterNations, the world’s largest network for people living and working abroad, has compiled an unprecedented ranking of the most popular destinations, more promising for sun lovers.
Finnish immigrants moving abroad most expected a better climate, as almost seven in ten (66%) saw it as a potential benefit before moving – 20 percentage points more than the world average (46%).
Other nationalities that feel this way are the Irish (64%), the British (63%), and the Russians (62%), whose countries are among the worst due to the weather.
Fortunately, there are plenty of opportunities for those fed up with the rain, such as Malta, Costa Rica, Spain, Portugal, and Ecuador.
Emigrants not only saw weather conditions as a possible benefit of relocation, but the ranking also suggests that good weather can positively impact quality of life. These countries are among the top 20 destinations.
However, sunny weather isn’t everything—Cyprus, Greece, Portugal, and Brazil are great for relaxing in the sun, but they are also among the top ten countries for working abroad.
List of Sunniest Countries in the World
1. Malta
With 92% of ex-pats seeing the weather as a possible advantage, Malta is on the list of countries to move to for a better climate.
Under the Maltese sun, ex-pats can settle very quickly: indeed, nine in ten ex-pats in Malta say it is easy to settle there, while the world average is only 59%.
This is undoubtedly helpful because almost seven in ten emigrants to Malta (69%) easily make local friends, compared to just 45% on the global average.
“Fantastic climate, facilities for making friends and contacts, beautiful landscapes” sums up a British expatriate living in Malta.
2. Costa Rica
Costa Rica displays that sunny weather and personal happiness can be linked: not only do almost nine in ten emigrants (89%) say they see the weather in Costa Rica as a possible benefit, but a similar percentage (92%) also states that they are generally happy with their lives.
Two in five say they are even pleased, compared to a world average of only 19%, which places Costa Rica first out of 67 countries in terms of personal happiness.
This positive assessment could also be linked to most Costa Rican ex-pats who are on cloud nine.
With about four percent facing a long-distance relationship, nine in ten ex-pats in a relationship are satisfied with this aspect of their life.
More than half (56%) are entirely satisfied, compared to a world average of only 39%.
3. Cyprus
The climate in Cyprus, which 86% of ex-pats saw as a potential benefit before immigration, seems to substantially impact daily life: “The sky is always blue, and nothing is urgent,” the Belgian ex-pat told about life and work on the island.
This attitude is strongly reflected in the working hours, as Cyprus offers one of the shortest full-time working weeks globally, with only 41.5 hours per week.
In addition, emigrants do not find many positive things to say about working in Cyprus.
It is notably reduced by job security (56 out of 67 countries) and career prospects (65): almost half of the emigrants in Cyprus (46%) are dissatisfied with their career prospects, and nearly two in five (36%) are dissatisfied with job security, compared to just 24 and 22 percent globally.
4. Morocco
Morocco slips to fourth place, with 84 percent of those polled seeing the climate and weather as a possible advantage.
Although it is perceived as lacking in many areas of life abroad, this North African country is doing well in terms of personal finances. 84% of ex-pats report their household disposable income is low—sufficient or even more than enough for everyday life.
About two in ten emigrants in Morocco (19%) even say that is more than enough, almost doubling the world average by just 10 percent.
This is specifically exciting as over two in five ex-pats working in Morocco (42%) say they would earn more income with the same work at home, compared to just 27% on the global average who say so.
However, the low cost of living seems to compensate for this: Seven in ten rate them positively, while only about half of emigrants (49%) say the same globally.
5. Spain
Sunny Spain is a favorite destination for ex-pats looking to have fun in the sun. While more than four in five emigrants (84%) felt that time was a potential advantage before moving in, they prefer leisure opportunities when they arrive in their new home.
Almost nine in ten emigrants (88%) rate the leisure activities available positively, compared to 72% globally, and none of the respondents think they are awful.
