Expats in countries that are more likely than average (30%) to say that their work/life balance has deteriorated since relocating such as Russia (54%) and Hong Kong (48%) score highly on the Expat Economics Income league table (Russia 4th, Hong Kong 6th), but perform less well on the Expat Experience Quality of Life league table (Russia 29th, Hong Kong 15th).
A poor work/life balance may also impact other areas of expats' lives such as, making it harder to integrate into the local community. In Hong Kong 22% of expats found it hard to integrate into the community, as did 27% in Russia, compared to just 19% of all expats surveyed.
Expats are divided on whether their work/life balance is better since relocating. Overall, just under half (48%) agree that their work/life balance has improved and just under a third (30%) say it hasn't. Additionally, perceptions on work/life balance vary depending on expats' income: expats earning over $200 are less likely (39%) to say that this aspect of their life has improved than those earning $200k or less (45%).
Expats in countries such as New Zealand (79%), Canada (60%) and Thailand (62%) were much more likely to say their work life balance has improved since relocating. Expats in these countries are more likely to report it being easy to integrate into the local community (New Zealand 75%, Canada 73% and Thailand 61%) than expats overall (58%). Similarly, expats in these countries (New Zealand 42%, Canada 27% and Thailand 21%) were also more likely than the global average (16%) to report a better quality of life compared to their home country.
Even though expats in these countries earn less than expats on average, many of them still said they were earning more since becoming an expat. For example 69% of expats in Canada and 78% in Thailand report an increase in salary since relocating compared to a global average of 71%, suggesting that these countries offer a happy medium between an increase in income and a better work/life balance for expats.
