The survey was conducted with 12,000 people from 171 countries and territories. The top five countries and territories in the 2023 list were Mexico, Spain, Panama, Malaysia and Taiwan (China). The five names at the bottom were Germany, South Korea, Turkey, Norway and Kuwait.

The survey covered 56 factors that affect a person's life abroad such as cost of living, quality of living environment, job opportunities, and technology.

Vietnam was praised by many foreigners for factors such as: "culture and welcome" (16th); "friend-seeking" (11th) and "hospitality of local residents" (5th). 82% of foreigners said that Vietnamese are friendly and hospitable.

Vietnam was also considered a place with affordable prices. Vietnam took the lead for the "personal finance" index. This index is based on three factors, including: satisfaction with financial situation, general cost of living, income of survey respondents with enough living expenses. Up to 77% of respondents rated the cost of living in Vietnam as favorable.

Vietnam ranked 34th globally on the safety and security index. In Asia, it ranked behind Taiwan (China), the UAE, Singapore, Bahrain, Qatar, Oman, South Korea, Japan, and Saudi Arabia.

However, Vietnam was assessed to have poor environmental quality. About 55% of expats living in Vietnam felt uncomfortable with air quality, which is three times higher than the general rate around the world.

In addition, foreigners were also less satisfied with online administrative services and non-cash payments in Vietnam. They also faced difficulty in obtaining visas in Vietnam. Vietnamese language is also an obstacle. "In fact, not a single foreigner living in Vietnam claims to be able to speak the language well, while the global rate is 34%," the report said.

Mexico ranked first on the list, and this was the ninth year it was in the top 5.

Linh Trang