Incredible work-life balance with fantastic weather, which means you can enjoy the outdoors after work,” says a British ex-pat in Spain, “you can play sports and meet friends around for a drink in the open air. Children have as much time as possible to play outside. “
6. Portugal
While more than four in five emigrants in Portugal (83%) saw the climate as a possible benefit, 26% expected the economy and the labor market to be scarce, compared to just 11% globally, and were correct.
Regarding annual family income, more than seven in ten expatriates in Portugal (72%) have less than $50,000 at their disposal.
“I never earn enough to save anything, which worries me about my future,” says the British emigrant.
One reason could be that almost half of the emigrants working in Portugal (48%) earn less than what a comparable career would offer in their country of origin.
More than three in ten (32%) say that their income is much lower than that of the household, against only 11% who say so worldwide.
7. Greece
Greece shows that good weather is not the only thing that matters when going abroad – while 81% of ex-pats see the weather as a possible benefit, the island is generally not very popular.
This Balkan country shows abysmal results in business abroad and personal finances: only a quarter of respondents are usually satisfied with their financial situation, compared to 64% worldwide.
In addition, 45% are concerned about the safety of their work, which is more than double the global average (22%).
Greece is also not a good option for families: only 15 percent of parents emigrating to Greece think educational opportunities are plentiful and easy to find. None of the respondents strongly agree with this affirmation.
8. Uganda
In addition to the weather, attitudes towards ex-pats and families were warm in Uganda.
While 77% of ex-pats believed time was a potential advantage before immigration, nearly nine in ten Ugandan ex-pats (89%) positively assessed the kindness towards foreign residents.
Also, all ex-pats with dependent kids in Uganda report that the attitude towards families and children is good, and almost seven in ten (68%) even rated it as “very good,” compared with only 39% worldwide.
For example, a South African expatriate in Uganda particularly likes “the quality time he can spend with his children and the quality of life he can offer them here.
Interestingly, despite a 70 percent positive assessment of the quality of education, Uganda is where parents are most likely to educate their children at 23 percent, compared to a global level of just 4 percent.
9. Ecuador
While eight in ten emigrants still see the sunny weather as a potential advantage, Ecuador faces a few clouds: while emigrants voted the best destination two years in a row in 2014 and 2015, the great champion lost the crown in 2016.
There, Ecuador lost 23 seats, occupying a very mediocre 30. In total, only half of the emigrants in Ecuador are satisfied with their level of job security.
Yet more than four in five (81%) are happy with their financial situation: although 41% of those who work say their income is less than what they would earn at home, 91% have enough or more than what they would make at home. ‘enough to cover everyday life.
This could be related to the low cost of living, which has a positive rating of 77 percent, and the affordable housing, which more than four in five emigrants in Ecuador (85%) rate as good.
10. Brazil
Although 80 percent of immigrants to Brazil felt that time was a potential advantage before moving, it was simply not enough to make up for poor working conditions.
Compared to the 2014 results, Brazil has fallen from 33rd to 65th out of 67 countries abroad.
Abysmal performance in terms of job security (66), more than four in five respondents in Brazil (85%) view the economy negatively, reflecting reports of rising unemployment and a drop in real wages in 2015 and 2016.
In addition, Brazil is also ranked as the worst country for families, mainly due to the poor quality and high education costs.
Even three parents who emigrated ten (28%) are dissatisfied with the quality of education, compared to a global average of 64%, and only 14 percent consider education affordable.
Country to Avoid if You Are Looking for the Sun
Aside from Kazakhstan and Russia, we can find the top ten sunniest countries in the world for sun lovers across Europe – no wonder the UK and Ireland top the list of countries to avoid when looking for the sun with a wide margin (13%).
And six of the ten emigrants who now live there saw time as a potential gap before moving in.
When asked about negativity, the Brazilian ex-pat living in the UK mentioned “horrible weather most of the year.” It is still cloudy, rainy, and windy.”
However, 8% of ex-pats in the UK and 11% in Ireland also saw the potential benefit at the time, showing how much the prospect could depend.
Colder weather is great,” says an Australian ex-pat who lived in Abu Dhabi for eight years before moving to the UK.
