Expats in Australia - Report from InterNations

Following on from last month’s newsletters about expats in both France and Portugal, we are now taking a look at how the southern hemisphere fares for expats. Again, looking at last year’s Internations report, it is clear that overall, Australia is in fact one of the biggest winners, having improved across all the main indices.

Around three-quarters of respondents agree that settling down in Australia is generally easy. More than half find it easy to make local friends and again three quarters find that Australians have positive attitudes towards foreign residents. One expat from France even expressed that they were ‘astonished by the people in Australia, their kindness and welcoming attitude everywhere and anywhere’.

Many people initially decided to move to Australia for an improved quality of life and have not been disappointed. Australia ranks 8^th out of 68 countries regarding quality of life, and it’s no surprise that over three-quarters are happy about the climate!

With regards to ‘digital life’, over 90% of expats agree that online access to services is generally unrestricted – they appreciate cashless payment options, online administrative procedures (eg the government website), and easy access to local mobile phone numbers. The current downside down-under seems to be that high-speed internet access has much room for improvement.

Here are some of the top findings of the survey:

• Children’s safety is rated positively according to nine out of ten expats
• If you don’t speak English, it is likely to be difficult for you
• Australia ranks 8^th for quality of life
• Expats find that the cost of living is high

Education comes out well in the survey – in terms of both availability and quality. 80% of expats with dependent children are satisfied. Family life and availability of children’s leisure activities are also considered in a positive light (90% appreciate the leisure activity choices).

Cost of living seems to be a real disadvantage for some expats. Australia has improved since the previous survey, however, still ranks 40^th for personal finances and 50^th for cost of living. Three in five are nevertheless satisfied with their financial situation and agree their disposable income is enough to cover the costs of everyday life.

Work-life balance is considered satisfactory according to nearly three-quarters of those surveyed and they rate the state of Australia’s economy positively.

With more than 3.5 million members in 420 cities around the world, InterNations (http://www.internations.org) is the largest global network and information site for people who live and work abroad. InterNations offers global and local networking both online and face-to-face at more than 6,000 monthly events and activities. Source: Expat Insider Survey 2018

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