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Open spaces and more time spent outdoors means that Canada is the top place to raise a child

Canada is the top destination for raising children in this year's survey ranking 1st out of nine countries. 40% of expat parents said their children are now spending more time outdoors and 45% of parents stated their children are now spending more time playing sport. This also filters down to the parents themselves, with a quarter (25%) saying that they were more active in sport since moving.

Accommodation on the whole is of a higher standard and easier to find and organise. Nearly half of Canada-based expats (48%) agree that their accommodation is of a higher standard than in their home country and less than one in ten (9%) said finding accommodation was difficult. Canada is also praised for its excellent healthcare, high personal security and generally healthier diet.

There is also a strong sense of community and friendship in Canada. 62% of expats praised the friendliness of locals, which explains why expats tend to spend more time with locals than with other expats. Integration levels are very high in Canada with 70% of expats feeling that they have integrated.

From an economic perspective, despite falling into the bottom quartile of the Expat Economics league table, the benefits associated with better accommodation and environment to bring up children, expats are willing to take a smaller salary than they might earn elsewhere. Only two in five (43%) expats in Canada said that they are earning more compared to 56% worldwide. Despite this, expats are content with the economy and local economic growth. The majority of expats also felt that the country is heading in the right direction, and only 8% feel that it is off on the wrong track.

Canada also performs favourably as a retirement destination. A quarter of expats (25%) are retired while 52% of those said that they want to retire to Canada. It is not just retirees who are hanging around, 55% of all expats plan to stay in Canada, compared to global average of 38%.

"Embrace the local culture and be open to new experiences and ways of doing things" – Expat in Canada

Profile of Canada based expats surveyed in 2012:

Sample size: 409
Country of origin: UK (21%);
USA (28%)
Occupation: Education (14%);
Construction (9%)
Age: 18-34 (11%); 35-54 (42%); 55+ (47%)
Gender: Male (49%); Female (51%)

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